NEOS adopts UnderwriteMe tool to speed medical underwriting

NEOS has implemented UnderwriteMe's Decision Studio in Australia, marking the system's third deployment in the market.

The software is being used to improve how medical data is captured and processed across NEOS's products, as part of a broader push to expand digital underwriting.

Decision Studio is a modular component of UnderwriteMe's wider Decision Platform. At NEOS, it is designed to support underwriting decisions by handling medical evidence more efficiently during the application process.

For advisers and applicants, the main effect is expected to be shorter turnaround times. NEOS expects the changes to deliver more consistent underwriting outcomes by handling medical information in a more structured way.

The implementation adds to UnderwriteMe's presence in Australia, where insurers have been increasing investment in automated underwriting tools.

Medical processing

NEOS will introduce the updated process in stages across its platform and product set, integrating the system gradually rather than through a single full-market switch.

The insurer also said the expanded data handling within the platform would inform the development of its underwriting approach. It linked that to more accurate and cost-effective processes for advisers and customers.

Adam Lister outlined NEOS's view of the change.

"We're excited to launch this capability with our partner UnderwriteMe, and it demonstrates another practical step in delivering on our commitment to make life easy for advisers and customers. By improving the way we capture and process medical information, we expect to deliver faster, simpler and more consistent experiences. As we implement this in a phased manner across the NEOS platform and each of our propositions, we see significant opportunity to further enhance efficiency, support better decision-making and ultimately make life insurance easy, while maintaining the NEOS experience we're known for," said Adam Lister, Chief Operations Officer, NEOS.

NEOS operates as a life insurance platform and service provider in Australia. The business launched in 2018 and has built its market profile around adviser-focused distribution and underwriting service standards.

UnderwriteMe was founded in 2012 and supplies underwriting technology to life insurers in several regions, including Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. It is backed by Pacific Life Re, a reinsurer with a global presence.

Market context

The Australian life insurance sector has been investing in digital tools aimed at reducing manual underwriting work and speeding up application assessments. Medical evidence collection remains a significant part of that process, particularly for products in which customer health information influences pricing or acceptance.

Automation in this area can affect both insurer operations and adviser workflows. Faster collection and processing of medical details can reduce delays between application submission and decision, while more standardised assessment rules can help firms improve consistency in outcomes.

Paul Hughes said the partnership reflected a joint focus on underwriting processes in the market.

"Our partnership with NEOS reflects a shared ambition to enhance underwriting experiences across the Australian life insurance market. Through the implementation of Decision Studio, NEOS is streamlining medical evidence processing to deliver faster and more consistent outcomes for advisers and customers. This collaboration also underscores our collective commitment to making insurance more accessible through intelligent automation and data-driven insights, and we look forward to supporting NEOS as they continue to evolve and expand their digital capabilities," said Paul Hughes, Chief Revenue and Customer Officer, UnderwriteMe.