SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — The car insurance claims process has notoriously been plagued by the seemingly endless back and forth between insurance carriers, repair shops, rental companies and consumers. Metromile, the leader in pay-per-mile car insurance in the U.S., is transforming the claims experience with three new benefit enhancements announced today – the Direct Repair, Car Rental and Claim Payments Programs, powered by AVA.

Leveraging the power of AVA, the brand’s artificial intelligence (AI) claims system, qualifying customers can now opt-in to automate the identification, management and payment of auto repair and car rental providers within Metromile’s preferred network through Metromile’s mobile app or online dashboard. Qualifying customers can now also choose to automate claim reimbursement directly through AVA. The announcement further proves Metromile’s commitment to enhancing the overall customer experience, lowering consumer costs and bringing technology to the forefront of the insurance industry.

“We strive to provide the fastest and simplest claims experience for our customers, and we are successfully doing that by leveraging automation and artificial intelligence,” said Dan Preston, CEO at Metromile. “The addition of Direct Repair Program, Rental Cars, and Claim Payments to AVA’s capabilities allows us to further expedite the claims process by taking those repair, rental and reimbursement claims experiences mobile; ultimately getting our customers back on the road faster.”

Introduced earlier this year, AVA is a first-of-its kind smart claims system designed to speed up the process of verifying and paying out insurance claims through Metromile’s mobile app. Using Metromile Pulse sensor data, AVA can reconstruct the scene of an accident to instantly determine if claim details are accurate. If the claim is verified, Metromile is able to automatically approve payments within seconds. With the addition of these automated capabilities, Metromile aims to eliminate the back and forth between consumer and claims adjustors and provide the best customer claims experience in the industry.

New Direct Repair Program (DRP)
If elected by the policyholder, AVA will assist and automate the process of identifying, managing and directly paying repair facilities so customers can focus on getting back on their feet faster, without the added hassle of speaking to a claims representative. During the claims submission process, AVA will provide a list of local repair shops participating in the DRP and customers will be able to easily select their preferred shop through the Metromile mobile app or dashboard. Repair payment will also be automatically processed through AVA, doing away with the stress that typically surrounds claim reimbursement. AVA will also notify customers of repair updates, changes to pricing or delays in service.

New Rental Car Program
Eligible policyholders with rental coverage will have the ability to rent a car directly from the Metromile mobile app or dashboard with AVA’s assistance. For example, customers can rent a car directly from Enterprise Rent-A-Car through AVA and choose from a list of among Enterprise’s thousands of locations to schedule their rental car. Payment will also be automatically processed through AVA (up to $30 per day), eliminating the reimbursement hassle and worry.

For customers who choose to opt out of either or both programs, Metromile will continue to honor their choice of repair and/or rental car facilities.

New AVA Claim Payments
Eligible customers can now elect to have AVA automate the collection of payment details and the disbursement of ACH or Check payments, through Metromile’s mobile app. AVA will walk policyholders through the payment setup process within minutes, eliminating the inevitable mistranslation of payment details. This latest innovation improves the customer experience and lowers costs by ending the tedious back and forth both claims adjustors and consumers experience following a covered accident.

“The addition of the new Direct Repair Program, Rental Cars, and Claim Payments, to AVA’s technology helps us continue building the world’s best claims experience, while continuously looking for new ways to improve our customer service through the smart use of data,” said Sean Griswold, Metromile’s Chief Customer Officer.

Metromile’s pay-per-mile car insurance saves low mileage drivers $500 on average each year. In addition, Metromile’s smart driving app and in-car telematics device give customers visibility into their car’s general health and usage, as well as pinpoint their car’s exact location via the vehicle locator, and help customers avoid parking tickets via the app’s street sweeping alerts (in select cities). Metromile’s pay-per-mile insurance is currently available in seven states, including Calif., Ill., N.J., Ore., Pa., Va., and Wash., and the company is focused on offering pay-per-mile insurance nationwide.

For more information about Metromile, visit metromile.com or follow Metromile on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About Metromile
Metromile is revolutionizing car insurance through technology with its pay-per-mile insurance model. By offering affordable car insurance, transparent pricing based on the miles you actually drive, data to optimize how you use your car, and instant access to detailed vehicle diagnostics via the driving app, Metromile is transforming car insurance — and car ownership — to be more intelligent, seamless, and accessible than ever before. For a second year in a row, Metromile has been named one of Glassdoor’s 2018 Best Places to Work.

Metromile, Metromile logos, AVA and other service names are the trademarks of Metromile, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

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SOURCE Metromile