Field notes on claims operations, AI infrastructure for insurers, and what we're seeing in the inbox.
A catastrophe doesn't just raise claim volume. It hits the intake process with a sudden, concentrated surge that the everyday workflow was never sized for.
When 2026 started, we had a strong conviction and a lot of open questions. The conviction: the story of every insurance claim already exists, scattered across the communications flowing through a claims operation...
For years, the rules for using AI in insurance read more like suggestions. That era is over. The shift has been quiet, but it's real. AI governance in insurance has moved from published principles to active examination...
An email, attachment and a fax were all sent over the weekend. Included in the thread, it appears as if the conversation has been going back and forth with the claimant and their lawyer for ten days.
FNOL is when the system opens the file. It is not when risk began. The gap between receipt and FNOL has been quietly subsidizing loss for decades.
The demand clock starts at receipt. Your CMS doesn't see it until adjusters have time to enter it. By then, Loss Ratio is already moving.