"Ultimately, our new process will make our claims process quicker and easier for our customers and reduce the burden we place on the NHS."
The Society says severe pressure on GPs and clinicians, caused by the coronavirus pandemic, would be likely to cause delays to the claims process at a time when worried and seriously ill customers are in most need of support.
Therefore, OneFamily approached its specialist medical underwriters and proposed a new way to process the claims that relied on existing evidence, which could be supplied by the claimant. OneFamily says the changes will significantly reduce the processing time and means that "the NHS isn’t burdened with paperwork when it needs to be caring for patients".
Steven May, over 50s product manager at OneFamily, said: “Being diagnosed with a serious or terminal illness is stressful enough, without having to worry about money.
“Our Over 50s product allows an early pay-out, so we want to make sure that this gets to people as quickly as possible, but the Coronavirus pandemic meant that there was a likelihood that claims could be delayed – for entirely understandable reasons.
“So, we swiftly decided that we needed a solution and, with the help of our medical underwriters, we have found a way to support our members when they need us most.
“Claims can now be assessed using evidence such as diagnosis letters, discharge summaries and reports supplied by the claimant. To support this process, we’ve also updated our call handling, so that we can establish at the outset what evidence the claimant has in their possession to enable us to assess their claim quickly.
“Additionally, we’ve set up a secure email system, so that customers can securely return their claim form and evidence straight away – which has further sped up the claims process.
“This was initially intended to be a temporary measure to help our customers during the current crisis, but if it works well then it’s something that we might consider continuing into the future.
“Ultimately, our new process will make our claims process quicker and easier for our customers and reduce the burden we place on the NHS.”
