When making big decisions about changing processes and moving to outsourcing activities, companies have lots of questions to ponder. We work with many businesses that move from an in-house to an outsourced model for transactional print and mail. In this FAQ block, we’ll cover those to ask when considering it for property and casualty insurance claims mail.
What types of companies can handle P&C insurance claims, print and mail?
When reviewing the options for outsourcing claims print and mail operations, you may think you can contact any commercial printer for the job. However, these documents contain PII (personally identifiable information), which means anyone printing and mailing them must follow security and compliance protocols. Some print companies do this work and general promotional mailing with boundaries between the two. There will be both secure and non-secure spaces within their facility.
Your best bet is to select a transactional print and mail company focusing solely on complaint print and mail. These organizations have the most comprehensive policies in place, and all the areas are secure.
What quality metrics matter in outsourcing transactional print and mail?
Quality is vital in printing and mailing claims. You need to be confident that your outsourcing partner has advanced equipment and technology to ensure that production is consistent for every document. In assessing quality, review:
- The appearance of your documents, including font, colors, logos, and images, to ensure they match your branding
- Their quality program and how they apply it to their work, including if they use Lean Manufacturing, standard works, quality assurance auditing, and continuous improvement
- How their locations operate, and if it’s the same
A big thing to inquire about is quality assurance vs. quality control. Watch the video above to learn the difference.
What technology can providers use to ensure claims documents reach the right customer?
Accuracy in P&C insurance claims print and mail is imperative. Mis-mailings can trigger concerns of non-compliance and reputational harm. With such high volumes and multiple pages, you may think it’s impossible to achieve high levels of accuracy.
Transactional print and mail companies are obsessed with accuracy! They use a variety of things to improve it, including intelligent insertion, barcode scanning, the USPS Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb), high-speed cameras, and integrity cameras. All these pieces fit together to ensure that documents fold separately into the envelope. Integrity cameras read the barcodes, and a different camera takes a picture of the inserted envelope for verification.
Can you save money by outsourcing P&C insurance claims mail?
Yes, most insurance companies reduce their costs around claims print and mail when they outsource. Transitioning from in-house operations eliminates the need for expensive equipment, technology, paper, ink, and other materials. You also won’t need to preprint templates because transactional printers employ dynamic printing for each file. The space and all its costs also come off your budget. You’ll enjoy better postage rates, too, because of the volume of mail created each day. They also leverage postage reduction strategies like presorting, using the USPS IMb, commingling, and reducing undeliverable letters with address hygiene tools.
Is dynamic printing an option for these documents?
Yes, dynamic printing is the standard for these operations. Not all providers have limitless capabilities here. What you want to find is one that uses the White Paper Factory (WPF) framework. The WPF marries fully digitally composed files with in-line print production and intelligent insertion to deliver ultra-secure, highly accurate, variable data-generated documents.
Operators feed white rolls of paper into printers so all claims print at the same time. Variability includes any aspect of the document, including specific information about their policies, upselling promotions, and using color in any area.
Learn more about the WPF in this video.
Can you track jobs when using a print and mail provider?
Outsourcing doesn’t mean you give up control. Ideally, you want to be part of the workflow with real-time visibility through a secure business document management portal. You can log into such a system and track every aspect of the process, from data receipt to production and ending with delivery. Such a tracking system should also let you access lots of information via a dashboard and reporting. Examples include job completion reports, inventory levels, postage costs, and more.
What compliance practices does a reliable print and mail company have in place?
Because claims have PII, compliance is essential. A transactional print and mail company exceeds the standards of compliance and makes it part of everything they do. When evaluating options, start with ensuring they have certifications in all the major regulations. Then, ask how they manage compliance and if they have a compliance officer.
Being compliant also means they have strict rules about access to PII with data and physical security policies.
What types of security protocols should a company have in place to protect customer data?
Data security supports compliance and keeps information safe. Companies working with sensitive and personal information need a robust data security plan. Request information about how they do this, including inquiring about encryption, endpoint security, firewalls, cyber monitoring, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), data transmission, and user-level policies.
For more best practices regarding data security, watch the video with insights from our Compliance Officer.
Are You Ready to Investigate Outsourcing for P&C Insurance Claims Mail?
Now, you have a wealth of information to begin your journey to outsourcing. You can reduce costs while improving quality and compliance. Get all your questions answered and learn how we can be your partner by contacting us for a discovery discussion.
