Claims digitization will be the over-riding theme for 2017 as these capabilities touch every aspect of the claim landscape. A review of some of the more costly events in 2016 highlights the role of technology and its impact on all areas of claims going forward.

Natural catastrophe events in 2016 dwarfed those from 2015. Per Swiss Re, the first six months of 2015 resulted in a total loss of $46 billion (US) in natural catastrophe events. For the same period in 2016, $68 billion (US) in natural CAT losses were realized — an increase of almost 50 percent. Earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan, wildfires in Canada, and flooding in Europe, all contributed to what will amount to a very large CAT loss year.

From a consumer point of view, overall loss costs from 2010 to 2015 declined by 30 percent for US-based homeowners across a broad number of areas, including wind events (down 50 percent); hail by more than 20 percent; fire (steady decline, no figure available); and theft loss costs, which decreased by 50 percent.