LifeQuote has said it expects to see insurers include health tracking data for protection pricing along the same lines as has been adopted for private medical insurance (PMI) policies.
The protection portal and administration service from DirectLife said it is therefore reviewing how best to capture health tracking data from the likes of the Apple watch or FitBit.
No no protection insurer writing UK business uses individuals' health tracking to price policies at outset, although engagement with the Vitality program during the policy term can certainly reduce premiums, LifeQuote has said.
However, when the market starts to integrate it into their underwriting, it will require standardised formats in order to be used for pricing comparisons.
LifeQuote said it will be consulting with insurers to understand their likely future requirements and develop a standardised way of recording the data.
In the same way as "postcode" pricing was introduced, the industry is seeking alternative ways to help rate lives in the future to help simplify the underwriting process.
Neil McCarthy, sales and marketing director at LifeQuote said: "The PMI market is rapidly adopting mobile health tracking as a way of setting premiums. We would expect protection providers to look at including this information as part of their pricing strategy, or to look at accessing other data to help offer appropriately targeted life and health products to customers.
"However, this will require a standardised approach in the future if it is also going to be used to compare prices across products and providers. We are therefore engaging with insurers now to at least investigate the likely future requirements."
