Insuranceciooutlook

AgencyBloc Concludes Early Adopter Program of Small Group Quoting Solution Quote+

Insurance CIO Outlook | Thursday, October 19, 2023

The completion of the early adopter program reiterates AgencyBloc’s focus on becoming a platform company creating solutions for all players in the benefits marketplace.

Cedar Falls, IA (DATE TBD): AgencyBloc, the #1 Agency Recommended management platform in the health, life, senior market, and group benefits space, announced the successful conclusion of its early adopter program for its small group benefits quote-to-close solution, Quote+. Quote+ is the only solution on the market that allows brokers to easily access and compare group benefit products with almost 130 regional and national group health carriers and 40,000 plans available across the US.

Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.

Launched in March, Quote+ enables brokers to quote and compare multiple types of group health insurance offerings, including community rated, medically underwritten and several ancillary options in one central place with tools to reduce the normally manual, time-consuming processes involved in quoting, product comparison, proposal generation and enrollment.

In addition, Quote+ provides regional and national group health insurance carriers the ability to showcase their products, map data to their custom forms and import underwriting and enrollment data more efficiently.

“Quote+ has been a valuable addition to AgencyBloc’s effort to continue to transform agencies by providing automated solutions to make convoluted processes straightforward and more efficient,” said Tim Robinson, CEO at AgencyBloc. “Having a group quoting solution integrated into our growing agency management platform is saving significant time for our customers across the group benefits insurance lifecycle.”

The recent advancement of the Quote+ solution aligns with AgencyBloc’s vision and dedication as a platform company serving all players in the benefits marketplace. The rapid agency adoption of AgencyBloc solutions since 2021 has enabled significant investment in continuing to broaden the platform.

“Since the beginning, AgencyBloc has had the vision to be a core solution for this industry,” said Cory Schmidt, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at AgencyBloc. “The launch of Quote+ and the continued investments are evidence of our position as an industry-wide technology leader.”

For more information about Quote+ and other AgencyBloc solutions, visit www.agencybloc.com.

About AgencyBloc

AgencyBloc, the #1 Agency Recommended Management Platform, supports life and health insurance agencies with a suite of industry-specific solutions and services, including Sales Enablement, Quoting, Client and Policy Management, Commissions Processing and more.

 

