How do insurance companies prepare their people for what they may see inside a claim?
Whether it is assessing a car wreckage, a workplace compensation incident or a gruesome injury, claim files do not always come with a warning that sensitive photos are included.
With the onset of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, heightened societal awareness of mental health challenges underscore the importance of prioritizing the well-being of insurance claims professionals.
Jennifer Cogbill, senior vice president, GBCARE, managed care advisor group at Gallagher Bassett, delves into this crucial topic in her conversation with Insurance Business.
Cogbill points out that certain sectors in insurance, such as transportation and construction, are more likely to deal with claims containing graphic imagery.
In shaping their career trajectories, Cogbill advises young professionals to communicate with leadership teams to ensure they feel comfortable with the nature of their work.
For employees who tackle tougher claims, Cogbill highlights the importance of continuous training and support.
“As employers, we don't want to make the mistake of ‘oh, this person has been doing it for 20 years, they're fine, they'll be able to handle it.’”
“Oftentimes, we have very complex, very difficult situations with graphic images and life-altering injuries. We need to take a step back and determine how this interaction is affecting our employee and their mental health,” she continues.
Gallagher Bassett prioritizes providing employees with mental health days, training sessions, and access to employee assistance programs, ensuring that everyone feels fully supported.
Before joining Gallagher Bassett, Cogbill spent her early career as a claim handler, gaining experience in bodily injury managing cases relating to fatalities and injuries.
She recalls not having adequate training at the time, which made her job difficult to manage.
“It was a lot to deal with as a young adjuster. You need to make sure you have a scene investigation, there’s carrier reporting, and excess carrier reporting. There's a lot to do beyond just connecting with claimants and helping them to navigate through a life-altering situation.”
In sharing this anecdote, Cogbill encourages leaders to actively engage with employees, ensuring tasks are assigned to individuals who are prepared for them, while also providing necessary training. This ensures that the most challenging cases are given to the right individuals.
In addition to protecting employees, Cogbill says employers must make sure insurance professionals are equipped to communicate effectively with claimants when handling sensitive situations.
“Depending on the case, it may not make sense to take a recorded statement from someone. It might make sense to go out and meet with people one on one and have a conversation to gain more empathy and insight.”
Cogbill also states that handling complex claims necessitates a collaborative approach, requiring all team members to be educated on the complexity of a given situation.
“If there's a claim with a fatality, it's not appropriate to send a form letter out to the deceased individual, asking for wage information or proof of claim. We have to respond in a different manner.”
Cogbill acknowledges the challenges of providing such training in remote working setups, where employees may feel more isolated, and emphasizes the ongoing importance of maintaining connections with employees and fostering support initiatives beyond Mental Health Awareness Month.
Additionally, Cogbill emphasizes that it's not only crucial to have support resources available, but managers and HR leaders also need to ensure that employees are aware of these resources and know how to access them.
“It's a very important job helping people through some of these very tough times in their lives, but we can't just throw people out there and expect them to handle everything.
“We need to have training and coaching so that employees are able to successfully navigate these issues and feel good about themselves and want to do this as their career,” says Cogbill.
