Life insurance is primarily thought of as one thing: financial protection. While providing financial support to beneficiaries is important, the experience surrounding a life insurance claim extends beyond a payout. For many people, the period following a loss includes a complex mix of emotional strain and administrative responsibilities.
The Hartford has built our approach to life insurance around more than financial outcomes. Supporting beneficiaries during one of life’s most difficult moments requires attention to both practical needs and the emotional realities of grief. It is, fundamentally, about helping real people navigate an unfamiliar and overwhelming experience.
More Than a Claim: Supporting the Full Experience
At the center of our approach is a focus on understanding the unique needs of each beneficiary. The Hartford’s Life Care Advocates and licensed social workers play a central role, guiding beneficiaries through the emotional and practical aspects of dealing with the loss of a loved one. This often begins with simple, human connection.
“We focus a lot on that human part of it — communication and being available. It’s not just a text or an email. We’re picking up the phone and supporting people through something they’ve likely never experienced before,” says Shannon Hurley, a team leader in Life Claims at The Hartford.
For many beneficiaries, loss and the administrative processes that come with it can be overwhelming. Life Care Advocates help guide them through the process, working to ensure they understand available resources and have support as they make decisions.
Balancing To-Do Lists with Care
The Hartford’s life insurance offering includes services designed to support post-loss needs through collaboration with Empathy, a bereavement support provider. An important part of the work of our Life Care Advocates is connecting the bereaved with those services, which include:
- Trained Care Managers who help coordinate tasks and manage to-do lists
- Personalized Care Plans tailored to each family’s situation
- Estate Settlement Resources offering guidance on probate and estate administration
- Grief Support, including tools and insights informed by grief specialists
“Meeting customer needs is about much more than writing a check,” says Jordan Pricher, head of Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Products for Employee Benefits at The Hartford. “It starts with having the right people on our team who are trained to provide compassionate support. Our emphasis on humanity is the foundation of our culture of caring and is an important part of the experience we strive to create.”
Life Care Advocates help beneficiaries manage both the emotional challenges of grief and the practical steps involved in resolving a life insurance claim. Despite being faced with a long list of tasks after a loss, grief does not follow a fixed timeline. In some cases, beneficiaries may not be ready to take immediate action.
Jennifer Riveira, a team leader in The Hartford’s Life Claims Department, recently worked with families after a workplace tragedy. She recalled that one of the bereaved was not ready to begin her claims process during their first few conversations.
Despite not having the necessary information to initiate the payout process, Riveira focused on listening and providing support in other ways, including offering grief resources and maintaining contact without pressure. About a week later, the beneficiary reached out with the relevant paperwork and proceeded with her claim.
As a standard practice, Life Care Advocates typically maintain contact with beneficiaries for a period of about 40 days, but these connections sometimes extend beyond that timeframe.
“The life claims process from a technical perspective is a short one,” Hurley explained. “Most claimants are paid out in a matter of weeks. But the connections our Life Care Advocates build are often more enduring. We hear stories of people reaching out to the people they worked with 4 to 6 months later, wanting to share photos of their loved ones, or share updates.”
A Lasting Impact Beyond Financial Support
Experiences like these illustrate the broader role life insurance can play. While financial support is often critical for families of the deceased, access to guidance, resources and human connection can have a big impact on beneficiaries for years to come.
For Riveira, the importance of this work is grounded in personal experience. She recalls how life insurance support helped her family following the loss of her father when she was a teenager.
“Somewhere deep down, I want to be like that person my mom still talks about 30 years later,” she says. “She meant so much to her in her moment of need, and I want to be that person today. I want The Hartford to be that for someone.”
Planning for the Future
For employers, offering life insurance benefits can play an important role in supporting employees and their families in both planning for and experiencing loss.
The Hartford knows that supporting beneficiaries involves more than a financial transaction. It is a combination of preparation, guidance and human connection during the moments that matter.
To learn how The Hartford’s life insurance solution and beneficiary support services can help employees and their families, contact your representative at The Hartford today.
