APS narrative is a detailed written summary of an attending physician statement (APS) prepared by an underwriter, nurse reviewer, or medical consultant to highlight the key clinical findings relevant to an insurance risk decision. Because APS records can span dozens or hundreds of pages, the narrative distills diagnoses, dates, test results, treatment plans, and prognostic comments into a concise, decision'friendly format. It focuses on conditions that materially affect mortality or morbidity risk, such as cardiac disease, cancer, diabetes, psychiatric history, and substance use. The APS narrative helps the underwriting team, reinsurers, and sometimes internal appeal committees quickly understand the medical picture without re'reading the full chart each time, improving consistency, speed, and documentation quality.

Underwriters create an APS narrative after reviewing lengthy physician records, especially on impaired'risk or large face'amount cases. They summarize onset dates, current status, stability, complications, and follow'up care, then tie these facts to internal underwriting manuals or reinsurance guidelines. Reinsurers rely on the narrative to form their own view of risk or to support facultative offers. In complex or appealed cases, senior underwriters and medical directors review the APS narrative to confirm the final decision. Advisors may not see the narrative itself but benefit from its clarity when they receive detailed table ratings or declination explanations. Understanding APS narratives helps BGAs appreciate the behind'the'scenes work that turns raw medical records into defensible, repeatable underwriting outcomes.