Insurance Underwriting Requirements Checklist
When an insurer returns underwriting requirements, an automated workflow parses each item, builds a plain language checklist for your client, sends it with clear instructions, and follows up at 7 and 14 days until everything is submitted.
The Problem
Insurance applications don't die at submission. They die in the gap between the insurer issuing underwriting requirements and the client actually completing them. A blood test here, a GP report there, some financial evidence nobody explained properly. The requirements sit in an email the client half read on their phone, and the whole application quietly stalls.
For risk advisers, this gap eats time. Estimates put it at two to four hours per week just chasing outstanding requirements across active applications. That's time spent copying insurer jargon into client friendly emails, checking portals for updates, and making follow up calls that go to voicemail.
The numbers paint a worse picture than the time cost alone. The average insurance policy contains nine errors, with over 4.5 million discrepancies recorded annually across the industry. Applications that stall during underwriting take two to three times longer to complete. Many are abandoned entirely. Every abandoned application is lost commission and a client left unprotected.
And the manual process practically invites stalling. The insurer sends requirements through their portal or via email. You read through the list (written in insurer speak), mentally translate it into something your client will understand, type up an email, and hope they act on it. A week later, you check. Nothing done. You chase again. The cycle repeats until everything is submitted or the client ghosts you.
How It Works
Here's how the automated checklist workflow operates, from the moment underwriting requirements land to the moment you submit the completed package back to the insurer.
1. Requirements received
When the insurer returns underwriting requirements (via their portal notification or email), the workflow triggers. In a simple setup, you paste the requirements into a form. In an advanced configuration, an AI agent parses the insurer's email automatically, extracting each requirement and categorising it (medical, financial, identity, or other).
2. Checklist generated with plain language instructions
Each requirement gets translated into a clear, actionable checklist item. Instead of "haematological assessment required," your client sees "Blood test: visit any Laverty Pathology location with the attached referral form. No fasting required." The checklist is created in a tracking tool such as Airtable, with a status field for each item and space for the client to upload documents.
3. Client receives checklist via email
The workflow sends your client a personalised email containing their checklist, instructions for each item, and links to relevant resources (referral forms, provider location finders, upload portals). One clear email. No insurer jargon. No ambiguity about what they need to do next.
4. Seven day reminder for outstanding items
If any items remain incomplete after seven days, an automated reminder goes out. The tone is helpful and specific: "You still need to complete your blood test and upload your financial evidence. Here's the referral form again." The broker doesn't lift a finger.
5. Fourteen day reminder with urgency
A second reminder fires at fourteen days with a firmer tone. This message highlights that the application is at risk of stalling and encourages the client to get in touch if they're stuck. At this point the broker also gets a notification so they can step in with a phone call if needed.
6. Items tracked as they're uploaded
When the client uploads a completed item (through a file upload form or shared cloud folder), the checklist automatically marks that item as done. The broker gets a notification for each completed item, so they can see progress in real time without logging into anything.
7. All requirements met: broker notified
Once every item on the checklist is marked complete, the broker receives a summary notification with all uploaded documents compiled and ready for submission to the insurer. No chasing. No manual checking. Just a clean package ready to go.
Why Chasing by Email Doesn't Work
Most advisers handle underwriting requirements the same way. Read the insurer's list. Rewrite it in an email. Send it to the client. Wait.
The problem isn't effort. It's format. A block of text in an email doesn't give the client any structure. They can't see what they've done and what's left. They can't upload documents to the email. They read it once, think "I'll do that later," and later never comes.
Two applications submitted the same week. One gets an automated checklist with instructions for each requirement and reminders at seven and fourteen days. The client completes everything in nine days without a single phone call. The other gets a manually written email. Three weeks later, the adviser is still chasing a blood test the client forgot about.
The difference isn't the adviser's skill or the client's motivation. It's the system. A checklist with progress tracking and automated reminders removes the friction that causes applications to stall. The client knows exactly what to do, can see their progress, and gets nudged before things slip.
