English (UK)
English (US)UnderwriteMe has partnered with EQ Pathology, the pioneer of digital medical evidence collection for Australian life insurers. EQ Pathology's innovative platform transforms how medical information flows between doctors, insurers and customers - replacing outdated paper processes with intelligent digital solutions that work seamlessly across both underwriting and claims. This collaboration marks a major step forward in the digital transformation of insurance, enabling seamless integration that enhances underwriting and claims processes for insurers, doctors, and most importantly, customers.
Traditionally, Australian insurers rely on paper-based medical reports - known as Personal Medical Attendant Reports (PMARs) - that must be completed by doctors before an insurance application or claim can be processed. This approach is often slow, inconsistent, and time-consuming. It requires doctors to complete lengthy forms, much of which may not be relevant to every case. By digitising this process, UnderwriteMe and EQ Pathology reduces turnaround times for both customers and insurers - while giving valuable time back to medical professionals.
This integration also represents a significant milestone for UnderwriteMe: it’s the company’s first step toward digitising and structuring doctor questionnaires, making it the first Underwriting Engine provider to offer such a solution in the Australia/New Zealand market. With speed and accuracy becoming increasingly important to insurers and their customers, this innovation delivers clear benefits to both underwriting and claims teams.
In addition, the collaboration supports the launch of UnderwriteMe’s Decision Studio - part of the broader Decision Platform - in partnership with Acenda, further transforming how medical data is collected and applied throughout the insurance lifecycle.
A Smarter Way to Underwrite: The Acenda Use Case
Acenda - one of Australia’s largest insurers and a long-standing partner of UnderwriteMe - saw immediate value in EQ Pathology’s digital solution. Thanks to this partnership, Acenda now operates a fully automated underwriting workflow that improves efficiency and significantly reduces turnaround times for customers.
Here’s how it works: when a customer applies for life insurance but isn't automatically approved, additional medical history is often required. At Acenda, this applies to nearly half of all applicants. UnderwriteMe’s Decision Platform detects the need for more information and instantly sends a structured digital questionnaire to the applicant’s treating doctor. Instead of a broad, catch-all form, the platform intelligently selects only the relevant questions based on the specific case.
Data is collected in a structured format using drop-down menus and pre-filled lists, improving accuracy and ensuring only essential information is gathered for risk assessment. This replaces the traditional reliance on handwritten notes or scanned documents with clean, structured data that can be processed immediately. Once completed, the questionnaire feeds directly into the Decision Platform, which uses the collected information to generate a recommendation. The underwriter then reviews this and makes a final decision for the customer.
This marks the first time in the region an Underwriting Engine provider has supported a digital PMAR use case - and it’s already proving to be transformative. The integration automates requests, streamlines responses, and enables faster, more accurate decisions, all while maintaining the transparency and compliance standards expected in a highly regulated industry.
Same Technology, New Frontier: Claims Transformation
What makes this partnership especially impactful is its potential beyond underwriting. The same technology is now being used to transform claims - specifically to automate the collection of initial treating doctor reports, which are required for all living benefit claims in Australia, such as Income Protection, TPD and Trauma insurance. By modernising this traditionally manual process, UnderwriteMe is helping insurers balance risk with speed, improve operational efficiency, and deliver a better experience for claimants.
Currently, treating doctor reports are completed on paper based forms and are either collected directly by a claimant prior to submitting a claim, or requested manually by a claim manager after submission of the initial claim lodgement - a time-consuming and inefficient process that creates friction and delays in claims management. Delays in claims processing in Australia have drawn sharp criticism recently, including from the regulator who is increasing calls for Australian insurers to adopt smarter practices to ensure claims are processed efficiently and without lengthy delays.
UnderwriteMe’s solution enables a smoother, more positive experience for claimants. The workflow mirrors the underwriting use case: as soon as a customer submits a claim, the Decision Platform triggers a tailored digital form, which is instantly sent to the treating doctor, eliminating the need for manual collection. The form is customised to the specific nature of the claim, ensuring relevance and clarity. This also cuts down on admin work for the treating doctor, who is able to quickly complete the digital report and send it back to the insurer. Once completed, the data flows directly into the claims assessment process, accelerating decisions and improving data quality.
Why It Matters
This partnership is more than just an integration; it’s a differentiator. UnderwriteMe is delivering real, scalable solutions that reduces risks and saves insurers time and money. By focusing on structured data input and automation, we’re offering insurers a practical, compliant, and impactful way to modernise their processes.
With strong market reception from the Acenda launch and growing interest across Australia and New Zealand, we’re excited to continue this journey with EQ Pathology and bring these innovations to more insurers in underwriting, claims, and beyond.
