Is your claims process a GDPR risk? This is how you can solve it

Protecting customer data is not just a legal obligation; it’s a fundamental duty to your customers. This becomes especially critical when handling sensitive health data. Insurance companies face severe penalties and reputational damage from audits or data leaks.

The penalties for non-compliance with GDPR can reach up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is higher. No insurer should take that risk. Yet, many insurers still naively trust manual processes to manage sensitive customer data.

Never trust a manual process

Medical advice is a particularly vulnerable part of the claims process, involving the external sharing of personal information and medical records. While a letter of authorization typically allows for this, the methods of communication and document sharing can expose insurers to high risks.

Some insurers send claims to medical advisors by post to avoid GDPR complications, but this only increases the risk of data loss. Ever heard of a letter getting lost?

Encrypted emails give many insurers a false sense of security. The technology may be compliant, but like any manual process involving people, it’s prone to human error. Staying compliant becomes a battle of control, reliant on trust and luck.

Consider this scenario:

You email a case to a medical advisor, attaching the claim and medical records. Now, you must trust the medical advisor to:

• Secure their computer with strong passwords, malware protection, and the capability to erase data if stolen.
• Delete all documentation, including emails containing personal information, once the case is completed, despite many email clients automatically downloading attachments.
• Ensure no emails are left in the inbox, “Draft,” or “Sent” folders.

These points may seem trivial but are easy to overlook, adding to the risk of non-compliance.

But these issues don’t just apply to medical advisors; they also affect your claims handlers. If everyone follows the process perfectly, you may be compliant. But how can you be sure?

Adding to the complexity, if a customer requests the deletion of all personal information under GDPR, do you know where all that information is stored?

Relying on manual processes like email communication makes customer safety and your reputation a gamble.

A systematic approach

Fortunately, there’s a straightforward solution: replace manual processes with a system that supports GDPR compliance. With a tailored tool for personal injuries, you can fully control your data and remain compliant while ensuring customer security.

Mavera DSS streamlines and safeguards all communication and document sharing with your medical advisors. Here’s how it works:

• The system helps delete information when it is no longer needed.
• You get a complete audit trail, tracking what happened, when, and by whom.
• Documentation is streamed to medical advisors, prohibiting them from downloading any information.

Mavera DSS is certified with ISO-27001 and includes many security features like two-factor authentication and secure servers in the EU/EEA.

There’s no need to risk expensive penalties or data leaks. Contact us to discuss how we can secure your claims process.