The company says Life Lens is the first of its kind in New Zealand, allowing eligible customers to complete a 45-second facial scan using their smartphone. The tool, powered by technology from Binah.ai, measures the reflection of light on the skin to estimate health indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cardiovascular risk, and heart age.
Chubb Life CEO Paula ter Brake (pictured) says the new technology is designed to help financial advisers deliver more value to customers and ease the underwriting process.
“We’re proud to be the first New Zealand financial services company to launch biometric facial screening for life insurance. This is a revolutionary step forward that will transform the way advisers and customers experience life insurance,” ter Brake says.
According to Chubb Life, Life Lens is a non-invasive tool that does not capture or store images of the customer’s face. Instead, the scan is processed directly on the device, and only the necessary health data is securely transmitted. The company says all data is stored for 30 days before being destroyed, and nothing is shared with the technology provider.
Monique Ravening, Chubb Life’s head of underwriting, says the tool is designed to streamline the application process, especially for lower-risk customers.
“Life Lens means a faster, more tailored experience for your customers. By combining the scan with other key information, we can streamline the application process and, for many, remove unnecessary barriers. It’s a game-changer for advisers and customers alike,” Ravening says.
She adds that Life Lens is not a diagnostic tool and is only used to determine which application questions need to be asked.
“We don’t make decisions about cover or premiums based on the scan results. The tool is only used to help select the appropriate underwriting journey,” Ravening says.
Innovation that saves time for customers and advisers will lead to increased productivity in the life insurance industry. Kirk Hope, chief executive officer of the Financial Services Council has seen the facial scanning technology.
“As a country with an underinsurance issue, technology like this that helps decrease the application time, allowing advisers to spend more time with their customers to understand their needs, can help more New Zealanders get the right protection in place,” says Hope.
Advisers who have trialled Life Lens say it is easy to use and could help address underinsurance in New Zealand by reducing friction in the application process.
Josh Logan, an adviser at Harness Financial, says:
“The tool itself is extremely easy to use—even for non-technical clients. It feels like a huge jump forward for our industry, moving us into a truly digital era. The time savings for both advisers and clients are significant, and it’s a great talking point for tech-savvy customers.”
He adds, “If the average Kiwi is used to having a lot of things at their fingertips, we need to evolve with this change to make sure the process of finding an adviser and applying for insurance is as seamless as possible.”
Jozac Hillary, senior insurance advisor at OPES Insurances commented recently on LinkedIn, “From an access-to-cover perspective, this is a big deal. A common reason people don't get insured is friction. Anything that removes that barrier is worth paying attention to.”
Chubb Life says Life Lens is backed by robust risk management and data privacy measures. No image or record of the customer’s face is taken or stored, and only the customer will see their own results. The system automatically determines which questions need to be answered based on the scan results, and advisers do not have access to the health data.
“Protecting customer privacy is our top priority,” says Ravening. “We’ve built Life Lens as a standalone experience, with strong safeguards at every step.”
The company notes that using Life Lens is completely voluntary, and customers can choose to use the standard application process if they prefer.
Chubb Life says it is committed to supporting advisers with the best tools and ways to protect more New Zealanders.
For more information visit www.chubblife.co.nz/adviser
This article was produced in partnership with Chubb Life
