Stop Building What Your Carrier Already Owns: The $400K Technology Shortcut Every New MGA Should Take

New pet insurance MGAs routinely spend $150,000 to $400,000 licensing, implementing, and maintaining claims and billing systems that their carrier partner would have provided for free. This is the most avoidable cost overrun in the MGA world. By leveraging carrier partner claims and billing infrastructure, pet insurance MGAs can redirect that capital toward distribution, marketing, and product development, the areas where their investment actually moves the needle on growth.

The carrier partner model is built on infrastructure sharing. Carriers invest millions in core technology platforms that process claims, collect premiums, manage reserves, and generate regulatory reports. When an MGA enters into a carrier agreement for pet insurance, the carrier's technology infrastructure becomes available to the MGA, either as a direct system user or through API integrations. The MGA focuses on what it does best, which is distribution, underwriting, and product design, while the carrier handles the heavy technology lifting.

According to Conning's 2025 Managing General Agent Market Report, 78 percent of new MGAs launched in 2025 cited carrier infrastructure access as a primary factor in their carrier partner selection, ahead of commission rates and capacity terms. Separately, NAPHIA's 2025 data confirmed that the U.S. pet insurance market surpassed $4.8 billion in gross written premium, with the MGA distribution channel growing faster than direct and agency channels combined.

What Carrier Infrastructure Is Available to Pet Insurance MGAs?

Pet insurance MGAs can access their carrier partner's claims management system, billing and premium collection platform, payment processing gateway, reserve management tools, regulatory reporting infrastructure, and data analytics dashboards as part of the standard MGA agreement, eliminating the need to procure these systems independently.

1. Claims Administration System

The carrier's claims administration system handles the full claims lifecycle from first notice of loss through adjudication and payment. For pet insurance, this includes veterinary invoice intake, coverage verification, deductible and reimbursement calculations, payment disbursement, and claims closure. The MGA submits claims through the carrier's system rather than licensing its own claims platform.

Claims Function	Carrier System Coverage	MGA Standalone Cost
FNOL Intake	Included	$15K to $40K to build
Claims Assignment and Routing	Included	$10K to $25K to build
Coverage Verification	Included	$8K to $20K to build
Adjudication Workflow	Included	$25K to $60K to build
Payment Disbursement	Included	$15K to $35K to build
Reserve Management	Included	$10K to $30K to build
Claims Reporting	Included	$8K to $20K to build
Total	Included in MGA agreement	$91K to $230K standalone

2. Billing and Premium Collection Platform

The carrier's billing platform manages recurring premium collection, payment method storage, automated dunning, grace period enforcement, and cancellation processing. Pet insurance billing is particularly well suited to carrier infrastructure because the simple monthly recurring payment model requires no audit premiums, no deposit-and-adjust cycles, and no complex installment financing. For a detailed look at why pet insurance billing is inherently simpler, see our analysis of payment processing and billing for pet insurance.

3. Payment Processing Gateway

Carrier partners maintain PCI-compliant payment processing relationships with established gateways. The MGA's policyholders make payments through the carrier's secure payment infrastructure, which means the MGA avoids PCI compliance obligations, payment gateway licensing costs, and transaction processing negotiations.

4. Regulatory Reporting Infrastructure

State insurance departments require regular filings including premium volume reports, claims experience reports, and complaint data. Carrier systems generate these reports as part of standard operations. The MGA receives the data it needs for its own reporting without building regulatory reporting modules from scratch.

Stop paying for technology your carrier partner already owns. Redirect that budget to distribution and growth.

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Visit Insurnest to learn how we help MGAs launch and scale pet insurance programs.

How Much Can an MGA Save by Using Carrier Infrastructure Instead of Building Its Own?

An MGA can save $150,000 to $400,000 in first-year technology costs and $75,000 to $200,000 annually thereafter by leveraging the carrier partner's existing claims and billing infrastructure instead of licensing, implementing, and maintaining standalone systems.

