eSign Processes: 7 Things Every Insurance Carrier Should Review

(Insights from the team that evaluated nine vendors … and created an add-on solution that integrates with your current eSign platform to handle the insurance-specific needs no eSign vendor could fully address)

We thought evaluating nine eSign vendors would be simple.

It wasn’t.

Tapp reviewed the top eSign vendors on the market to evaluate which platforms we should integrate with focusing on form delivery, supporting agent workflows, and meeting carrier-grade compliance standards. What we found were recurring complications: less than ideal signer experiences, and a surprising amount of manual work hiding behind so-called digital flows.

That journey led us to build our own approach that augments the eSign vendor’s solution; in that process, we created a checklist that any insurance carrier can use to strengthen their own eSign process.

Here are seven action items we recommend for every team:

1. Audit Individual Pages Saved in Your Imaging System

You need to verify that the pages being saved to your imaging archive system are the complete record, including the audit page. In some cases, the file that ends up in your imaging system isn’t the original electronic document:

• Forms may get printed and scanned, stripping them of the electronic signature,
• Some may be edited with pages removed or regrouped, and
• Some forms may be edited to remove the audit page.

Action Item: Train your staff on how to retain the integrity of the signed documents and audit your imaging system to validate that they are following the training.

2. Audit all Signed Documents are in Your Imaging System

All eSign vendors have a list of what was sent for signature and its current status. You’ll want to be sure that the documents listed as signed by your vendor match what is in your imaging system. The vendor list is typically very reliable; missing files are an indicator that your signature processes (manual or automated) need to be adjusted.

Action Item: Compare the vendor’s record of completed documents against the files stored in your system. Investigate any discrepancy.

3. Archive the Abandoned Documents

Are you capturing envelopes that were abandoned in addition to signed documents? Narrow the lens to what’s being actively routed through your system today. These records aren’t just compliance artifacts, they’re essential for understanding drop-off points in your workflow and proving delivery in the event of a dispute.

Action Item: Identify which forms are going out for signature, which are completed, and which are abandoned or returned incomplete. Confirm that you have all records, including those that were never signed.

4. Start Early on Contract Renewal

Contracts may ratchet up year-over-year based on increased usage. Others may include platinum features that you aren’t using. Some eSign vendors will entertain negotiating the contract renewal, but don’t wait until the final month to negotiate, by then, you’ve lost leverage.

Action Item: Prepare at least three months before renewal, especially if you’ve never conducted a formal review of features you’re using. Look at your existing agreement to see if you are over-subscribed on the feature set. Consider splitting your volume across multiple vendors to give you a credible alternative when negotiating new terms.

5. Understand Your Retention Period

Carriers are subject to regulatory retention requirements, but that responsibility doesn’t transfer to your eSign vendor. Most vendors limit how long documents remain available, and once that window closes, the files are gone. If you don’t have a clear process to download and archive signed documents, you’re at risk of losing records you’re legally required to keep.

Action item: Know your vendor’s retention period and ensure that your team is consistently downloading files before they expire.

6. Are Agents Using Their Own eSign Accounts?

If agents are circumventing your system, you may not be receiving the complete document. Off-platform signatures often lack audit trails.

Action Item: Train CSRs to spot eSigned documents that did not originate from your eSign account. These can be in the form of the entire eSigned document or select pages with the signature facsimile. Create a clear escalation path for reporting these documents to management.

7. Ask for Help

We built this list by working with carriers who were facing the same challenges. We’re happy to share what we’ve learned, including a tailored version of this presentation for your staff. Don’t go it alone. We’ll help you map your current process and identify the opportunities you’re probably missing. Whether it is to make better use of your existing eSign solutions or to make use of Tapp’s eSign Toolset that fills the gaps in your existing eSign vendor without replacing them.