Royal London has introduced an electronic signature solution to accelerate the payment of claims.
The new process introduces an electronic Access to Medical Records Act (AMRA) declaration using DocuSign technology that can be completed by a claimant online removing the need for a traditional ‘wet’ signature on a paper claim form.
To enable a claims assessor to review a claim, medical evidence is often required from a claimant’s GP or consultant. A paper consent form is usually sent by post or secure mail to the claimant to allow the claims assessor to obtain the necessary medical evidence. The claimant would then sign and return the paper form or print the document from the email, then sign, scan and return it.
On average it takes 18 days for a paper consent form to be returned by claimants and although faster, the secure email process means the claimant needs to have a printer and scanner to hand. The introduction of the e-AMRA removes the need for paper claim forms or emailed consent forms and will reduce the time taken to make a decision and pay claims.
Earlier this year Royal London introduced an e-AMRA for new business customers with DocuSign where a link to an electronic consent form is issued to a customer and returned by secure email. This same process and technology has been adapted with DocuSign to enable claimant consent to be obtained electronically.
Craig Paterson, underwriting claims and philosophy manager at Royal London, said: “It can take 18 days on average for a traditional paper claim form to be completed and returned to us. Our experience with using electronic signatures in other parts of Royal London is that almost all are completed and returned within 48 hours. Implementing this in claims will ultimately mean we can pay claims earlier, releasing crucial funds to our customers when they need them most.
“This process will initially be introduced for critical illness claimants where we conduct a telephone-based claim with a view to rolling this out to our full book of claims in 2018.”