The underlying market problem is not that supplemental health lacks value. It is that too much of that value still depends on employee memory, product recall and a willingness to start a claims process at the exact moment life is most disruptive.

In plain language, medical claims integration (MCI) uses major medical claims activity to identify a possible claim on another workplace benefit, most often supplemental health products or a health and wellness benefit.

The point is simple: help employees recognize and act on value they may otherwise miss.

A connected-claims model

Securian’s Reclaim-powered model is designed to reduce guesswork, limit documentation burden and help employees use coverage they already chose, without asking them to manually start the process after a qualifying event.

The model follows five basic steps:

1. Enroll: The employee elects supplemental health coverage during enrollment.
2. Consent: The employee provides one-time HIPAA authorization for future claim events.
3. Match: Medical claims data is matched to enrolled supplemental health coverage.
4. Initiate: The employee is notified and the claim is started on their behalf.
5. Pay: After review and approval, the benefit is paid with less documentation effort.

Our approach proves itself with these results: 

Explore more in the whitepaper: Read “MCI in five steps”

Why auto-initiate is gaining attention

LIMRA's 2026 Claims Integration in Workplace Benefits research makes clear that MCI is not one thing operationally. Carriers are using three action models: auto-notify, auto-initiate and auto-pay.^2,3

Securian Financial recommends the auto-initiate model for medical-to-supplemental-health claims because it preserves employee visibility while removing unnecessary friction.

That approach aligns with what employees say they want: support without surrender. LIMRA’s consumer data found that 55% of employees prefer a carrier to start the claim and reach out for confirmation, compared with 34% who prefer reminder-only outreach and 11% who prefer straight auto-pay.^2,3

Explore in the whitepaper: Read more about auto-initiate

Consent works best when it is part of enrollment

Employee openness to MCI is clearly tied to permission. Employee involvement is not a drag on the experience. It is part of what makes the experience feel clear, respectful and trustworthy.

Timing matters, too. LIMRA reports an average opt-in of 43% when consent is captured at enrollment versus 21% when it is requested later.³

Securian can work with benefits administrators to capture consent directly in the enrollment experience. Among eligible supplemental health enrollees who were presented with MCI consent on their benefits administration platform during open enrollment, approximately 82% provided consent in 2025.¹

Explore in the whitepaper: See why enrollment-time consent matters

Chart spotlight: What the market wants and how Securian is aligned

The market signals show a clear direction: employees want to be asked, supported and involved, while employers and consultants want a model that shows more value in the employee experience.

The companion chart highlights how Securian’s approach aligns with those market signals through:

• One-time HIPAA consent and capture in the enrollment experience
• Auto-initiate claims support
• A connected-claims model that combines consent capture, claim matching, proactive initiation, communications and streamlined submission

For more details view the Comparison chart of LIMRA research and Securian’s approach. 

Four questions to ask about an MCI strategy

A mature connected-claims model is not a reminder layered around disconnected systems. It is built into enrollment, consent capture, data exchange, claim initiation, communication and reporting.

Use these questions to evaluate whether an MCI strategy is market ready:

1. Action: Does the model notify, initiate or pay — and for which product lines?
2. Reach: What percentage of eligible enrollees and dependents does the integration reach?
3. Communication: How and when is consent captured, and what are the opt-in rates?
4. Insight: What reporting is available after launch?

Explore in the whitepaper: Use the MCI strategy evaluation questions

From coverage offered to value experienced

Medical claims integration should no longer be treated as a niche claims feature. It is becoming a sharper measure of whether supplemental health benefits can actually convert enrollments into employee value when life happens.

For employees, that means supplemental health becomes easier to access when it matters. That is the difference between offering coverage and delivering value.

Read the full whitepaper: "The coverage is there. Do employees feel it?"