Following the expansion of the Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE) last year to include travel insurance claims, MIB is pleased to welcome Ageas as a subscriber to the new database platform in the UK which helps the insurance industry tackle claims fraud.

CUE’s centralised database holds more than 35 million records for claims and notifications across motor, home and personal injury/industrial illness. CUE was expanded into the travel insurance category in order to strengthen the industry’s position in the fight against travel insurance fraud. CUE Travel is the first central database for insurers who subscribe to have visibility of all personal travel insurance claims and notifications.

The expansion of the CUE platform to include travel insurance claims follows from the Insurance Fraud Taskforce (IFT) report in 2016, which recommended insurers develop the capability to access a wider set of data to enable them to combat fraud together. The work to create CUE Travel now gives insurers the visibility they need.

Ageas, which has subscribed to the CUE database since 2004, has been a long standing advocate for the CUE Travel platform, having supported it since its inception.

Responding to Ageas’s on-boarding, Anna Fleming, Chief Operating Officer at MIB, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Ageas as an official subscriber to the CUE Travel platform. By working together and sharing quality travel insurance claims data, the industry will be in a better position to identify and combat fraud, and, in the long run, make vital improvements to customer journeys.

“We encourage other insurers to make use of the new travel platform, which allows for greater visibility of events and claims relating to a policyholder, putting them at an advantage when it comes to tackling fraud.”

Robin Challand, Claims Director at Ageas said: “The true value of insurance is being able to support customers in their hour of need by paying their claim and making the process as smooth and efficient as possible. However, our experience in the travel insurance market tells us that not all claims are as they seem.

In recent years we have seen an increase in fraudulent claims for personal belongings, missed departures and holiday cancellations. With the addition of systems like CUE Travel, we can more easily identify cases of attempted fraud, saving us time and money and enabling us to keep premiums competitive for our customers. “

Insurers who are interested in finding out more about CUE Travel can contact CUETravel@mib.org.uk or request a CUE subscriber pack.

MIB Press Office contacts

Sarah Dundas, 07730 517687, sdundas@mib.org.uk  

Erin O’Reilly, 07841 105833, eoreilly@mib.org.uk

Ageas Press Office contact

Maggie Hill, 02380 313147, Maggie.hill@ageas.co.uk

Ageas case study

A customer submitted a claim for £1,800 for medical expenses for an injured eye after falling in snow on holiday. He provided medical reports and receipts to support his claim which confirmed his diagnosis and treatment.

The claim handler became suspicious when a simple internet search revealed that the customer lived in Germany and further investigation of the customer’s medical reports and receipts and confirmed that these were not actually genuine.

Further enquiries revealed that 17 similar claims have been submitted by the customer to a number of other insurers. The deployment of CUE Travel will enable Ageas to save on pricey investigation fees, a cause of the rising cost of insurance premiums.

About the Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE)

CUE is a central database of motor, home, personal injury/industrial illness and travel incidents reported to insurance companies which may or may not have given rise to a claim.

CUE was established in 1994 to help fight insurance fraud. CUE Travel went live in September 2017.  By enabling insurers to access details of incidents, it makes it harder to successfully commit claims fraud or misrepresent claims history.  Ultimately, this helps to keep down the cost of insurance for honest policyholders.

CUE Membership includes all major insurers and many self-insured organisations such as Local Authorities