Processing times for trauma insurance claims have been slashed since BT Financial Group began offering a telephone service.

The company launched the service for its income protection clients last year, and Head of Life Insurance Phil Hay says it has been well received.

“We wanted to be able to offer the same relief and quality service to customers in the difficult situation of having to make a trauma claim,” he said.

“The processing time has been dramatically reduced to an average of 14 days compared to 68 days for a paper-based claim,” he said.

“Since commencing the service, BT has processed 16% of all trauma claims over the phone, with $1.6 million paid so far.”

The service is available for certain trauma conditions, and claims of up to $250,000 can be handled this way.

Telephone claims can be made on policies that have been in place for five years or more and where there has been no prior claim.