Insurer Moves To Self-Service Claim Filing

Hoping to grease the skids when it comes to policyholders reporting a loss, Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. has deployed a hosted, Web-based claim-reporting system for use by consumers.

The property-and-casualty insurer is using ClaimCapture from First Notice Systems Inc. to expedite initial contacts following a loss. Assuming it's not the computer that's been stolen, a policyholder can go to the Fireman's Fund site, type in a policy number, and file a report. Insurance company employees contact policyholders directly in response to the online claim. Policyholders also can report a loss by phone if they want.

The insurer's goal is reduce the cost of filing claims. Working with software instead of calling a person should be less expensive. It also should be quicker for consumers to file claims and receive responses. First Notice charged Fireman's Fund an undisclosed, one-time fee for custom development. The vendor also charges Fireman's Fund per transaction completed using ClaimCapture.

Fireman's Fund says it has deployed ClaimCapture in seven business lines. The app employs business and data-distribution logic so that it can adapt to a range of data that a policyholder might insert into claim forms, according to First Notice.

The insurer already outsources a First Notice phone-and-fax claim-reporting system as part of a business-process-outsourcing contract.

Jim Nash writes business and science articles, and also shoots urban and nature photographs. He's still searching for a common language to use with his Mensa-smart teenage daughters. View Full Bio