Insurance claims are more than transactions; they’re a promise—a commitment insurers make to be there when it matters most. This promise hinges not just on systems or policies but on the people—claims professionals—tasked with delivering empathy and precision under challenging circumstances. Yet today, insurers face a dual challenge: a shrinking workforce of experienced professionals and increasingly complex demands from policyholders. The question is: how do insurers rise to meet this challenge?
As claims volumes rise and the workforce dwindles, insurers grapple with:
- Burnout: Overburdened staff juggle manual processes, escalating delays, and mounting frustration from claimants.
- Legacy Systems: Claims professionals waste valuable time navigating outdated systems that hinder data accessibility and slow resolution.
- Complex Cases: Without automation to handle routine tasks, claims adjusters are stretched thin, reducing the attention available for nuanced, emotionally charged cases.
The Economic Toll of ‘Freeze Mode’
Drawing from The Real Cost of Inefficient Claims Processing, carriers stuck in “freeze mode” lose more than operational efficiency. These inefficiencies compound staff exhaustion, driving higher attrition and leaving insurers even more vulnerable to staffing shortages. It’s a cycle that automation can break. According to Celent, automation can reduce manual interventions by 80%, freeing claims staff to focus on the tasks where human expertise is irreplaceable.
Humanomation™: Empowering Staff, Enhancing Service
Automation often raises fears of replacement, but in reality, it’s a partner to human workers. Benekiva’s concept of Humanomation™—blending automation with human expertise—ensures that technology supports, rather than supplants, staff.
- Automation as a Support System: Automation operates as the infrastructure—the solid foundation upon which claims professionals can build meaningful interactions. By handling the repetitive and routine, automation ensures staff can focus on the moments that require their empathy and expertise.
- Reducing Burnout: Automating tasks like document gathering, data input, and eligibility checks ensures claims professionals have the bandwidth to provide compassionate service.
For example, PwC research shows digital claims solutions can reduce handling costs by up to 30% while improving customer satisfaction. These efficiencies not only cut costs but also make workloads more manageable for staff.
Building an Orchestrated Claims Process
Drawing from The Role of Data and AI in Group Insurance, automation serves as the backbone of an orchestrated claims system, harmonizing disparate data sources and legacy systems.
- Streamlining Data Accessibility: AI and automation act as connective tissue, transforming siloed information into actionable insights, giving claims staff the tools they need to succeed.
- Innovation Gateway: Flexible APIs enable insurers to integrate external data sources seamlessly, allowing claims professionals to operate more effectively without overhauling entire systems.
These tools empower staff to handle even the most complex claims with speed and precision, turning a bottleneck into a streamlined, beneficiary-centered process.
The holiday season magnifies the stakes in claims processing. Families who’ve lost loved ones deserve not only efficient service but also compassion and care. Every moment waiting for resolution is a moment stolen from closure and healing. With Benekiva’s platform:
- Processing times can decrease by up to 40%.
- Operational costs can drop by 25-30%.
- Customer loyalty increases as families feel supported during critical moments.
This transformation is about more than technology—it’s about reinforcing the trust insurers promise to deliver.
The Future: Turning Staffing Challenges Into Opportunities
Staffing shortages won’t resolve themselves, but technology offers a solution. By embracing automation and Humanomation™, insurers can create an environment where claims staff thrive—empowered by tools that make their jobs more fulfilling and efficient.
As Benekiva’s CEO Brent Williams reminds us: “The claims process is a key moment of truth in the insurance journey. By combining the speed of automation with the empathy of human connection, insurers can deliver an experience that is both efficient and deeply personal.”
This Thanksgiving, we’re reminded of the importance of gratitude and the promises we make. At Benekiva, we’re thankful for the opportunity to support insurers and their teams, empowering them to deliver not just resolutions but peace of mind to families in need. Together, we’re redefining what’s possible in claims processing—one claim, one family, one promise at a time.
Sources:
- PwC, Challenges Facing Personal Lines of Insurance
- Celent, Robotic Process Automation in Insurance
- Swiss Re, Reinsurance and Insurance Trends in Claims Processing
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