Written by Sally Phillips, Technical Claims Lead, LV=
When I first started in Claims back in 2001 the world was a very different place. We were just at the dawn of the 21st Century and third millennium, George W. Bush was about to be inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America, and most importantly, Bob the Builder had been shifted from the summit of the UK singles chart after a short stay at the top. It was safe to turn on our radios again! Claims was also a very different place in which to work than it is today. It was a very paper-based environment. We’d send a claim form to a customer and wait for it to be returned. A paper file would be created for the customer and added to the filing room. Every income protection claim would need a GP report, financial evidence, a job description and possibly a form completed by the customer’s employer. All this information would be requested by post as would any chasers. The customer would need to send in their documents and trust they would be returned safely. It was a long, drawn-out process. Telephones were shared between desks but not commonly used as paper-based information was paramount.
When you visit a claims area today, you won’t see desks piled high with files, or rows of filing cabinets. In fact, you might not see any paper, files or the furniture needed to accommodate them.
Paper files have been replaced by image systems. Traditional post and the fax machine have been replaced by emails and document uploads. You’ll hear people speaking to customers and chasing up information using a headset linked to their laptop.
But this isn’t the only change. The information being requested has also changed. There’s no longer a one size fits all for all claims.
The pandemic and lockdowns really did focus our minds as to what could be achieved very quickly. Overnight, we had to review all of our evidence requirements and the information we need to assess claims as a lot of our traditional methods disappeared whilst our claim volumes increased.
This has led to more phone-based assessment. We have conversations with customers to allow them to really explain their situation. This also allows us to target the information we need for their claim to get to a decision as soon as possible.
Claims areas have also reacted to changes within the NHS to help assess claims. The NHS now copies patients into letters sent between departments. We ask the customer to send us this information to help us to assess claims, whether this is a copy of letters or downloads from the NHS app. This has reduced the need to contact doctors directly for information.
Many insurers have developed fast track procedures for income protection claims. We may not have rules engines, yet which suggest a decision, but we have the frameworks in place to settle certain claims with limited targeted evidence.
There are still claims that will need a request to a doctor. Like our colleagues in Underwriting, we are seeing the return of digital GPRs, targeted to the evidence we need.
We’re talking about income protection claims but we should mention the changes that have been implemented for life claims. Not all claims require death certificates when online providers can confirm the death has occurred. Many insurers are paying a significant number of death claims without any evidence being forwarded in support of a claim.
One of my old managers described Claims areas as the Cinderella of insurance teams; Underwriting and Sales were the ugly sisters who were given all the shiny new toys and investment. Claims teams rarely got the investment they need but ultimately still had to deliver. This has led Claims areas to be organically innovative in how claims are assessed without a ‘handsome Prince’ to significantly investment in processes or technology.
We’re now seeing Claims areas starting to get the investment in technology that it needed and hopefully we’re at the start of a significant period of change and development. Online portals with instant decisions are now in our sight!
