5 Questions With Kamini Kanagalingam, Senior Vice-President and Head of Claims Services, MSIG Singapore

1. To start, could you tell us a little about your role at MSIG Singapore and how your work connects with the company’s travel insurance and claims operations?

MSIG Singapore provides both personal and commercial insurance solutions, with travel insurance representing a significant part of our business. We support a diverse customer base ranging from individual travellers to multinational corporations, who need travel protection.

As Head of Claims, I oversee claims operations and work closely with our claims team and service partners including loss adjusters to ensure a high standard of claims management and service delivery.

I also collaborate with colleagues across underwriting, risk management and actuarial functions, using insights from claims data and customer feedback to help refine our travel insurance products and ensure they continue to meet customers’ evolving needs.

2. MSIG has reported a significant improvement in travel claims turnaround times, with eligible claims now able to move through an automated, rules-based process. What changes have made the biggest difference to the speed and efficiency of the claims journey?

The biggest improvement came from combining rule-based, straight-through processing (STP) with automated payment capabilities, allowing eligible travel claims to move from assessment to settlement with minimal manual intervention. For simple, low-value and non-complex claims, predefined business rules assess eligibility against policy coverage, documentation requirements and payout thresholds. When all requirements are met, claims can be processed and settled much more quickly.

Importantly, speed has not come at the expense of accuracy. Only claims that meet predefined criteria are routed through straight-through processing, while more complex or higher-risk cases continue to be reviewed by claims specialists. This allows us to deliver faster outcomes for customers while maintaining appropriate controls and ensuring fair claims decisions.

Greater visibility around claims performance can help customers better appreciate the value and protection that insurance provides and facilitate conversations that brokers have with their clients at renewal.

3. How important has the combination of technology, people and process been to improving claims outcomes?

While initiatives such as straight-through processing and automated payments have helped us improve speed and efficiency, these are most effective when supported by clear decision frameworks, well-trained claims professionals and strong collaboration with third party claims administrators.

At MSIG Singapore, our vision for ‘Next Level Claims’ is to combine the best of technology and human expertise to deliver claims that are faster, simpler and more transparent, while remaining firmly anchored on our promise of being ‘Fair, Timely, with Care’.

As part of this journey, we are currently upgrading our claims technology ecosystem and digital capabilities to support the future claims experience.

Through our focus on Empathy & Human Touch, Speed & Simplicity, and Transparency & Ecosystem Connectivity, we are building the foundations for greater use of AI, automation, straight-through processing and enhanced digital engagement, while ensuring that complex and sensitive claims continue to benefit from the judgment, empathy and expertise of our claims professionals.

Ultimately, our goal is to deliver a seamless, trusted and customer-centric claims experience that combines innovation with the personal care our customers expect from MSIG.

4. How do you think greater visibility around claims performance could influence customer expectations, broker relationships and competition between insurers?

Claims are where insurers deliver on the promise of protection, making it one of the most important moments in the customer relationship. Greater visibility around claims performance can help customers better appreciate the value and protection that insurance provides and facilitate conversations that brokers have with their clients at renewal.

As customer expectations continue to evolve, insurers will be challenged to improve not only the speed of claims settlement but also transparency, communication and the overall claims experience. This is a positive development for the industry, as greater visibility can help strengthen consumer confidence in insurance.

As customer expectations continue to evolve, insurers will be challenged to improve not only the speed of claims settlement but also transparency, communication and the overall claims experience.

5. Could greater transparency around claims performance become a differentiator across the travel insurance market? And, looking ahead, do you expect more insurers to publish comparable claims data or adopt similar approaches to automation and settlement?

We do believe claims performance has the potential to become a key differentiator, not just for the travel insurance market. A well-supported claims experience and a reputable insurer are important factors alongside insurance coverage and price.

While insurers may take different approaches or different service metrics should they publish their claims data, greater visibility into claims performance will foster trust and benefit customers and the industry as a whole.