Health Insurance Jobs Key Terms

Explore key health insurance job terms

By Sandy Baker

There are many types of health insurance jobs, including the actuary positions, underwriters and claims representatives. There are many terms within each of these careers that are commonly used in the industry. For those working in such positions or within the health insurance industry, it is critical to understand these terms. Some of the terms are included below.

Actuary

Actuaries are responsible for estimating risk for insurance companies. They work to assess the health of individuals and how it relates to the amount of risk the insurer will take on. An actuary's work helps to determine the cost of the coverage for an individual.
Try: CareerOverview offers more information about the actuary position with health insurance providers.

Underwriter

A health insurance underwriter helps to decide if insurance will be provided and the terms under which it will be written. They work to calculate the risk of loss from policyholders. They write the policies that individuals will sign and use. They work on behalf of the insurer to ensure the policy provides enough financial strength to benefit the company.
Try: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides more information on health insurance underwriter jobs.

Claims representatives

Claims representatives work for the insurance company to investigate any claims policyholders may file. They investigate the claims, negotiate the proper settlements for the claims and authorize payments.
Try: The U.S. Department of Labor provides more information on claims representatives.

Insurance policy process clerks

Insurance policy processing clerks help provide administrative assistance in the health insurance jobs industry. These professionals collect premiums, issue receipts, compute interest due and handle office management. These professionals may work in an agent's office or in an insurance company's claims department.
Try: InsuranceJobs provides more information on insurance policy process clerks.

Precertification

Some health insurance jobs require precertification, which is the process of ensuring a patient is able to obtain the procedure required from the physician they are working with. This process may be performed through a computerized program and is often done by the health insurance representative or a call center employee.
Try: Aetna offers more information on precertification on its website.

Voluntary benefits

Many employers are offering voluntary benefits as an added perk for working with the company. In health insurance jobs, voluntary benefits are policies, or types of coverage added to the policy, to cover additional needs.
Try: Humana offers more information on voluntary benefits on its website.