Insurance companies that fail to evolve are at risk of missing out on embracing a vital step change in value, says Sam Liebert (pictured), Head of Konnect NET Australia at Clanwilliam ANZ.

Sam has held executive roles at Konnect NET for over a decade and is currently focused on bringing the platform to the Australian market. Officially launched in Australia earlier this year, Konnect NET is aimed at streamlining and securing data exchanges for the country’s insurance sector, with the goal of enabling richer experiences for Australian insurance consumers.

Widespread efficiencies and results

Extensively used by all major insurers and GPs in New Zealand, the Australian-specific version of the platform has been rolled out to generate the same widespread efficiencies and results for Australian insurance companies. This includes dramatically reducing paper usage and the costs associated with traditional medical data-sharing, as well as slashing overall turnaround times from 20+ to just five days.

“There’s immense potential to use our digital health solutions to create better experiences and outcomes for the country’s insurers and, most importantly, their customers,” explains Sam.

“It all stems from the fact there’s significant room for improvement in how data moves between the sectors and health providers; a need that’s reinforced by the FHIR movement and the drive to improve data connectivity sector-wide.

“While many insurers may think they’re moving with the times by doing more things electronically, the rapid development of technology means there’s a continuous flow of opportunities to do things much smarter and with increased levels of security than ever before.”

Two core products 

Konnect NET comprises two core products – SureMed and SureSmart – which are primarily aimed at insurers operating within the fields of life insurance, workers' compensation and travel insurance. 

The benefits of using both systems include faster turnaround times for processing insurance medical requests and claims decisions, leading to increased business closure rates, streamlined data handling and processing, and enhanced data protection.

SureMed is designed to integrate seamlessly into insurance IT systems and health professionals’ clinical systems. Information is requested and shared by both parties securely, with health professionals completing an auto-populated form.

SureSmart digitises medical claim and rehabilitation forms, providing a more streamlined claims experience for insurers, health providers and patients. Health professionals access the encrypted forms from within their clinical systems and send them directly to the insurer or funder. The forms are also designed to help automate decisions and support the overall rehabilitation journey for injured and sick Australians.

Future-proofed customer journey

“Insurance companies can continue to progress claims, interact with their customers and do things the way they’ve always done them. But as the years go by, and technological solutions continue to rapidly develop, current tried-and-tested processes will unfortunately no longer add the same level of value or deliver the same type of results; this is why it is so important that insurers develop strategic partnerships with health data exchange experts.

“As we all know, the world we now live in is tech-driven, and companies who fail to embrace the opportunities that are being fuelled by technology, risk being left behind and compromising their overall customer experience. But by tapping into platforms, such as Konnect NET, insurers can make sure they provide their customers with an impactful and future-proofed journey.”

Insurance companies interested in finding out more about Konnect NET, should visit: Konnect NET