What Personalised Instructions Actually Change
There's a reason clients ignore generic requirement lists. "Financial evidence required" means nothing to someone who's never applied for insurance before. Do they need tax returns? Bank statements? A letter from their accountant? How many years? What format?
When the checklist spells it out ("Upload your two most recent tax returns as PDFs, plus your last three months of bank statements"), completion rates climb. Clients aren't lazy. They're confused. Remove the confusion and they move fast.
AI takes this further. Based on the client's location, it can include the nearest pathology provider and their opening hours. Based on the specific insurer's requirements, it can flag which items have dependencies (the GP report needs to reference the blood test results, so the blood test goes first). Based on past completion patterns, it can reorder the checklist to put the quickest items at the top, giving clients early wins that build momentum.
The Business Impact
Take an adviser handling 50 applications per year, with an average commission of $2,500 per policy. If manual chasing causes even 10% of those applications to be abandoned, that's five lost policies. $12,500 in commission, gone. Not because the client didn't want insurance, but because the process was too confusing or too slow.
Now add the time cost. Two to four hours per week spent on follow ups, across a 48 week working year, is 96 to 192 hours. At an adviser's effective hourly rate of $150, that's $14,400 to $28,800 in time that could be spent on revenue generating activity.
The automated checklist workflow costs $20 to $60 per month to run. Call it $720 a year at the top end. Against $12,500 in recovered commission and $14,400 in reclaimed time, the return is immediate and obvious. But the real win is speed. Reducing average time to issue by even one week across 50 applications means clients are covered sooner and your pipeline moves faster.
- Automated reminders at 7 and 14 days keep applications moving without broker intervention
- Plain language instructions replace insurer jargon, reducing client confusion and inaction
- Per item progress tracking gives brokers visibility without manual portal checks
- Document uploads are collected and compiled automatically for insurer submission
- Two to four hours per week of chasing time returned to revenue generating work
- Fewer abandoned applications means higher conversion from submission to issued policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this handle different requirements from different insurers?
Yes. You build templates per insurer, each with their specific requirement types and plain language translations. Once a template exists for AIA, TAL, MLC, or any other insurer, the workflow applies it automatically whenever that insurer's requirements come through. New insurers take about 30 minutes to template.
What if requirements have dependencies (e.g., blood test before GP report)?
The checklist can be ordered to reflect dependencies, with notes on each item explaining what needs to happen first. In an advanced setup, dependent items stay greyed out until their prerequisite is marked complete, so the client can't get confused about sequencing.
Is the document upload secure enough for health and financial information?
File uploads go through secure, encrypted channels. Tools like Typeform and JotForm offer encrypted file upload fields, and storage in Google Drive or Dropbox uses standard encryption at rest. For practices needing stricter compliance, platforms like Moxo provide SOC 2 and GDPR compliant audit trails.
My clients prefer a phone call. Will this feel impersonal?
The automation handles the administrative side: relaying requirements, tracking progress, sending reminders. That frees you up to use your phone time for encouragement, answering questions, and the personal touch that actually matters. You're not calling to read a checklist anymore. You're calling to help.
What happens if a client doesn't respond to either reminder?
After the fourteen day reminder, the broker gets an escalation notification flagging the application as at risk. From there you can make a personal call, adjust the approach, or decide whether to keep the application active. The automation handles the routine follow ups so your intervention is targeted, not repetitive.
Do we really need automation for this? We manage fine with email.
If none of your applications stall, none of your clients ask "what do I need to do again," and you never spend time chasing outstanding requirements, then no. But most advisers lose hours each week and policies each year to this exact gap. The automation doesn't replace your expertise. It stops the administrative drag from undermining it.
How long does this take to set up?
A basic checklist workflow with email delivery and two reminder stages can be built in a day. Adding per insurer templates, file upload tracking, and broker notifications takes another day or two. Most advisers are fully operational within a week. If you want to see how it would fit your practice, book your free audit and we'll map it out together.
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