Why Service Consistency Matters More Than Speed Alone
As an insurance company administering automobile no-fault and workers’ compensation claims, your team members have critical roles in working to indemnify your injured claimants. Throughout the claims process, adjusters and examiners often have multiple contacts with each of their claimants. While it is important to efficiently administer all claims, providing consistent service for your claimants is also crucial.
Improve claimant service
The changing nature of customer service as a whole is contributing to higher claimant expectations. Insurance companies administering work comp and auto no-fault claims would be wise to recognize this shift and adapt their processes and procedures appropriately.
One focus area should be improving access to information for your claimants. Often, a claimant may be unfamiliar with the claims adjudication process. Depending on the type of claim, your claimant may also be experiencing significant or even catastrophic injuries. The lack of claim experience combined with an injury can leave claimants feeling uncertain and with multiple questions about the process or their responsibilities.
Claimants are often provided with contact information for their adjuster or examiner to address those questions or concerns. However, your adjusters and examiners have multiple tasks that they must prioritize. As a result, they may not have as much time for answering claimant questions. And proactive outreach to check in with claimants often falls to the bottom of priority lists.
Creating a customer care line is an excellent way to provide consistent service to your claimants. It allows them to speak with someone directly if they have questions or concerns about their claim. Team members working at the care line must be knowledgeable, but they also need to be compassionate in order to provide the best claimant experience possible.
Having a care line such as this in place would free up additional time for your adjusters and examiners, who can then be more efficient in adjudicating their claims. They may also have additional time for more proactive outreach to their claimants, which further enhances the claimant experience.
Another opportunity to enhance your service comes from implementing pre-authorization for all of your claims. This process ensures that all physician prescribed services are appropriate for your claimant and directly related to their claim. Though it is an extra step, it does not significantly delay the claim. In fact, pre-authorization can enhance adjudication efficiency because it eliminates the need for claimants to pay out-of-pocket. This in turn eliminates reimbursement paperwork, reducing burdens for both claimants and your claims team members.
Eliminate reimbursement paperwork
With over 30 years of experience adjudicating auto no-fault and work comp claims, Northwood is a durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and medical supplies (DMEPOS), pharmacy and ancillary service provider that understands the importance of providing a consistent, excellent claimant experience. This comes with multiple benefits, such as increased retention rates and an improved bottom line for your company. Please call Rosanne Brugnoni at 586-755-3830 ext. 3771 to review the benefits of partnering with Northwood.