Paying claims in a COVID-19 world
Protecting policyholders and meeting their service expectations will require updating the payment process for claims.
Digitization proved a game-changer for insurers when the pandemic made its way into the United States. Amid stay-at-home orders, carriers with systems in place to support remote operations found themselves at a distinct advantage.
Now, in the thick of the pandemic, insurers that have not yet adopted a highly digital approach must determine how best to meet policyholders’ demands for business continuity and an optimal claim experience, including faster, safer claim payments.
While it may sound cliché, aligning with an evolving “new normal” will require today’s insurers to closely audit existing processes and redefine their priorities going forward.
The COVID-19 legacy: Business continuity and safety
Safety and business continuity are two of the immediate challenges insurers faced during the COVID-19 outbreak, a March 2020 Deloitte Insights analysis found. During the first months of the pandemic, achieving an optimal level of safety meant that employees needed a way to complete claim processes securely from home. For insurers still operating largely in a paper-based environment, this dynamic presented a significant challenge around the last mile of claims adjudication — payment — when paper checks remained the payment of choice. It also threatened policyholder satisfaction when payment delays ensued.
Safety concerns related to paper-based payment systems extended not just to insurers, but also policyholders. Policyholders needed ways of accessing funds without having to leave home and enter financial institutions — a necessity that often accompanies a paper check. Ensuring adequate protection for all stakeholders demanded that insurers adopt digital options.
Business continuity also remained top of mind for insurers during the pandemic, given efforts by insurers to improve their disaster response to help policyholders get back on their feet faster. To boost their disaster response, some of the largest carriers have embraced advanced technology to improve turnaround times for claim payment. For instance, rather than wait days or weeks for an adjuster to come on-scene and file a report, leading insurers are deploying drones to assess damage more rapidly. Once claims are approved, some insurers can initiate funds transfer within minutes using push-to-debit technology. Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic makes this option particularly attractive as safety concerns are heightened when adjusters must come onsite to meet with policyholders.
At a time when access to near real-time payment is increasingly available across many industries, there is little excuse for payment delays during a crisis. Consequently, it’s understandable that consumers will demand timely access to funds when they face critical needs such as housing, transportation or access to food. In the digital age, consumers simply expect better.
Consumer demands accelerate innovation
Pandemics and disasters aside, the reality for the insurance sector is that consumers overwhelmingly want access to faster payment. In a recent VPay survey of 502 policyholders conducted by Engine Insights, more than two-thirds said the ability to receive same-day claim payments is somewhat or very important to their claim experience, and more than half said they would be willing to switch insurers to gain access to instant claim payment. These findings trend significantly higher in younger generations, suggesting that speed is becoming an industry imperative for future market share.
In addition, consumers are looking for a broader range of options when it comes to digital claim payment. The survey also found that choice was important to the claim experience for more than half of the respondents. The majority of claimants say they seek customizable, personalized experiences offered across many online platforms such as Amazon or Netflix.
As a result, digital claim payment should be central to any insurers’ strategy as they look to adjust to the “new normal” brought on by the pandemic. While the momentum driving demand for faster payments was already on an upward trajectory pre-coronavirus, strategies that address next-generation payment offerings will move center stage in a post-COVID-19 world. Yet findings from the VPay survey suggest that the insurance industry is not ready for next-generation payment processing: 60% of respondents received their last claim payout by paper check.
Defining a strong finish to claim processes
The reality is that the pandemic is one of multiple forces that are converging to normalize expectations around digital payments. The new world of insurance payments will be defined by business continuity preparedness, solutions that expedite disaster response and more convenient payment options.
As the industry defines what a competitive advantage looks like in a post-COVID-19 world, it will have to move digital payment strategy to a top-level priority. Short-term strategies should consider:
- More digital touchpoints and payments options.
Automated clearinghouse (ACH) — the go-to digital payment strategy for many insurers — will not suffice as the industry moves closer to real-time payments. At a minimum, insurers should consider rounding out their portfolios with faster payment options like push-to-debit for B2C payments and virtual cards for B2B payments. These options not only improve the speed of payment but also offer many bottom-line advantages to carriers looking to reduce costs and streamline payment management.
- A personalized payment experience.
Customizable options that personalize the payment experience allow policyholders to select their preferred form of payment, whether a digital offering or a paper-based check.
There is an inherent opportunity for insurers to gain a competitive advantage at the intersection of digital payment and an evolving post-pandemic landscape. In tandem with short-term strategies that improve the payment experience for consumers, insurers can expect that technological advances will continue to open up new options to expand digital connectivity across all claim processes, lowering overhead costs and improving customer recruitment and retention. In this environment, nothing improves brand loyalty quite like a strong finish — claim payments.
Elisa Logan (elogan@vpayusa.com) is vice president, growth at VPay, a claim payments platform focused on the property and casualty, workers’ compensation, health care and warranty industries.
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