More in News

Claims intake, policy servicing, agent support and policy changes often expose the same weak point inside a carrier. The digital experience is only as good as the data path behind it. Many carriers have modern-looking portals sitting in front of policy administration systems that were never designed for fast journey changes. The result is not simply slow launch cycles. It shows up in duplicate evidence requests, manual follow-up, uneven broker adoption and service queues that absorb staff time after the sale. A stronger carrier platform should reduce friction without forcing a core replacement program. That sounds modest, but it is a hard buying test. Insurance workflows depend on rating inputs, underwriting evidence, document handling and service rules that sit across old systems and specialist providers. A front end that looks polished but cannot orchestrate those connections leaves business teams waiting on integration work. A useful platform gives business and technology leaders a controlled way to adjust journeys while preserving the systems of record that still run the book. Digital distribution also has to be treated as a shared workflow, not a customer portal project. Agent channels remain central in many lines, yet carriers often digitize customer touchpoints while leaving advisers to chase forms, evidence requests, status updates and amendments through separate paths. That creates avoidable leakage. A platform worth funding should make new business, policy servicing, claims handling and account changes easier for the people who influence adoption, not just for the end user. When the agent experience is ignored, digital investment becomes a parallel channel instead of a better path for the existing one. Product changes add another constraint. New riders, eligibility rules, disclosure language and service permissions often cross several teams before release. If those controls live only in code, every market adjustment becomes a queue-management exercise rather than a managed business change. Procurement teams should press hard on data movement. Carriers need structured information to move across underwriting, servicing, billing and claims without creating another brittle integration layer. The stronger model is not the one that promises a clean break from legacy architecture. It is the one that can map enterprise data, sit above the core, return updates and reduce the need for point-to-point builds. Security, access control, audit trails and configuration governance also matter because digital speed loses its appeal when compliance teams cannot see how decisions were made. ManageMy fits this buying logic because it is built as a deep front-end platform for insurance carriers rather than a general workflow tool. Its XPerience Studio gives carriers a no-code orchestration layer for configuring journeys and connecting core systems, data providers, workflow services and front-end experiences without replacing existing infrastructure. It can sit above legacy systems and map application data between existing records and digital experiences. That design supports both distribution and policyholder journeys in one environment. For carriers trying to shorten launch cycles while lowering service burden, ManageMy merits a close look because its value rests on insurance-specific integration work, not generic digitization language. ...Read more
The insurance sector, which has historically been sluggish to embrace new technology, is currently at a turning point. Insurance companies are discovering that their outdated systems are no longer a sustainable basis for future expansion due to growing demand from tech-savvy consumers and agile InsurTech startups. These monolithic platforms, which were frequently constructed decades ago, are rigid, expensive to maintain, and a major barrier to innovation. Cloud-native core insurance platforms, a major architectural change that promises to revolutionize how insurers function and compete, are the key to the future of insurance. Monolithic Architecture Legacy core insurance systems are traditionally monolithic, with all key functions—such as policy administration, claims management, billing, and reporting—tightly integrated within a single, extensive codebase. This structure poses several challenges. Development cycles are slowed, as even minor changes in one area can trigger unintended consequences elsewhere, requiring comprehensive testing and delaying product launches. Scalability is also constrained, since accommodating higher workloads often necessitates replicating the entire application, an approach that is both inefficient and costly. Furthermore, reliance on outdated, proprietary technologies leads to technology lock-in, limiting interoperability with modern third-party tools and platforms. Collectively, these limitations create rigidity that hinders innovation and prevents insurers from adapting swiftly to evolving market dynamics and customer expectations. The Cloud-Native Solution: Modular, Microservices-Based Architecture A cloud-native core insurance platform is purpose-built to operate in the cloud, leveraging scalability, resilience, and flexibility to deliver a modern alternative to legacy systems. Unlike monolithic architectures, it adopts a decoupled design anchored on three key pillars: modularity, microservices, and API-first strategies. Modularity allows insurers to assemble the platform according to their needs through independent, self-contained modules—such as policy administration, claims management, billing and payments, or underwriting—eliminating unnecessary complexity. This design is enabled by microservices, which break each module into smaller, independently deployable services that handle specific business functions, from claim intake to adjudication and payment processing. The microservices approach accelerates development, enhances scalability by allowing high-demand services to scale independently, and ensures resilience by isolating failures, thereby providing a more stable system. Serving as the connective tissue, an API-first strategy ensures seamless communication between microservices, facilitates integration with third-party solutions, and empowers insurers to build interconnected ecosystems. By exposing rich sets of APIs, insurers can enable customer-facing applications, agent portals, and digital distribution channels, ultimately fostering innovation and expanding their service capabilities. Moving from legacy to a cloud-native platform is a significant undertaking, not an overnight switch. Many insurers are adopting a phased modernization approach, often referred to as "Strangler Fig" or "Strangler Pattern." This involves gradually replacing parts of the legacy system with new cloud-native modules, allowing the old and new systems to coexist during the transition. The transformation to cloud-native core insurance platforms is more than just a technology upgrade; it's a strategic imperative. It empowers insurers to be more agile, responsive, and competitive in a rapidly evolving market. By embracing modular design, microservices, and an API-first mindset, insurers are laying the architectural foundation for a future built on innovation and customer-centricity. ...Read more
