— Stacey Rous , EVP & CFO , OTIP

Rous adds that she is extremely proud of how OTIP ’ s employees have adapted , driving new ways of connecting with its members , clients and employees , but at the same time not exhausting them with the technology . “ Our members and our management teams are very accepting that there may be children in the background , dogs barking or doorbell rings from home deliveries , which previously would have been considered very unprofessional .”

She adds that the insurance industry itself has not escaped impact from the pandemic . “ Our industry is under extreme financial pressure . People ’ s driving habits have changed , and there is an expectation that auto premiums will reduce accordingly . At the same time , the closure of things like dental offices and other health providers creates a mountain of questions for us and our members on how we handle things like claim limits , cancelled procedures and benefit premiums during and after the pandemic .”

Rous believes that technology will be key as COVID-19 continues to change how organizations and the insurance industry continues to operate . Post pandemic , she says , a digital mindset should be seen as a way of doing business , whether that be on-line virtual doctor ’ s appointments , or using Telehealth and Telemedicine more proactively . “ COVID-19 should teach us that it ’ s okay to do some things digitally . We need to harness what we ’ ve learned through this and not go back to the old normal where it doesn ’ t make sense . Many of these technologies are so powerful , and they will be cost effective for both our community and our healthcare system .”

21 www . fintechmagazine . com