What Are Blockchain Technologies and Smart Contracts?

Advancements in blockchain technologies and smart contracts present a transformative potential to the way the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry operates. These technologies (and other insurance technology trends) are already redefining how insurers communicate and define agreements in the insurance market, removing blockers associated with traditional insurance contracts. They will continue to provide a new level of automation, transparency, and efficiency in nearly every level of the business, from underwriting to determining premiums, policy definitions, and claims processing.

Smart contracts are automated, self-executing contracts coded to perform specific functions when users meet predefined conditions. They exist within the blockchain, a decentralized and distributed ledger technology that is transparent and tamper-proof. The rise of cryptocurrencies are often thought of when referencing blockchain technologies, but use cases extend far beyond, especially in the P&C insurance industry. The insurance sector is beginning to leverage these technologies and their potential to vastly improve the insurance process and the overall customer experience.

The overall potential of smart contracts has yet to be determined, however, strides to reduce manual pain points, false claims, and limited scope for payout options are just a few early benefits insurers and policyholders are seeing. Smart contract benefits can largely be broken down into the following categories:

1. Automation and Efficiency

Smart contracts can automate many routine tasks in the P&C insurance sector, such as policy issuance and claims processing. For instance, parametric insurance policies can automatically trigger payouts when pre-set parameters are met, like in the event of a natural disaster. It can also evaluate all options for payouts to determine the best choice. This automation reduces the need for intermediaries and improves efficiency, providing policyholders with real-time responses that are not hampered by delayed action in insurance applications. 

Learn More: "How is Artificial Intelligence Reshaping The P&C Insurance Industry?"

2. Enhanced Trust, Transparency, and Security

Smart contracts are not easily manipulated and remove much of the uncertainty between customers and insurers, as well as business decisions at-large. It provides all stakeholders, including insurance providers, policyholders, and regulators, with a single source of truth. This reduces disputes and increases trust in the validity of insurance processes, insurance products, and all transactions, without singular ownership in the blockchain. This transparency can also help prevent false claims and fraud in the insurance market. Additionally, the loss of documentation becomes minimal to none with smart contracts that reduce the possibility of data loss. 

Learn More: "How to Ensure Data Security and Privacy in P&C Insurance"

3. Personalized Insurance Products

Smart contracts enable real-world, data-driven pricing for insurance products. The technology can factor in a wide range of variables to calculate premiums in real-time, allowing for personalized, accurate pricing. For instance, a smart contract could use property data and surrounding factors to adjust the cost of premiums based on individual proximity to hazards and resources to combat those hazards.

Learn More: “What is Digital Transformation?"

While plenty of smart contract measures are already well established for insurers, the processes and technologies are still relatively new and come with a few challenges, such as: 

Regulatory Uncertainty

Regulation for blockchain and smart contracts remain in their infant stages, posing a potential challenge for broader adoption in the P&C insurance industry. While insurance is highly regulated, advances in smart contracts often exceed government requirements determined for specific uses. Insurers may need to navigate legal and compliance issues while the technology and its implications are still evolving.

Technical Complexity and Costs

The adoption of blockchain and smart contracts requires a significant investment in technology infrastructure and skills. Insurance companies need to invest in training or hiring experts to develop and manage these complex technologies, as well as determine smart contract insurance for cases where support is necessary. 

Data Security and Privacy

While blockchain is inherently secure due to its distributed ledger and encryption that removes third-party intermediaries, however, concerns about data privacy persist. Smart contracts within insurance applications often involve sensitive information, and companies must ensure they comply with data protection regulations. This protects holders of insurance policies as well as those facilitating insurance claims and payouts.

As insurtech innovations continue, insurers should consider (or continue to improve upon) how smart contracts and blockchain networks fit into their future strategies. Key considerations include: 

• Understanding the technology's current and projected functionality to stay competitive in the market.

• The potential impact on their business operations over the short and long term.

• The benefits for policyholders and opportunities to better market to them.

Smart contracts and blockchain technologies hold significant potential for the P&C insurance industry. However, stakeholders must be mindful of the challenges and consider a well-planned strategy to integrate these technologies. With proper implementation, smart contracts and blockchain could indeed be the future of a more trustworthy, streamlined, and customer-centric insurance sector.