2006 Canadian Insurance Claims Technology Conference:
Transforming Claims Processing
Monday, November 6, 2006
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Two of Canada’s leading insurance information sources – Insurance-Canada.ca and CI-Canadian Insurance Magazine – have teamed up to present a focused, one-day conference that will provide a business-oriented view of the best-of-breed technology and processes, to support innovative claims strategies. We have assembled a faculty that includes leading technology suppliers, management consultants, and practitioners who will address the seminar. Here are the topics and speakers for the day’s activities.
8:00 – 9:00: Registration and Coffee
| 9:00 | Welcome and introduction: Patrick Vice, Director – Information Technology, Frank Cowan Company Limited. |
| “Claims and Technology: The Focal Points of Change” – Donald Light, Senior Analyst, Celent |
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Donald Light will discuss the increased importance of aligning claims technology initiatives with business drivers and performance goals. He will also describe the major types of technologies available to claims operations, and how those categories are shifting. Turning to the future, he will discuss the impact of Katrina, and new monitoring/recording technologies that will impact the adjuster’s job. Lastly, there will be examples of insurers improving claims processes and organizations by using available technology. |
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| “The Evolutions of Claims Management Solutions” – Frank Heaps, P&C Enterprise Solutions Product Manager, Fiserv Insurance Solutions |
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Not that long ago, the claims department was viewed as a means to and end. Today, claims is at the forefront of a company’s strategic plan by becoming a customer service department and a sales enticement. This presentation will walk you through the evolution of claims administration from the early days of transaction processing to the current state of wireless claims management. Claims service examples from other insurance carriers will be shared. |
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| Coffee break | |
| “Fulfilling the Promise of Insurance: Achieving Best Practices in Claims” – Christine Haeberlin, VP Canada, Innovation Group, and – Wendy Hillier, Vice President, Claims, Aviva Canada Inc. |
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Insurers are paying close attention to technology-enabled claims processing to help control leakage, identify fraud and manage their supply chain, recoveries and injury settlements. While proactive claims handling, electronic case management and improved supplier management are key levers for effective cost control, improved processes are only part of the strategy. Today’s leading insurers are extracting and translating data from their systems into relevant business intelligence to help fulfill their promise – appropriate and fair support of legitimate claims. Learn how Canadian insurers are driving best practices in claims using innovative business process enabled software. |
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| “HCAI System for Managing Auto Medical Claims and IBC’s Strategic Direction” – Terri S.G. MacLean, Executive Vice President, Information and Investigations, Insurance Bureau of Canada |
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Ms. MacLean will provide an overview of IBC’s strategic direction for the future. She will also describe the current status of Health Claims for Auto Insurance (HCAI), the new claims system that will be rolled out to insurers and health care providers in 2007. Medical/rehab claims paid by auto insurers in Ontario now exceed $1.4 billion annually, making auto insurers the largest payers of these claims. Insurers are challenged by the need to manage these claims and their costs effectively. HCAI automates the exchange of standardized health claim information between health care providers and insurance companies, providing claims practitioners and health care providers with access to accurate, timely information. HCAI is expected to help control steeply escalating medical/rehab costs and improve service to insurance consumers. |
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| Noon | Lunch |
| “Electronic Links in Claims Handling” – Wayne Beck, Vice President, Insurance Solutions and Services, CGI |
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As companies and adjusting firms continue to focus on the need to improve the efficiency of the claims process, they have realized in order to get the maximum gains they have to optimize the process both internally and externally. Opportunitiy areas include:
Wayne will discuss specific strategies for driving more value and efficiency through the claims handling process by leveraging automation and technology. |
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| “Adjusting In the Eye of the Storm” – Pat Van Bakel, BA, CIP, AVP Field Operations, Crawford Adjusters Canada |
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Claims professionals around the world rely on an increasing number of IT tools and systems to do their daily jobs. What were once ancillary support resources have evolved into mission critical applications that are at the core of the claims handling process. Adjusters depend on them functioning flawlessly, even under the most adverse conditions. Pat will discuss the role technology plays in the daily life of a field adjuster, and the steps organizations have taken to ensure the technology functions before, during and after a catastrophe. He will share lessons learned from some of Crawford’s adjusters and identify the steps every organization can take today so their technology is prepared for the disasters that may strike tomorrow. |
