Securian Financial has launched an AI-enabled system to provide instant claims decisions and benefit payments for its supplemental health insurance products, a development intended to reduce the claims processing time from days to minutes for eligible submissions.
Securian Financial’s supplemental health insurance suite, which includes accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance, is offered to employees through workplace benefits packages. These products are designed to provide direct cash benefits to employees following covered health events, assisting with financial management during such periods. The new AI-enabled system aims to accelerate claims processing, with eligible claims receiving decisions within minutes.
The AI-enabled system provides instant decisions, with eligible claims approved rapidly after submission via Securian’s AI-enabled decision engine. Approved benefits are then delivered in real-time through an instant payment solution. The system also offers proactive transparency through real-time status updates and incorporates an advanced AI-enabled fraud detection solution to protect benefit integrity. Securian Financial reported an average claims turnaround of less than a day for its voluntary benefits industry offerings as of January 2025.
The instant claims decision and payment capabilities operate through two primary components. The first is an instant decision rules engine and an immediate payment system that utilizes AI technology to evaluate digitally submitted claims, analyzing documentation and applying policy terms in real-time. This allows for rapid decisions and payment initiation for straightforward claims with complete information. More complex cases that require additional review are routed for human processing, adhering to Securian’s existing turnaround standards, and no claim will be denied without a human claims examiner’s review. The second component involves embedded fraud detection, where advanced AI models identify anomalies and patterns that could indicate fraudulent activity, aiming to maintain benefit integrity without delaying legitimate claims.
Eli Vogen, vice president for Employee Benefits Solutions at Securian Financial, stated that the initiative aims to remove the wait time for eligible claims during health crises or injuries, establishing a new standard for voluntary benefits. Sid Gandhi, executive vice president for Employee Benefits Solutions at Securian Financial, noted that this capability aligns with the company’s vision for innovative benefits solutions, attributing its development to years of investment in AI capabilities and data infrastructure as part of an enterprise AI strategy.
The instant decision and payment capabilities will be rolled out to current Securian voluntary benefits clients in 2026 and will be available to all plans effective January 1, 2027. These capabilities will cover accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance products.
Supplemental health insurance products provide cash benefits to employees after covered medical events to help with out-of-pocket costs or daily expenses. Securian Financial offers these benefits nationwide through its subsidiary, Securian Life Insurance Company. The company also ranks as the nation’s third-largest direct writer of group life insurance, based on direct group life insurance in force on a consolidated basis as of December 31, 2024, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Securian Financial, which comprises a family of companies, has been developing insurance and retirement solutions for over 140 years. As of December 31, 2024, the company serves more than 23 million customers across the United States and Canada.
