System and method for obtaining and/or maintaining insurance coverage

Abstract

In a computer-implemented method, customer information may be received. The customer information may be used, with the customer's permission, to automatically obtain for the customer a first insurance policy from a first insurance provider, the first insurance policy having first policy features and a first premium corresponding to a first policy term. The customer may be notified of the first insurance provider and the first premium. In response to automatically determining that the first policy term is nearing expiration, the customer information may be used, again with customer permission, to automatically obtain for the customer a second insurance policy from a second insurance provider, the second insurance policy having second policy features and a second premium corresponding to a second policy term subsequent to the first policy term. The customer may be presented the second insurance policy via wireless communication on their mobile device for their review and approval.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, at one or more hardware servers of an intermediary entity, customer information associated with a customer;   based on the customer information, assigning the customer to an affinity group with one or more other customers;   storing the customer information in a customer profile database;   receiving, at the one or more hardware servers of the intermediary entity and from each of a plurality of insurance provider computer systems associated with a plurality of respective insurance providers, a respective set of bidding rules, wherein the one or more hardware servers of the intermediary entity are remote from each of the plurality of insurance provider computer systems, and wherein each set of bidding rules includes rules specifying (i) when to offer a bid and (ii) an amount of the bid;   automatically obtaining, by the one or more hardware servers, for each customer in the affinity group a first insurance policy from a first insurance provider of the plurality of insurance providers, wherein the first insurance policy has (i) first policy features, and (ii) a first premium corresponding to a first policy term, and wherein automatically obtaining the first insurance policy includes using the respective sets of bidding rules to conduct a first reverse auction, such that bidding decisions of the plurality of insurance providers for the first reverse auction are made by the one or more hardware servers of the intermediary entity;   notifying, via a communication interface of the one or more hardware servers of the intermediary entity, each customer in the affinity group of the first insurance provider and the first premium;   storing policy term data for a plurality of insurance policies, including the first insurance policy, in a term schedule database;   automatically determining, by the one or more hardware servers of the intermediary entity accessing the term schedule database, that the first policy term is nearing expiration;   in response to determining that the first policy term is nearing expiration, automatically obtaining, by the one or more hardware servers, for each customer in the affinity group a second insurance policy from a second insurance provider of the plurality of insurance providers, wherein the second insurance policy has (i) second policy features, and (ii) a second premium corresponding to a second policy term subsequent to the first policy term, and wherein automatically obtaining the second insurance policy includes using the respective sets of bidding rules to conduct a second reverse auction, such that bidding decisions of the plurality of insurance providers for the second reverse auction are made by the one or more hardware servers of the intermediary entity; and   notifying, via the communication interface of the one or more hardware servers of the intermediary entity, each customer in the affinity group of the second insurance provider and the second premium.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving customer information includes receiving demographic information about the customer. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving customer information includes receiving information about a property of the customer that is to be insured. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving customer information includes receiving one or more policy features required or preferred by the customer. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein receiving customer information includes receiving one or more of:
 one or more coverage types required or preferred by the customer;   one or more deductibles required or preferred by the customer;   one or more coverage limits required or preferred by the customer;   an insurer rating required or preferred by the customer; or a premium range required or preferred by the customer.   
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein automatically obtaining for the affinity group a second insurance policy includes:
 using (i) the customer information stored in the customer profile database, and (ii) additional customer information submitted by the customer, to automatically obtain the second insurance policy.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving customer information associated with the customer includes receiving customer information entered by the customer at a client device using an on-line form. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 notifying each customer in the affinity group of the first insurance provider and the first premium includes automatically generating a first email and sending the first email to a client device of each customer in the affinity group; and   notifying each customer in the affinity group of the second insurance provider and the second premium includes automatically generating a second email and sending the second email to the client device of each customer in the affinity group.   
     
     
         12 . A system of an intermediary entity, the system comprising:
 a data storage storing a customer profile database;   a term schedule database;   a communication interface configured to communicate with remote devices via a network;   one or more processors; and   a non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 based on customer information stored in the customer profile database, assign one or more customers to an affinity group, 
 receive, from each of a plurality of insurance provider computer systems associated with a plurality of respective insurance providers, a respective set of bidding rules, wherein the system of the intermediary entity is remote from each of the plurality of insurance provider computer systems, and wherein each set of bidding rules includes rules specifying (i) when to offer a bid and (ii) an amount of the bid, 
 automatically obtain for each customer in the affinity group a first insurance policy from a first insurance provider, wherein the first insurance policy has (i) first policy features, and (ii) a first premium corresponding to a first policy term, and wherein automatically obtaining the first insurance policy includes using the respective sets of bidding rules to conduct a first reverse auction, at least in part by making bidding decisions of the plurality of insurance providers for the first reverse auction, 
 notify, via the communication interface, each customer in the affinity group of the first insurance provider and the first premium, 
 store policy term data for a plurality of insurance policies, including the first insurance policy, in the term schedule database, 
 automatically determine, by accessing the term schedule database, that the first policy term is nearing expiration, 
 in response to determining that the first policy term is nearing expiration, automatically obtain for each customer in the affinity group a second insurance policy from a second insurance provider, wherein the second insurance policy has (i) second policy features, and (ii) a second premium corresponding to a second policy term subsequent to the first policy term, and wherein automatically obtaining the second insurance policy includes using the respective sets of bidding rules to conduct a second reverse auction, at least in part by making bidding decisions of the plurality of insurance providers for the second reverse auction, and 
 notify, via the communication interface, each customer in the affinity group of the second insurance provider and the second premium. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the customer information includes one or both of:
 demographic information about each customer in the affinity group; or   information about a property of each customer in the affinity group that is to be insured.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the customer information includes one or more policy features required or preferred by each customer in the affinity group. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the customer information includes one or more of:
 one or more coverage types required or preferred by each customer in the affinity group;   one or more deductibles required or preferred by each customer in the affinity group;   one or more coverage limits required or preferred by each customer in the affinity group;   an insurer rating required or preferred by each customer in the affinity group; or   a premium range required or preferred by each customer in the affinity group.   
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:
 use the customer information stored in the customer profile database to automatically obtain the first insurance policy at least in part by using the customer information to assign a new customer to the affinity group.   
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to use the customer information stored in the customer profile database to automatically obtain the second-insurance policy at least in part by:
 using (i) the customer information stored in the customer profile database, and (ii) additional customer information submitted by at least one customer in the affinity group, to automatically obtain the second insurance policy.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:
 notify each customer in the affinity group of the first insurance provider and the first premium at least by automatically generating a first email and sending the first email to a client device of each customer in the affinity group; and   notify each customer in the affinity group of the second insurance provider and the second premium at least by automatically generating a second email and sending the second email to the client device of each customer in the affinity group.