Making claiming insurance online easy

Medical Assurance Society (MAS)
+ Octave

We partnered together with the MAS team to transform the existing online claims experience into an easy and reassuring experience for members in a potentially stressful situation.

About MAS

Medical Assurance Society (MAS) is a membership-based insurance and investment company for New Zealand’s professionals. With over 37,000 professionals, they are one of New Zealand’s largest insurance providers.

Getting started

Making an insurance claim, whether online or otherwise, relies on good business processes. So, we began by exploring the ideal end-to-end customer experience when making a claim and how MAS’s digital channels can contribute. We ran a workshop with existing MAS members who had recently made a claim and used the findings to shape the online claims flow.

No unnecessary questions

While a phone-support team can lead customers through what can be a lengthy and complex process, online customers must navigate this process unassisted. Because of this, we ensured every question is supported with copywriting built for people who don’t have an underwriting degree and present only the questions that absolutely needed answering.

Eating the elephant

Making a claim is usually preceded by an emotional incident, so we knew it was vital to focus our design around building clarity and reassurance. We applied GOV.UK’s principle of only asking ‘one thing per page’. Supplementary questions only appear when needed which helps users stay in context, and leaves room for supporting copy. Also, because customers are only taking one bite at a time, they are more likely to provide accurate information. It’s a win-win.

“We’ve been working with Octave as our digital design and development partner for a few years now, and they really know their stuff. Their focus on simple, elegant and intuitive UX design has contributed to an end product we’re proud of, making it easier for our Members and simplifying the claims process.”

Mike Davy — General Manager, Marketing & Products, MAS

Making the learnings count

The design system and UI kit which were expanded upon during this project have set a solid foundation for future work. The online claims experience provides a standard that now informs how MAS intends to interact with existing and prospective members through digital channels.