Legal practitioners can now lodge compulsory third party (CTP) insurance claims online on behalf of clients.
The Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) recently launched its online claim form to improve the process of lodging and managing claims, for all stakeholders involved.
The form allows users to enter information faster through a secure platform that can be accessed at any time. It also provides helpful features including dropdowns to provide information on how to complete each field, questions that appear only when relevant, and an online search to locate the CTP insurer that the claim will be lodged with.
The online claim form also sets the foundation for future improvements to the claims process. Legal Practice Manager and Assistant General Manager of Shine Lawyers Sarah Grace said that using the online claim form unlocked efficiencies in subsequent steps, such as submitting online rehabilitation and reimbursement requests for clients.
“If you have lodged the claim through the digital platform to begin with, it’s going to make the next steps more efficient for injured claimants,” Sarah said.
In future versions, the information entered into the online claim form will automatically populate when lodging any subsequent forms, such as the online rehabilitation or reimbursement requests. Users will also be able to see all their documentation in one online portal and track the progress of the claim.
Insurance Commissioner Neil Singleton said the online claim form was designed, and continued to be improved, in consultation with CTP insurers and legal practitioners.
“The strength of this solution comes from our collaboration with industry partners,” Mr Singleton said. “We’ve listened and taken onboard their feedback to refine our online claim form for the benefit of all stakeholders.”
Some insurers have already reported that they are receiving claim forms with more complete data due to the online claim form’s new features. Insurers are exploring integration to enable structured data from the online claim form to be imported automatically into their systems. Better quality data delivered to the right person as efficiently as possible helps legal practitioners to receive a compliance response sooner to facilitate the client’s journey to recovery.
The online claim form does require printing, signing and witnessing as an important deterrent to fraud and claim farming (or ‘car crash scamming’). In some cases, MAIC received alarming reports of strangers arriving at people’s homes to pressure them into signing a claim form where the stranger acts as the witness.
Some claimants reported seeing only the last page of the claim form and having little knowledge of the rest of the information supplied on their behalf. Having a Justice of the Peace (JP) witness the claimant’s initials on each page helps overcome this, and the requirement to have a JP or solicitor as a witness aligns CTP insurance with other common-law injury schemes like workers’ compensation and public liability.
Online rehabilitation and reimbursement requests
MAIC is now exploring online rehabilitation requests, reimbursement requests and treatment plans to help claimants access rehabilitation more quickly.
These online forms will provide requests to insurers more efficiently and in a structured manner that helps them more readily identify requests and assess rehabilitation. They will enable users to upload supporting documentation like medical referrals or quotes for equipment aids, or receipts for reimbursement, to ensure that insurers have the information they need to make rehabilitation decisions or arrange reimbursements.
These online rehabilitation and reimbursement requests are now in development. To get involved or provide input, email the MAIC team at innovate@maic.qld.gov.au.
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