Prudential 2001 Annual Report Download - page 67

Prudential Financial, Inc.
Benefits and Expenses
The following table sets forth the Group Insurance segment’s benefits and administrative operating expense ratios
for the periods indicated.
Year Ended December 31,
2001 2000 1999
Benefits ratio(1):
Group life ................................................................................ 92.6% 85.8% 88.3%
Group disability ............................................................................ 95.2 101.9 102.7
Administrative operating expense ratio(2):
Group life ................................................................................ 10.0 11.6 11.4
Group disability ............................................................................ 23.6 21.0 23.5
(1) Ratio of policyholder benefits to earned premiums, policy charges and fee income. Group disability ratios include long-term care products.
(2) Ratio of administrative operating expenses (excluding commissions) to gross premiums, policy charges and fee income.
2001 to 2000 Annual Comparison. Benefits and expenses, as shown in the table above under “—Operating
Results,” increased by $535 million, or 20%, from 2000 to 2001. The increase resulted in large part from an increase
of $448 million, or 22%, in policyholders’ benefits, including the change in policy reserves. This increase reflected
less favorable group life insurance claims experience in 2001, which included an increase in our estimate of
incurred but not reported claims, as well as the growth of business in force. Based on our evaluation of mortality
experience during 2001, we have reviewed our pricing policies to determine whether our pricing structure provides
for adequate margins and returns on all of our group insurance products. As a result of this review, we have
commenced pricing adjustments, when contractually permitted, which consider the recent deterioration of the
benefits ratio on our group life insurance products. During 2002, we expect to implement pricing adjustments on
group life insurance business representing about half of our 2001 premiums in force, including business
representing approximately 26% of our 2001 premium in force for which pricing adjustments were implemented
upon renewal in January 2002. While there can be no assurance, we expect these actions to result, over time, in a
return to benefits ratios consistent with those experienced on this business prior to 2001. However, we expect that
the implementation of these actions, given the competitive marketplace for our products, may result in a decline in
persistency on our group life insurance business in force and some slowing of our sales. As a result of our
reinsurance coverages, insurance losses resulting from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States
did not have a material impact on our results. An increase of $64 million, or 16%, in operating expenses also
contributed to the increase in benefits and expenses. The increase in operating expenses, from $402 million in 2000
to $466 million in 2001, resulted primarily from sales-based compensation costs driven by the increase in group life
insurance sales. Additionally, expenses in 2001 included $12 million of consulting costs to enhance our
underwriting and other business processes.
The group life benefits ratio for 2001 increased 6.8 percentage points from 2000 primarily as a result of the less
favorable claims experience on our group life insurance business in 2001. About 4 percentage points of the increase
in the group life benefits ratio came from the increase in estimate of incurred but not reported claims and the net
impact of the refinements in reserve calculations and charge to increase the allowance for receivables in 2000. The
group disability benefits ratio improved by 6.7 percentage points from 2000 to 2001 reflecting better morbidity
experience, which we attribute to accelerated case resolution and our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of our
underwriting and claims management processes as well as the impact of our increase in the allowance for
receivables, which contributed about 2 percentage points to the 2000 ratio. The group life administrative operating
expense ratio improved 1.6 percentage points, reflecting the impact of our efforts to improve operational
efficiencies. The group disability insurance administrative operating expense ratio increased 2.6 percentage points,
reflecting the favorable impact, in 2000, of changes in our estimate of the administrative costs associated with
settlement of pending claims.
2000 to 1999 Annual Comparison. Benefits and expenses increased by $343 million, or 15%, from 1999 to 2000.
This increase includes the changes in reserves from the refinements in reserve calculations noted above, which
reduced our expenses by $54 million in 2000. Excluding this change, total benefits and expenses increased $397
million, or 17%. The increase resulted in large part from an increase of $337 million, or 19%, in policyholders’
benefits, including the change in policy reserves. This increase reflected the growth in business in force, partially
offset by the impact of improved mortality and morbidity experience on group life and disability products in 2000.
An increase of $47 million, or 13%, in operating expenses also contributed to the increase in benefits and expenses.
The increase in operating expenses, from $354 million in 1999 to $401 million in 2000, resulted primarily from the
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