Insurers Slammed by Inflation and Soaring Claims Costs. Here’s How Automation Can Help

Insurers have been slammed by inflation, with loss costs surging by $30 billion in 2021 alone. Almost every line of insurance has been hit with rising claims expenses, while replacement costs have risen by 16.3%—nearly twice the consumer price index rise. To combat inflation, insurers need to find better ways to increase efficiency and reduce claims leakage.

1. Faster speed to settlement - Automate manual, repetitive work and increase straight-through processing on simpler claims, freeing up staff to focus on more complex claims. Reduce the need for manual data entry and other repetitive tasks using AI and IDP, helping to expedite FNOL and claims resolution. 
2. Unified data - Say goodbye to data silos. Gain full visibility into the claims lifecycle by using a data fabric to connect disparate systems, including existing core claims and policy admin systems and advanced new data sources like telematics and IoT in a single-pane-of-glass view.
3. Improved customer satisfaction - Optimize claims processes by providing more omnichannel capabilities, increasing claims transparency, and minimizing the need for manual intervention. Chatbots and virtual assistants can also provide policyholders with instant support and answers to common questions, helping to improve the customer experience and reduce call center volume.
4. Reduced claims leakage - Minimize claims leakage, or the difference between the expected value of a claim and the actual amount paid, by leveraging intelligent claims intake powered by IDP, AI, and RPA  to reduce errors and inefficiencies in the claims process to better manage costs.

Appian Connected Claims is leading the way in making better, faster digital claims processing a reality. Recently, Appian was named a leader in Everest Group's 2023 Digital Claims in Property & Casualty Insurance report, which evaluated 17 service providers in the digital claims space. The report looked at each provider's vision, capabilities, and market impact, and recognized Appian for its end-to-end claims management, intuitive user interfaces, and quick deployment capabilities.

Appian Connected Claims leverages AI and automation to analyze claims data and identify potential fraud, reducing claims leakage and protecting the insurer's bottom line. In addition, Appian's low-code capabilities gives P&C insurers the flexibility to build custom solutions that meet their unique needs and easily complement and integrate with existing core systems.

Automation and AI can significantly enhance claims processing, driving efficiency, accuracy, and speed. For example, Appian Connected Claims can automatically route claims to the appropriate adjuster based on claim type, location, and other factors, reducing the time and effort needed to assign claims.

AI can also be used to analyze claims data in real-time, identifying potential fraud and reducing the risk of claims leakage. By analyzing historical claims data, AI can also identify patterns and insights that can inform claims processing and better decision-making.

Case in point: sachcontrol, a global leader in property damage and fraud detection in property claims, used the AI-powered Appian platform to create a new claims management solution that improved claims and payment processing time with better operational efficiency and achieved a 99.7% customer satisfaction level. 

With the help of the Appian Platform, sachcontrol was able to quickly review, index and process a massive amount of claims information, ranging from invoices and images to granular data. sachcontrol’s Appian-powered solution uses OCR and ML models to verify invoices, detect fraud, and estimate repair costs from uploaded photos to accelerate the claims process and boost customer satisfaction.