1. First-Year Cost Comparison

Technology Component	Carrier Infrastructure (MGA Cost)	Standalone Build (MGA Cost)
Claims Administration System	$0 (included in MGA agreement)	$50K to $120K (license + implementation)
Billing Platform	$0 (included in MGA agreement)	$30K to $80K (SaaS + configuration)
Payment Gateway	$0 (carrier's gateway)	$5K to $15K (setup + PCI compliance)
Reserve Management Tools	$0 (included)	$15K to $40K
Regulatory Reporting	$0 (included)	$10K to $30K
Data Integration/API Access	$5K to $15K (MGA-side integration)	$20K to $50K (full API build)
Ongoing Platform Maintenance	$0 (carrier-managed)	$25K to $75K annually
IT Staff (FTEs)	0 to 0.5 FTE	1 to 3 FTEs
Total Year 1	$5K to $15K	$155K to $410K

2. Multi-Year Total Cost of Ownership

The savings compound over multiple years because standalone systems require ongoing license renewals, version upgrades, security patches, and dedicated IT staff. Carrier infrastructure shifts all of these costs to the carrier, which amortizes them across its entire book of business.

Year	Carrier Infrastructure Model	Standalone Model
Year 1	$5K to $15K	$155K to $410K
Year 2	$5K to $15K	$50K to $150K
Year 3	$5K to $15K	$50K to $150K
3-Year Total	$15K to $45K	$255K to $710K

3. Where the MGA Should Invest Savings

The $150,000 to $400,000 saved on claims and billing infrastructure can be redirected to activities that directly grow the MGA's book of business.

Investment Area	Allocation	Expected Impact
Distribution Partner Acquisition	$40K to $100K	20 to 50 new distribution partners
Marketing and Lead Generation	$30K to $80K	5,000 to 15,000 new policy leads
Product Development and Filing	$20K to $50K	2 to 5 new state approvals
Underwriting Model Refinement	$15K to $40K	10 to 20% improvement in loss ratio
Customer Experience Technology	$20K to $60K	Higher retention and NPS scores

MGAs exploring pre-built pet insurance rating algorithms can further reduce costs by pairing carrier infrastructure access with off-the-shelf pricing tools, creating a complete technology stack without custom development.

What Claims Authority Structures Exist for MGAs Using Carrier Systems?

Three primary claims authority structures exist for MGAs using carrier systems: full delegated authority where the MGA manages claims end-to-end on the carrier's platform, partial delegated authority with carrier oversight above certain thresholds, and carrier-managed claims where the carrier handles all claims processing on the MGA's behalf.

1. Full Delegated Claims Authority

Under full delegated authority, the MGA's claims team accesses the carrier's claims system as authorized users. The MGA controls claim assignments, adjudication decisions, and payment approvals up to a specified per-claim limit. The carrier reviews claims above the threshold and conducts periodic audits of the MGA's claims handling.

Feature	Full Delegated Authority
MGA Claims Staff Required	1 to 3 adjusters
Per-Claim Authority Limit	Typically $5,000 to $15,000
Carrier Oversight	Quarterly audits, threshold reviews
System Access	Direct login to carrier's claims platform
Speed of Claims Processing	Fastest (MGA controls workflow)
Best For	Experienced MGAs with claims expertise

2. Partial Delegated Authority

Partial delegation gives the MGA authority over routine, low-severity claims while the carrier handles complex or high-value claims. This is the most common structure for new pet insurance MGAs that want operational involvement without full claims responsibility.

3. Carrier-Managed Claims

Under this model, the carrier's claims team handles all claims processing for the MGA's pet insurance book. The MGA submits FNOL data and receives claims status updates and reports, but does not make adjudication decisions. This model requires zero claims staff at the MGA level and is ideal for MGAs focused purely on distribution and underwriting.

Authority Structure	MGA Staff Needed	MGA Technology Cost	Claims Processing Speed	Control Level
Full Delegated	1 to 3 FTEs	$5K to $15K (integration)	Fast	High
Partial Delegated	0.5 to 1 FTE	$5K to $10K (integration)	Moderate	Medium
Carrier-Managed	0 FTEs	$2K to $5K (reporting only)	Carrier-dependent	Low

For MGAs that want to maintain some claims involvement, AI in pet insurance tools can automate routine claims triage within the carrier's system, allowing a small MGA team to process higher volumes without additional headcount.

Choose the claims authority model that matches your team's capabilities. Carrier infrastructure supports all three.

Talk to Our Specialists

Visit Insurnest to learn how we help MGAs launch and scale pet insurance programs.

