Readability / Plain Language / Flesch

By readability, I do not mean the use of two syllable words, three word sentences and a high score on the Flesch test.
What I mean is the ability to communicate what you are, in fact, offering in your contracts and the words the agent uses to explain the benefits, conditions and limitations of the contract.

-- Angele Khachadour, Miller & Daar, Mill Valley, CA

1981 - SOA - The Life Insurance Business---The View of Consumerists (rsa81v7n17), Daphne Bartlett - Moderator, Society of Actuaries - 16p

1978 Proc. II 298-302 (adopted) - Life and Health Insurance Policy Language Simplification Act (#575)
1979 10 - SOA - Putting Flesch to the Test, by David H. Raymond, The Actuary, Society of Actuaries - 3p

1984 - ACLI / Report - Beyond Readability: How to Write and Design Understandable Life Insurance Policies, by Dr. Janice C. Redish, Director of the Document Design Center, American Institutes for Research, prepared for the Committee on Consumer Affairs, American Council of Life Insurance - 29p

CONSUMER PARTICIPATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Letter on Readability of the Life Insurance Buyers Guide (Attachment One) 1268
- 1267 - Ms. Cude said that her main focus is consumer information and education.
- She has worked extensively on the Life Insurance Buyers Guide and the model consumer information report.
- Ms. Cude expressed concern about the NAIC process of developing consumer guides and other documents.
- She suggested that the group drafting process used to develop these documents does not result in a document that is easily readable for most consumers.
- Ms. Cude distributed a letter dated Sept. 17, 1996, (Attachment One) bringing this issue of readability to the attention of the Consumer Participation Board of Trustees and asking for suggestions about a way to address this problem.
Superintendent Atchinson agreed with Ms. Cude's observations and suggested that NAIC staff try to educate insurance regulators on this issue.

1996-3v2, NAIC Proceedings