Industry Trends
The Real-Time Claim: Lessons from Instant Settlement
Sequential claims processing has a structural cost embedded in its design. Lodge, assess, decide, pay: each function is executed separately, by a different team or system, with a handoff between them. Each handoff is a point of delay. Each point of delay is a cost - in staff time, systems interaction, repeat contacts, and claimant-initiated status follow-up. APRA data shows insurance service expenses grew 7% year-on-year at industry level through September 2025, even as Australian carriers ran efficiency programs aimed at the claims cost line. The expense kept moving because the step count did not change.