Method and system for providing insurance policies via a distributed computing network

• US 8,095,399 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safeco Corporation (Liberty Mutual Holding Company)
• Original Assignee: Safeco Corporation (Liberty Mutual Holding Company)
• Inventors: McConnell, Frank J., Tormey, William M., Randall, Anne H., Ellermeier, Dennis M., Johannesen, Greg S., Lewis, Jason J., Lenoir, Edward V.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PASS, NATALIE
• Application Number:
  US13/046,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A virtual insurance producer Web site is provided at which a prospective insurance customer may request a bindable premium quotation for an insurance policy. The prospective customer may be asked to provide information relating to the insurability of an individual to be insured by the insurance policy and information relating to the coverage to be provided by the insurance policy. The premium is displayed to the prospective customer as a bindable quotation that binds the insurance company providing the policy and that may be purchased on-line immediately. The prospective customer may purchase the insurance policy according to the provided bindable premium quotation through the virtual insurance producer Web site. If the prospective customer elects to purchase the policy, the virtual insurance producer Web site may re-intermediate an insurance agent into the sales process and transmit the insurance policy to the customer in electronic form.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium, which is non-transitory, containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for providing an insurance policy via a distributed computing network, comprising:

receiving a request for a bindable premium quotation for an insurance policy;

in response to said request, receiving information relating to the insurability of an individual to be insured by said insurance policy and information relating to the coverage to be provided by said insurance policy;

gathering underwriting information from one or more outside information resources based upon the identify of said individual;

determining whether said insurance policy may be underwritten;

in response to determining that said insurance policy may be underwritten, calculating a premium for said insurance policy and providing said premium to a requestor of said premium quotation as a bindable insurance premium quotation;

receiving a request to purchase said insurance policy according to said bindable insurance premium quotation; and

in response to said request, re intermediating an insurance agent and issuing said insurance policy.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein issuing said insurance policy comprises transmitting an electronic version of said insurance policy to an individual insured by said insurance policy.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein re intermediating an insurance agent comprises:

providing a list of available insurance agents;

receiving the selection of a selected agent from the list of available insurance agents;

assigning said selected insurance agent to said insurance policy;

transmitting information regarding said individual and said insurance policy to said selected insurance agent; and

remitting a commission to said selected insurance agent.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein re intermediating an insurance agent comprises:

providing a list of available insurance agents, said available insurance agents identified based upon their geographical proximity to said individual;

receiving the selection of a selected agent from the list of available insurance agents;

assigning said selected insurance agent to said insurance policy;

transmitting information regarding said individual and said insurance policy to said selected insurance agent; and

remitting a commission to said selected insurance agent.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein re intermediating an insurance agent comprises:

assigning an insurance agent to said insurance policy based upon the geographical proximity of said insurance agent to said individual;

assigning said assigned insurance agent to said insurance policy;

transmitting information regarding said individual and said insurance policy to said assigned insurance agent; and

remitting a commission to said assigned insurance agent.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein said assigned insurance agent comprises the geographically closest available insurance agent to said customer.