What Should MGAs Negotiate in the Carrier Agreement Regarding Technology Access?

MGAs should negotiate API access to claims and billing data, dedicated reporting dashboards, uptime SLAs, claims processing speed commitments, data portability and ownership rights, and clear escalation procedures for system issues to ensure the carrier's infrastructure meets their operational needs.

1. Data Access and Ownership Terms

The most critical negotiation point is data access. The MGA needs real-time or near-real-time access to policy, claims, and billing data to manage its business effectively. The carrier agreement should specify data ownership (the MGA should own its book-of-business data), access methods (API, SFTP, dashboard), refresh frequency, and format standards.

Negotiation Point	MGA-Favorable Term	Why It Matters
Data Ownership	MGA owns all policy and claims data	Portability if carrier relationship ends
API Access	Real-time RESTful APIs	Enables MGA's own analytics and reporting
Reporting Dashboard	Dedicated MGA-branded dashboard	Operational visibility without IT dependency
Data Export	On-demand CSV/JSON export	Backup and independent analysis
Data Refresh Frequency	Real-time or every 15 minutes	Timely decision-making
Historical Data Access	Full history from program inception	Trend analysis and actuarial review

2. Service Level Agreements

The MGA should negotiate specific SLAs for system uptime, claims processing turnaround, billing accuracy, and support response times. Without written SLAs, the MGA has no recourse when carrier systems underperform.

SLA Category	Recommended Target	Measurement
System Uptime	99.9% monthly	Automated monitoring
Claims Processing Speed	Under 5 business days for routine claims	Monthly claims aging report
Billing Accuracy	99.5% or higher	Monthly reconciliation
Support Response Time	Under 4 hours for critical issues	Ticketing system timestamps
Scheduled Maintenance Window	Under 4 hours monthly, off-peak	Published maintenance calendar

3. Escalation and Dispute Resolution

The agreement should define escalation paths for technology issues, billing discrepancies, and claims processing delays. Clear escalation procedures prevent operational bottlenecks from becoming relationship-damaging disputes.

Carrier infrastructure sharing accelerates multi-state pet insurance expansion because the carrier's systems already handle state-specific billing rules, tax calculations, regulatory filings, and claims compliance requirements across all licensed states, allowing the MGA to expand geographically without replicating technology for each new state.

1. State-Specific Billing Automation

Each state has unique premium tax rates, filing fees, and payment regulation requirements. The carrier's billing system already manages these state-specific rules for its existing book of business. When the MGA expands into a new state, the carrier's system automatically applies the correct tax rates, grace periods, and cancellation notice requirements without MGA-side configuration.

2. Multi-State Claims Compliance

Claims handling requirements vary by state including response timeframes, payment deadlines, and documentation requirements. The carrier's claims system enforces state-specific compliance rules automatically, ensuring the MGA's pet insurance claims meet regulatory standards in every state without the MGA building state-by-state compliance logic.

3. Regulatory Reporting by State

State insurance departments require filings including premium and loss data, complaint statistics, and market conduct information. Carrier systems generate state-specific reports as a standard function. The MGA leverages these reports for its own regulatory submissions, avoiding the cost of building separate reporting infrastructure for each state.

Expansion Task	With Carrier Infrastructure	Without Carrier Infrastructure
State Tax Configuration	Automatic	$3K to $8K per state
Claims Compliance Setup	Automatic	$5K to $15K per state
Regulatory Reporting	Carrier-generated	$5K to $10K per state build
Billing Rule Configuration	Automatic	$2K to $5K per state
Cost Per New State	$0 to $2K (MGA admin)	$15K to $38K per state

For an MGA planning to operate in 10 or more states, the infrastructure savings from carrier sharing total $150,000 to $380,000 compared to standalone builds. This savings is particularly meaningful for MGAs that need fewer actuarial resources to price pet insurance and want to allocate budget toward distribution rather than technology.

What Are the Risks of Relying on Carrier Infrastructure and How Can MGAs Mitigate Them?

The primary risks of relying on carrier infrastructure include dependency on carrier system performance, limited customization flexibility, data portability concerns if the carrier relationship ends, and potential misalignment between carrier system capabilities and MGA growth needs. Each risk has specific mitigation strategies.