The insurance industry is experiencing rapid growth and transformation, necessitating a new, transformative solution for insurance brokers to tackle the challenges they face. The global insurance market is expected to reach 6.4 trillion USD by 2025.  Key benefits of insurance broker software are listed below: Ease and care in CRM technology: Customer relationship management (CRM) is of utmost importance to insurers, so it must be secured with maximum efficiency. With a wide client base and varied requirements, insurance brokers face challenges. CRM boosters in the solution enable brokers to efficiently manage administration, client services, and quote processing. A configurable mobile app and customer portal are also available. With insurance broker automation software, organizations can manage multiple lines of insurance, such as property and casualty, life, and health, while simultaneously managing employee benefits and automating premium entry. Easy data handling with a digital document repository: In place of cumbersome data storage techniques, modern insurance broker software offers the Digital Document Repository (DDR), an easy-to-use, scalable solution that can handle and balance millions of documents. It stores nearly any type of file and organizes both stored documents and those uploaded from outside the system linked to specific transactions. Using this method, organizations can improve security, increase compliance, streamline operations, and provide a better outlook for business comparisons while sidelining paper use, saving both time and money. LIDP ’s Digital Document Repository is particularly effective in centralizing and securing critical data, making it easier for brokers to manage their documentation. This innovation led to LIDP receiving the Top Digital-First Insurance Solution award from Insurance CIO Outlook , recognized for its transformative impact on data management and its ability to streamline operations within the insurance sector. Business communication on the go with a mobile application: Insurance brokers can be well-connected even when they are on the move with the mobile application software, which brings client and policy information from the broker management system to mobile devices. By synchronizing data across systems, the insurance broker can keep customer and policy information up-to-date and secure, eliminating the informational gap between them. Supporting business growth through automation: In a competitive industry, insurance broker automation software helps brokers generate leads and grow their businesses in all possible ways. With various modules for a single unified customer view, broker software provides automated solutions to various challenges faced by brokers. By automating the difficult and complex tasks that are part of brokerage management, this software and its various modules simplify them. The result is higher operational efficiency in brokers' routine day-to-day business processes. ...Read more
AI is reshaping the insurance industry, transforming how companies assess risk, process claims, and interact with customers. By leveraging AI, insurers can enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer experience. AI technologies such as ML, NLP, and predictive analytics are being increasingly integrated into underwriting, claims management, fraud detection, and personalized policy offerings. AI algorithms can analyze vast datasets, including customer behavior, social trends, and even IoT and telematics data, to generate accurate risk profiles. Predictive analytics allows insurers to forecast potential claims more precisely, enabling personalized pricing and improved profitability. Similarly, health insurers use AI to identify risk factors and provide tailored wellness programs, reducing long-term claim costs. By integrating AI into underwriting processes, insurers can make faster, data-driven decisions that benefit both the company and policyholders. How Can Claims Processing and Fraud Detection Be Streamlined? Claims processing is another area where AI is creating a significant impact. AI-powered systems can automate document verification, detect anomalies, and assess claim validity more efficiently than traditional methods. NLP allows AI to interpret unstructured data such as emails, photos, and scanned documents, reducing manual intervention and speeding up claim settlements. ML models analyze patterns in claims data to identify suspicious behavior, flag potential fraud, and reduce false positives. By detecting fraudulent activity early, insurers save costs, improve trust, and ensure genuine customers receive faster service. Overall, AI streamlines claims operations, reduces human error, and enhances both efficiency and customer satisfaction. How Can Customer Experience and Engagement Be Enhanced? Chatbots and virtual assistants provide instant support for policy inquiries, claim submissions, and coverage explanations, enhancing convenience and responsiveness. AI-driven recommendation engines can suggest relevant insurance products based on customer profiles, purchase history, and behavioral insights, enabling personalized experiences that increase engagement and loyalty. Predictive analytics can identify when a customer may need additional coverage or is at risk of policy lapse, allowing insurers to offer timely interventions. Personalization not only improves customer satisfaction but also increases retention and cross-selling opportunities. Insurers adopting AI for customer experience gain a competitive edge in a sector where trust, responsiveness, and tailored offerings are increasingly critical. The future of AI in the insurance industry lies in its ability to enhance risk assessment, streamline claims processing, detect fraud, and deliver personalized customer experiences. As the industry continues to adopt AI, companies that leverage these technologies strategically will gain a competitive advantage, improve operational resilience, and foster stronger relationships with policyholders. ...Read more

Weekly Brief