Guiding Principles
This report is focused on the “best practices” for policy delivery from the carrier to the agent electronically, as well as from the carrier or agent to the insured by paper or electronically. The intent is to advance our industry practices to meet changing consumer experiences and expectations, rather than to place a “Band-Aid” on our current paper intensive workflows.
It is understood that these “best practice” recommendations will not be achieved overnight and will be phased in by many carriers and agencies over time as they build out their capabilities and their consumers increasingly elect electronic policies. Following this transition period, however, the work group strongly believes that its recommendations will result in a better customer experience, will reduce our reliance on a costly paper process and will help us compete effectively with direct carriers – while at the same time complying with emerging state and federal regulations.
For the industry to succeed in moving to “best practice” electronic policy delivery, it is important that:
· Agencies and carriers commit to these practices including a conscious and deliberate change in the way we conduct business.
· Agents encourage their policyholders to accept electronic delivery and/or access to their policies.
· Carriers and vendors integrate the delivery of electronic documents with the agency’s management systems and websites so that it is easier for agents to send, provide access to, store and manage these documents.
· The industry put more focus on making the electronic experience more desirable than the paper experience by making the insurance contract more readable and easier to understand and navigate.
** If the agency is delivering policy documents, they should enact our ACT/IIABA 'Agency-Customer eDelivery Agreement' - This will cover the agency's E&O and protect the customer as well. A template is available free to Big 'I' agents available from their main website with the following navigation flow: Click on “Big 'I' Resources", then over to “Legal Advocacy", and then “Memoranda & FAQ". A direct link can be accessed HERE.
NOTE: A Big 'I' ID & password is required to access this resource.
Electronic delivery of policies is not intended to shift an additional burden onto either the agency or the carrier, but rather to make the process more efficient and to create a better customer experience that is similar to what consumers are getting from other financial organizations.
ACT wishes to thank the Policy Delivery Work Group participants for their efforts on this document, particularly Susan LaBarre of IVANS Insurance.