Securian launches AI-powered instant claims and payments for supplemental health

Securian Financial  is rolling out AI-enabled instant decisioning and real-time payments for supplemental health insurance claims, a move it says is an industry first.

The new capability applies to accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity products offered through employers and is designed to shrink claims processing from days to minutes. Eligible claims submitted digitally can be automatically reviewed, approved, and paid out in near real time, while more complex cases are routed through human-in-the-loop review. Securian says no claim will be denied without a human examiner.

The system combines an AI-driven rules engine with embedded fraud detection, aiming to accelerate straightforward claims without sacrificing oversight. Employees receive real-time status updates, eliminating the need to repeatedly check on claim progress.

Securian plans to roll the instant decision and payment functionality out to existing voluntary benefits clients during 2026, with availability for all plans effective January 1, 2027.

“Building secure tomorrows means being there for employees during life’s most challenging moments—when it counts, not down the line. This capability represents exactly what our vision calls for: innovative benefits solutions that demonstrate genuine care when it matters most. We’ve been investing in our AI capabilities and data infrastructure for years to make this possible, and this is just the beginning of what our enterprise AI strategy will deliver.” – Sid Gandhi, executive vice president for Employee Benefits Solutions at Securian Financial.