Today, insurance claims automation and smarter claims technology are completely rewriting the playbook. Digital claims, which are fast, data-driven, and customer-friendly, are taking insurers over the line from customer dissatisfaction to customer loyalty. 

This article unpacks the concept of digital claims, how they work, and why the technology behind them matters so much.

Before we talk about digital claims, let’s zoom out. What is the meaning of digital insurance?

At its core, digital insurance means using technology to simplify, speed up, and personalize everything about insurance. From buying a policy to filing a claim, everything moves through connected systems, real-time data updates are applied, and often AI and machine learning work in the background to make everything more personalized, faster, and intelligent.

With that established, people often go into questions like:

• What is digital-only insurance?
  • That refers to insurers that operate 100% online, with no paper trails and no physical branches.
• What are electronic claims?
  • These are claims submitted, reviewed, and processed digitally‌ — ‌not mailed, faxed, or manually entered.

There’s a lot to unpack here, and digital insurance isn’t just a shift in channel‌ — ‌it’s a full transformation in how insurance works. And, for many insurers, digital claims are at the heart of that transformation.

So let’s get specific. What is a digital claim? And what are digital claims in insurance?

A digital claim is any insurance claim that’s filed, processed, and resolved using electronic systems‌ — ‌usually via web portals, mobile apps, or integrated third-party platforms. It eliminates the friction of paperwork, manual reviews, and human bottlenecks. This isn’t just digitizing a form, it’s rethinking the entire claims experience around speed, accuracy, and user control.

So how do paper claims vs electronic claims compare?

In the context of modern insurance operations, digital claims aren’t just more efficient, they’re now expected by most policyholders. Customers want transparency, insurers want accuracy, and everyone wants less busywork. Digital claims deliver on all three.

To start, let’s focus on what is the purpose of a claim form‌ — ‌whether digital or physical? 

At its core, a claim form collects  the essential information required to determine coverage, assess damage or loss, and calculate payouts. Digital versions just do it faster, and with fewer headaches for everyone involved.

A digital claim form is exactly what it sounds like: the digital version of a traditional insurance claim form. It’s how policyholders provide the required information to begin a claim‌ — ‌but instead of printing, scanning, or faxing anything, they enter data directly into an online system, via an app or a web browser.

So, what is the electronic claim submission definition? Simply put: it’s the process of submitting claim information electronically through a structured digital interface‌ — ‌no paper involved. That data then moves directly into the insurer’s core systems, automatically triggering workflows for validation, review, and resolution.

With electronic claims submission, insurers can reduce error rates, eliminate duplicate data entry, and speed up cycle times. It also allows for better tracking, faster customer updates, and more reliable analytics.

Some people ask, “What is the standard format used for submission of electronic claims?” This depends on the line of business: in healthcare, it’s often EDI 837. In P&C and life insurance, standards vary but tend to follow structured formats designed to support data integration across systems.

Want to see what this looks like in real life, and why they’re so effective for improving customer loyalty and reducing churn? 

What are digital claim examples we can learn from? Here are a few:

• A policyholder gets rear-ended and opens their insurance app at the scene. They snap a photo of the damage, fill out a few fields, and hit submit. The claim is already 80% processed by the time they get home.

• After a big storm, hundreds of homeowners had to file property claims. Thanks to automation and pre-integrated vendor systems, adjusters are auto-assigned, and payout estimates are generated in hours, not days.

• A worker files for disability leave via a digital HR portal. The data syncs with the insurer’s system in real time, verifying eligibility and starting the claims process without anyone having to re-enter the same information twice.

Being able to serve your customers in this way isn’t just a convenience, it’s a way to strongly differentiate yourself against the competition.

This is where EIS comes in. Not all automated claims processing systems are created equal, and that matters when you’re dealing with something as high-stakes as claims processing.

With EIS OneSuite™, you get a platform built around:

• Event-driven architecture – Claims workflows kick off automatically when certain data or events are detected. No manual triggers needed.
• Customer-centricity – The system isn’t organized around policies; it’s built around people. That means fewer disconnected handoffs and a smoother customer experience.
• Real-time processing – Integrate with vendors, use AI to detect fraud, and automatically validate claims—all while your competitors are still processing PDFs.

What is a digital claim example that shows this off? Picture this: A customer submits a claim. AI in ClaimSmart™ instantly scores it for fraud risk, confirms coverage via PolicyCore™, and triggers payment, all without a human needing to touch it unless something looks off.

It’s not just a digital version of the old way. It’s a smarter, better, future-ready way.

Digital claims aren’t just a trend, they’re crucial insurance infrastructure. They redefine what insurers can deliver during a policyholder’s most loyalty-defining  moment: the claim. If you’re still relying on legacy processes, you’re not just lagging, you’re leaking time, money, and trust.

See how one EIS customer upgraded their digital claims process, and in return improved their customer experience and slashed their loss adjustment expenses. 

A better claims experience for everyone involved — learn more about claims automation and management with EIS.