Scout InsurTech Spotlight with Krista Eger

Krista Eger is VP of Product at Benekiva, delivering configurable technologies to transform the end-to-end claims and servicing experience. Krista was interviewed by Andrew Daniels, Co-Founder at Scout InsurTech and Co-Founder and President at CrashBay.

Krista, can you share a little bit about your background and what led you to your current focus?

“I kind of fell into insurance—it wasn’t something I ever planned on doing. I was studying to become a nurse, and my now-husband, who was active duty in the military, got stationed across the country. I needed to find a job quickly, and the first opportunity I got was as a temp at a long-term care company working in the call center. That’s how my career in insurance started, and it just kept going from there.

I moved from long-term care to a life and annuity company, again starting in the call center. That’s where I was first introduced to claims. Talking with beneficiaries and claimants really opened my eyes—it felt meaningful like I could truly help people during some of the hardest times in their lives. That’s what drew me into claims.

I transitioned to the claims team where everything was still very manual—paper files, manila folders, spreadsheets, calculators with paper tape. I remember thinking, ‘Why are we doing this?’ It seemed outdated and inefficient, especially when handling claims with multiple beneficiaries. I started looking for ways to improve our processes—not realizing I was stepping into a transformation role. I was simply trying to make our work easier and get funds into the beneficiary’s hands faster.

That experience led me to lead several transformation initiatives. When our company was acquired, I joined the new organization and led the conversion from manual to digital systems. That’s when I got hands-on with technology and transformation.

From there, I continued working on large-scale initiatives to modernize claims processes, which shaped the direction of my career. Now at Benekiva, I’m continuing that mission—still helping beneficiaries, but in a way that’s faster and more scalable. Instead of helping one carrier, I now get to support them all. It’s a win-win for both me and the beneficiaries.”

How has claims transformation evolved in the life, health, long-term care and annuity space?

“It has changed drastically over the past decade. As I mentioned, claims can be extremely manual and inefficient. Today, there’s a major shift toward automation, digital workflows and API-driven integrations across the industry.

We’re seeing a focus on reducing payout times and improving the beneficiary experience. In health and long-term care, automation and AI-driven tools are being used to support adjudication and reduce administrative burdens.

One of the biggest catalysts for change has been shifting consumer expectations. Policyholders and beneficiaries now expect transparency—they want to know exactly what’s happening with their claims. They’re used to quick, seamless processes in other areas, and they expect the same in life and health. That demand is driving real transformation.”

What impact has AI had on claims processing in these areas, and where do you see it heading?

“Artificial Intelligence has taken off in recent years. It took carriers a little longer to adopt, mainly because of the high level of risk involved. But, for those who have, the benefits are clear—automated document processing, AI-powered OCR and natural language processing tools are speeding up claims handling and eliminating manual data entry.

Fraud detection is another huge area—machine learning models can analyze patterns and flag suspicious claims, helping carriers mitigate risk and save money.

Looking ahead, I see AI becoming less of a support tool and more of a proactive decision-making engine. We’re moving toward intelligent claims processing where AI not only assists with adjudication but also provides real-time recommendations. End-to-end, hands-off processing is becoming a reality. It’s not just rules-based anymore—AI is enabling claims to be processed in seconds.”

We often talk about transformation from the carrier’s perspective. How has it impacted the policyholder experience, especially in terms of trust and adoption?

“The policyholder experience is the main driver. If your transformation doesn’t improve their experience, then what’s the point?

We’ve definitely seen faster access to funds and better transparency. Policyholders can now log in, check their claim status and upload documentation without relying on physical mail or back-and-forth delays. 

That said, adoption can still be a challenge, especially among older demographics—those dealing with life, annuity or long-term care claims may be less tech-savvy. So, part of the transformation has to be building trust, providing clear information and making digital workflows intuitive and accessible. When people feel confident in the process, they're more likely to embrace it.”

What are the biggest opportunities for further transformation in this space?

“Fully embracing AI is a huge opportunity. We’re already seeing some carriers leverage it for end-to-end claims processing, personalized communication and automated updates. There’s even potential to offer proactive benefit suggestions—like alerting a claimant about other benefits they may be eligible for.

Another big area is blockchain. It’s underutilized but could revolutionize claims by allowing secure data sharing between carriers. That would speed up processing and help uncover additional claims or benefits a policyholder might not even know they had.

We’ve made major strides in digital transformation, but the next wave is going to be about intelligent and intuitive customer-centric experiences. That’s where the real impact will be.”

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