When insurance goes virtual...
Insurers will need to adjust to the possibility of continued remote work and create policies to protect adjusters in the field.
I’ve worked remotely for over 25 years, starting way before it was the popular thing to do. I had a forward-thinking boss who was willing to let me work from home except for weekly staff meetings. As my career progressed, I worked a combination of days in the office and from home because I managed a staff of 14 for a weekly newspaper. At other positions, I was able to split my time at home and in the office because of long commutes. It has always been a privilege I’ve never taken for granted.
As jurisdictions begin reopening after the coronavirus, many companies are looking at how productive their staffs have been as they worked remotely. Technology makes it easier for us to ‘go virtual’ for meetings, conferences and networking opportunities. Instant messaging allows us to communicate immediately with colleagues for projects and quick questions. Telework may become the norm for some.
The need to continue social distancing, however, will affect how insurers handle claims going forward. Some policyholders will be reluctant to allow an adjuster to enter the premises to walk a fire or water loss. Similarly, adjusters will be at risk every time they enter a building, especially if someone there had the coronavirus.
How will carriers protect their adjusters on-site? Why will kinds of personal protective equipment be required? How will they confirm for an 85-year-old policyholder that it is safe to admit the adjuster into her home to see her flooded basement? What role will technology play in capturing and reporting these losses? For the technology-savvy, it won’t be much of an issue, but for someone’s grandmother, capturing the damage on a mobile device and uploading the photos to a portal may be beyond her technological capabilities. Solutions will require planning and consideration.
Doctors face the same issues with telemedicine. While there is safety in ‘meeting’ remotely with a nurse or physician, some illnesses cannot be diagnosed over a computer. Telemedicine is still in its infancy and specific issues must be considered for workers’ compensation, auto and health-related claims to prevent abuse of the system (fraud), misdiagnoses and misclassifications.
Just as businesses are reopening in phases, insurers will need to develop gradual plans for handling different aspects of their business and remain agile enough to pivot as situations and information change. No one said it would be easy.
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