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| Coffee break | |
| “The Power of Process and Automation” – Todd Smith, Director, IPD Canada Corporation |
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Increased market demands, such as the need to reduce operational costs and increase efficiency, are driving insurance carriers to optimize their investments. The complexities of the organizational needs to fulfill these requirements have encouraged insurers to build strong and efficient claims processing systems. New options for recording and documenting claims are required as well as tools to assist with processing and settlement. A key to accomplishing claims development is to recognize the limitations of the current claims processing system. Another key is the ability to make necessary changes to ensure that the system can be modified as future business needs emerge. Improving the efficiencies of handling these claims represents both an opportunity and requirement for insurers. Insurance companies must facilitate and streamline claims processing activities between its departments, vendors and brokers to improve their operations. This can be achieved by following consistent, seamless processes (Business Process Management) to help reduce both costs and time required to process a claim. We will discuss:
Todd will discuss the “Power of Process and Automation” to the extent that it can radically alter the cost of doing business, enhance the entire work paradigm and fuel growth. |
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| “Mobile Claims: The Future of Property Claims Estimating” – Rod Theoret, VP Product Marketing, Symbility Solutions Inc. |
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Symbility will be presenting and demonstrating the mobile claims(tm) solution and describe the mobility claims revolution. Property claim adjusters and restoration contractors can now process claims on-site, and capture all the data to build the complete estimate. The result is that claims can be settled up to six times faster and more accurately, which reduces adjustment expenses and lowers indemnity while greatly improving communications and productivity for both the insurance carrier and the field adjuster. |
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| 4:30 | Conclusions & Close – Doug Grant, Principal, Insurance-Canada.ca |
Conference Silver and Bronze Sponsors:
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Exhibitors at the Conference
Pat Van Bakel, BA, CIP, AVP Field Operations, Crawford Adjusters Canada
Pat has 15 years of industry experience. He graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University’s School of Business and Economics in 1993 with a bachelor degree in economics. After several years of handling all lines of claims, Pat became Branch Manager of Crawford’s Mississauga and Oakville Branches in 2001, and moved on to become Crawford’s Director of Accident Benefits in 2003.
Pat is qualified as a Senior General Adjuster with Crawford’s Global Technical Services and is Crawford’s National Subject Matter Expert for Auto Accident Benefits and Bodily Injury claims.
In 2004, Pat became a Senior Project Manager in Crawford’s head office and has been responsible for leading several key projects, including a number of projects involving Information Technology, such as an automated workflow system for managing Ontario SABS claims, an intranet resource centre, an electronic help desk, a fully automated web-based audit system, automated management Balanced Score Cards, automated management reports, and several enhancements and automated features involving Crawford’s Claim Management System (CMS). Pat has also worked on a number of customized solutions to meet the unique needs of various customers, and also developed and implemented Crawford’s IT Steering Committee, which provides the governance framework for Crawford’s IT developments.
Pat is currently on the Faculty Committee of the Insurance Institute and has served for the past several years on the provincial executive of the Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association, including the position of Managing Editor of Without Prejudice magazine.
Wayne Beck, Vice President, Insurance Solutions and Services, CGI
Wayne is the V.P. Consulting Services and CIO for the Insurance Business Services (IBS) division of CGI. In this role he is responsible for developing and delivering a range of services to the insurance industry. As the CIO for IBS Canada he is also charged with looking for ways to leverage technology for his own internal clients. Wayne has been active in the creation of CGI’s enterprise product strategy and creation of the “integrated insurance operation” direction. A key component of this strategy was to bring the INSideOUT product to the Canadian marketplace as well as the launching of CGI industry claims portal – SMART.
Christine Haeberlin, VP Canada, Innovation Group
Christine Haeberlin has been involved in implementing innovative P&C solutions for over 25 years. As a key executive for Innovation Group’s Canadian operations, she works with Canadian insurers to implement software in support of transforming their policy and claims operations. Christine has extensive experience in product development, project implementation and support of Innovation Group solutions.
Frank Heaps, P&C Enterprise Solutions Product Manager, Fiserv Insurance Solutions
Frank Heaps is the product manager for the Fiserv P&C Enterprise Solutions, where he leads product strategy for the Policy STAR, Fiserv Advanced Billing, and Claims Workstation solutions. Prior to Fiserv, he worked in the P&C insurance solutions industry developing, implementing, marketing, and selling claims management solutions for other solution vendors over sixteen years. Frank joined Fiserv Insurance Solutions in September 2005.
