The life insurance claims process has layers of complexity at an already fraught time. Beneficiaries must gather documents, complete forms and wait for updates—all while managing grief and financial uncertainty. For many policyholders, this is one of the few encounters with their insurer, putting all the attention on the relationship at one of the most difficult moments.
Insurers like TruStage® are beginning to change that. A leading life insurance carrier that partners with insurers, credit unions and other financial institutions to provide a portfolio of insurance products, TruStage is employing automation, artificial intelligence and integrated data systems to reduce delays and make the claims process easier to navigate.
"When you add friction to the vulnerability and uncertainty of a claim, that's really where the challenges arise," says Stephany Gonzales vice president of claims at TruStage. "We need to make sure we're delivering communication and updates that still feels human and genuine, not transactional."
Trust As a Growth Strategy
For policyholders, the claims experience has implications that go well beyond the insurance product itself. Even when coverage is embedded through a partner, the experience still reflects on the primary brand that introduces it. How the claims process unfolds can reinforce or undermine[NR1] the trust customers have in their primary provider.
"Consumers already have a relationship with their insurance distributor," explains Nick Rohan, director of partner management at TruStage. "These institutions are meeting a genuine consumer need through a place that the consumer has already elected to trust."
Offering diversified insurance products can strengthen long-term relationships and open the door for additional services. A negative experience can negatively impact how customers view the institution overall.
Modernizing the Claims Experience
Historically, the claims experience can feel opaque and transactional, Rohan says. Beneficiaries have to gather multiple documents and wait for manual reviews before claims can move forward. That process can take up to 30 days, and more complicated situations can take even longer.
"At the front end, we've taken out a lot of the friction during the sales process," he says. "We're taking out the friction at the back end too."
Today, automation and data integration are helping to streamline those steps and relieve beneficiaries of time-consuming administrative tasks.
For example, insurers can increasingly retrieve public records automatically rather than asking beneficiaries to obtain death certificates themselves. AI tools can also help to triage claims, identify potential fraud risks and summarize large volumes of medical records to speed reviews.
But automation is only one part of the solution.
"It's about eliminating unnecessary manual work so our teams can focus on what really requires a human conversation," Gonzales says.
Ultimately, modernization goes beyond efficiency and automation. It should improve the positive claims experience for families during a difficult moment. The goal isn't simply deliver a benefit payment, Gonzales says, but to help families navigate the process in a way that reinforces trust.
TruStage® is a financially strong insurance and financial services provider, built on the philosophy of people helping people. We believe a brighter financial future should be accessible to everyone, and our products and solutions help people confidently make financial decisions that work for them at every stage of life. www.trustage.com.
TruStage® Insurance products and programs are issued by CMFG Life Insurance Company, MEMBERS Life Insurance Company and other leading insurance companies. The insurance offered is not a deposit and is not federally insured, sold, or guaranteed by any financial institution. Product and features may vary and not be available in all states. All guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the insurer. Corporate Headquarters 5910 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705.
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