01 Apr / Author: Harold Leitner
Can Mobile App Notifications Replace Cancellation Notices?
P&C insurers are required to notify policyholders when their policies are cancelled for any reason. If they do not, and a former policyholder’s claim is rejected, they can be sued for damages well in excess of the claim. To protect themselves, many insurers maintain various kinds of evidence that Cancellation Notices were sent.
One compelling piece of Cancellation Notification evidence could be mobile app notifications sent directly to a canceled policyholder’s phone. The mobile app notifications could include links to Cancellation Notices and could be logged for future reference, reducing doubt that the policyholder was made aware that the policy was cancelled. This evidence creates a “digital audit trail” showing the insurer has made every reasonable effort to ensure that policyholders are notified of cancellation.
While a mobile app notification will not replace a government mandated, mailed Cancellation Notice in most states, Insurers can help to reduce the frequency and cost to litigate “bad faith” cancellation lawsuits by adding mobile notifications to their policyholder communication channels. Notification Management is one of the valuable benefits of a robust mobile policy services app. The low cost of a mobile app is typically far less than the high cost of a single judgement against the insurer.