GALVESTON, Texas, Dec. 31, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American National Insurance Company (American National), one of the leaders in Life Insurance Living Benefits announces the introduction of Chronic and Critical Illness Riders for life insurance policyholders in California through the expansion of their Accelerated Benefit Riders (ABRs). Accelerated Benefit Riders for Critical, Chronic, and Terminal Illness in California give the policyholder the option to accelerate a portion, or all, of their death benefit in the case of a qualifying event.
American National today announced it will unveil on January 1, 2016 NEW Partial and Full Accelerated Benefit Riders for Critical and Chronic Illness in the State of California in addition to the Terminal Illness rider that is already available. This will provide more options for customers in the State of California.
These living benefits, offered at no additional premium, cover 13 Critical Illnesses, Chronic Illness, and Terminal Illness in the form of Accelerated Benefit Riders. In the event of a qualifying illness, the policy owner may choose between partial or full death benefit acceleration. When the death benefit is accelerated, it is reduced by an actuarial discount based on the insured's future expected mortality in addition to an administrative fee (up to $500).
David A. Behrens, Executive Vice President of American National Insurance Company stated, “American National’s expanded offering in California of Partial and Full Accelerated Benefit Riders for Critical and Chronic Illness provides more options for customers at a time of need while still offering protection for their family’s future.”
About the Company
American National Insurance Company (American National), headquartered in Galveston, Texas, was founded in 1905 and is licensed to conduct the business of insurance in all states except New York. American National offers a broad line of products and services, which include life insurance, annuities, health insurance, credit insurance, pension products, and property and casualty insurance for personal lines, agribusiness and targeted commercial exposures. For more information, including company news and investor relations information, visit American National’s website at www.americannational.com
Financial Strength Ratings
American National Insurance Company has been evaluated and assigned the following ratings by nationally recognized, independent rating agencies. The ratings are current as of September, 2015.
| A.M. Best1 | A |
| Standard & Poor’s2 | A |
Ratings reflect current independent opinions of the financial capacity of an insurance organization to meet the obligations of its insurance policies and contracts in accordance with their terms. They are based on comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the company and its management strategy. The rating agencies do not provide ratings as a recommendation to purchase insurance or annuities. The ratings are not a warranty of an insurer's current or future ability to meet its contractual obligations.
Ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn at any time. For the most current ratings view the full rating reports on American National’s website at
www.americannational.com.
1 A.M. Best’s active company rating scale is: A++ (Superior), A+ (Superior), A (Excellent), A- (Excellent), B++ (Good), B+ (Good), B (Fair), B- (Fair), C++ (Marginal), C+ (Marginal), C (Weak), C- (Weak) and D (Poor).
2 Ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
For more information, including company news and investor relations information, visit American National’s website at www.americannational.com.
Contact our Field Support Center at 888‐501‐4043
California residents should refer to Form 10743 for a full description of the California Riders. Not everyone who applies will qualify for acceleration. For full details regarding the Accelerated Benefit Riders, please refer to Policy Form: ABR14-TM(04); ABR14-CH(04); ABR14-CT(04).
Accelerated Benefit Rider Notice:
Refer to rider forms for a complete list of illnesses and definitions. The riders are offered at no additional premium. However, the accelerated payment will be less than the requested death benefit because it will be reduced by an actuarial discount and an administrative fee of up to $500. The amount of the reduction is primarily dependent on American National’s determination of the insured’s life expectancy at the time of election. Outstanding Policy Loans will reduce the amount of the benefit payment. The accelerated death benefit is an unrestricted cash payment. The Chronic and Terminal rider are intended to receive favorable tax treatment under 101(g) of the IRC. Receipt of a benefit could be a taxable event. You should consult a tax advisor regarding the tax status of any benefit paid under these riders. Receipt of Accelerated Benefits may affect your eligibility for Medicaid, supplemental security income, or other governmental benefits or entitlements. Before accelerating any benefit you should consult an advisor to determine the impact on your eligibility. Accelerated Benefit Riders are not replacements for Long Term Care Insurance. This is a life insurance benefit that also gives you the option to accelerate some or all of the death benefit in the event that you meet the criteria for a qualifying event described in the policy. This policy or certificate does not provide long-term care insurance subject to California long-term care insurance law. The policy or certificate is not a California Partnership for Long-Term Care program policy. This policy or certificate is not a Medicare supplement policy. Accelerated benefit riders (“ABR”) and long-term care insurance (“LTCI”) provide different types of benefits. An ABR allows the insured to access a portion of the life insurance policy’s death benefit while living and may be used for any purpose. LTCI provides reimbursement for necessary care received due to a prolonged illness or disability. Coverage may include reimbursement for the cost of a nursing home, assisted living, home health care, homemaker services, adult day care, hospice services or respite care for the primary caretaker. The benefits may be conditioned on certain requirements or meeting an elimination period or limited by type of service, the number of days or a maximum dollar limit. Benefits under some ABRs and all LTCI are conditioned upon the insured not being able to perform two or more of the activities of daily living or being cognitively impaired. California: See form 10741-CM for a more detailed comparison of benefits provided by an ABR and LTCI.
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