Pie Insurance Embraces AI to Enhance Claims Operations
Pie Insurance, a Denver-based insurer specializing in workers’ compensation and commercial auto insurance for small businesses, is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize its claims operations. The company, known for its data-driven approach, has been an early adopter of AI technology, integrating it into various levels of its claims department.
Claims Journal spoke with Carla Woodard, senior vice president of claims at Pie Insurance, to understand the changes. Woodard has extensive experience in the claims arena, having spent 14 years with workers’ comp carrier Employers in various director and manager roles before joining Pie Insurance in 2022.
Integration of New Technology
Pie Insurance has transitioned from using a Third-Party Administrator (TPA) exclusively to managing claims in-house. They implemented a cloud-based claims platform through Origami Risk, designed to support automation, capture data, and provide real-time decision-making capabilities. The company is exploring AI applications for summarization of large documents, quality scoring for telephonic interactions based on natural language processing, and AI-assisted guidance for customer transactions.
Driving Efficiency and Customer Experience
The primary goal is to make commercial insurance and the claims experience seamless for small businesses. This technology will support scale, improve customer service, and enable more proactive and consistent claims handling. Early implementation has already shown value through enhanced data fields and automation rules, including subrogation and fraud red flag detection.
Measuring Success
Success will be measured through various metrics, including user experience, claims outcomes, claim turnaround time, task automation efficiencies, and data completeness for regulatory and internal reporting. The company is optimistic that this technology will enhance customer outcomes, drive external efficiencies, and support scalability.
“Our claims professionals are excited about the efficiencies automation will bring to their day-to-day processes,” Woodard noted. The company has a robust stakeholder collaboration method, ensuring continuous feedback from cross-functional professionals, which has helped in embracing the new technology.
As Pie Insurance continues to roll out these capabilities over the next two to three years, it is poised to significantly impact the insurance industry’s adoption of AI in claims processing.