Donald Light, Senior Analyst, Celent
Donald Light, based in Celent’s San Francisco office, is a Senior Analyst in the firm’s insurance group. Mr. Light’s research focuses on claims, speed to market, compliance, process and decision enterprise solutions, and network infrastructure.
He is the author of reports on claims technology, product development and technology, the insurance integrity crisis, and the implications of Katrina. His recent consulting work includes assisting a leading technology company in the creation of insurance-specific solutions.
Mr. Light has been widely quoted in the press and media, including the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, National Public Radio, Report on Business (Canada), USA Today, MarketWatch, Reuters, CNNMoney, Dow Jones, and Best’s Wire. He has written columns for Insurance Networking News and Insurance & Technology.
He is a frequent presenter at industry conferences including those sponsored by ACORD, LOMA, IASA, and ISOTech.
Prior to joining Celent, Mr. Light was a consultant with Sapient and for his own firm Donald Light Consulting, where he advised senior managers at major insurers and other financial institutions. He has also worked at the Allstate Insurance Research and Planning Center.
Mr. Light has a B.A. cum laude in economics from Princeton University, and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a CPCU and has served as Chair of the National Society’s Research Committee.
Terri S.G. MacLean, Executive Vice President, Information and Investigations, Insurance Bureau of Canada
Ms. MacLean comes to the Insurance Bureau of Canada from a career of progressive executive responsibilities in the P&C Insurance sector. She has held executive positions including Vice President Claims and Corporate Counsel at Commercial Union and Wellington Insurance Company, and was Vice-President and General Manager at ADP Claims Solutions Group.
At IBC, she is responsible for corporate planning as well as for both the Investigative Services and the Insurance Information Divisions.
Ms. MacLean is an insurance lawyer with a background as both General Counsel and Litigation Counsel. She has a BA in criminology from the University of Toronto and an LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario.
Todd Smith, Executive Director, IPD Canada Corporation
Mr. Smith joined IPDCC in 2002 as a result of the acquisition of a Canadian SI called CGS. Mr. Smith was the EVP and Principal of CGS prior to its acquisition by IPD. Mr. Smith has over 25 years experience in the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Process Automation industry. Mr. Smith’s first goal upon joining IPD was to ensure that their case management software solutions were prepared for the Canadian market place including language independence. Approximately 40% of the Health claims that go through the USA system every day are done with an IPD Solution. Mr. Smith has worked extensively within the insurance and wholesale distribution industries. Mr. Smith has been involved with some of the largest ECM implementations in North America from both the implementation and business development perspective. His current responsibilities at IPDCC include Business Development and thought leadership translating client needs into innovative software products and solutions.
Rod Theoret, VP Product Marketing, Symbility Solutions Inc.
Rod Theoret has over 12 years of experience in the technology industry and has focused on the property and casualty insurance market since joining Symbility Solutions in early 2005. Mr. Theoret joined the Symbility executive team from RBSS, a software sales and marketing consulting group where he was a principle. Rod’s career has focused on business development and marketing in the software industry including positions as Director of Pre-Sales for Waterloo-based Descartes Systems Group and Technical Account Manager at Oracle Corporation. He has been a speaker at many industry events, most recently speaking at the 2006 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference. Rod received a BS in Computer Science from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo.
Hosts and Moderators
Patrick Vice, Director – Information Technology, Frank Cowan Company Limited.
Patrick has over 20 years experience enabling technology and electronic commerce in the risk management and insurance communities.
Doug Grant MBA CIP, Consultant, Insurance-Canada.ca
As a keen analyst of computer and networking evolution for more than thirty years, and the opportunity and impact on the insurance industry, frequent industry speaker, columnist, and consultant. Doug is cognizant of the changes that are occurring in the Internet insurance world. As a principal in the Insurance-Canada.ca Web site, he brings a unique perspective to the session.
Patrick and Doug will be hosts of the seminar and will welcome and set the stage, build the links between topics, and then provide conclusions and points to ponder at the end of the session.
See a list of our Previous Seminars.