1. System Performance Dependency

If the carrier's system experiences downtime or slow performance, the MGA's operations are affected. Mitigation strategies include negotiating uptime SLAs with financial penalties, building lightweight MGA-side monitoring tools, and maintaining manual claims and billing backup procedures for outage periods.

2. Limited Customization Flexibility

Carrier systems are designed for the carrier's full book of business. The MGA may not be able to customize workflows, user interfaces, or reporting formats to match its specific preferences. Mitigation includes negotiating MGA-specific configuration rights, building supplementary analytics on top of carrier data exports, and selecting carriers with modern, configurable platforms.

3. Data Portability and Exit Planning

If the carrier relationship ends, the MGA needs its data to transition to a new carrier or standalone platform. Mitigation requires explicit data ownership and portability clauses in the carrier agreement, regular data backups to MGA-controlled storage, and using standard data formats (ACORD) that facilitate migration.

Risk	Likelihood	Impact	Mitigation Strategy
System Downtime	Medium	High	SLAs with penalties, manual backup procedures
Limited Customization	High	Medium	Supplementary MGA-side tools, carrier negotiation
Data Lock-In	Medium	High	Data ownership clauses, regular backups
Carrier Priority Conflicts	Low	Medium	Dedicated MGA support team, escalation procedures
Technology Obsolescence	Low	Medium	Carrier technology roadmap reviews, exit planning

4. Building MGA-Side Complementary Tools

Smart MGAs do not rely entirely on carrier infrastructure for every function. They build lightweight, complementary tools for functions like distribution analytics, partner management, and customer engagement that the carrier's system does not optimize. This approach leverages carrier infrastructure for heavy-lifting claims and billing while maintaining MGA independence for competitive differentiation.

Tools like AI in pet insurance for MGAs can operate as a lightweight layer on top of carrier infrastructure, providing automated underwriting assistance, claims triage recommendations, and customer communication without replacing the carrier's core systems.

Leverage carrier infrastructure where it saves money. Build independently where it creates competitive advantage.

Talk to Our Specialists

Visit Insurnest to learn how we help MGAs launch and scale pet insurance programs.

How Should MGAs Evaluate a Carrier Partner's Technology Capabilities Before Signing?

MGAs should evaluate a carrier partner's technology capabilities by requesting system demonstrations, reviewing API documentation, verifying uptime history, assessing claims processing speed metrics, confirming data export capabilities, and speaking with existing MGA partners using the same infrastructure.

1. Technology Due Diligence Checklist

Evaluation Area	Questions to Ask	Red Flags
Claims System Age	When was the platform last upgraded?	Legacy mainframe, no API layer
API Availability	What APIs are available for MGA integration?	No API, batch-only data exchange
Uptime History	What is the 12-month uptime percentage?	Below 99.5%, frequent unscheduled outages
Claims Processing Speed	What is the average cycle time for routine claims?	Over 10 business days for simple pet claims
Data Access	How does the MGA access its data?	Manual report requests only
Scalability	Can the system handle 10x policy volume growth?	Performance degradation at scale
MGA References	Can you speak with existing MGA partners?	Refusal to provide references

2. Scoring Carrier Technology Readiness

Evaluation Criteria	Weight	1 (Poor)	3 (Average)	5 (Excellent)
API Availability	25%	No APIs	Limited APIs	Full RESTful API suite
Claims System Modernity	20%	Mainframe-based	Mid-generation upgrade	Cloud-native, configurable
Uptime Track Record	20%	Below 99%	99% to 99.5%	Above 99.9%
Data Access and Portability	15%	Manual reports only	Scheduled exports	Real-time API and export
MGA Partner Satisfaction	10%	No references available	Mixed feedback	Strong endorsements
Scalability	10%	Fixed capacity limits	Manual scaling	Auto-scaling, elastic

3. Reference Checks with Existing MGA Partners

The most reliable indicator of carrier technology quality is feedback from MGAs already using the infrastructure. Ask about system reliability, support responsiveness, data access quality, and whether the carrier follows through on technology roadmap commitments. MGAs considering AI in pet insurance for carriers should also assess whether the carrier's technology stack supports AI integration for future capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an MGA use its carrier partner's claims system for pet insurance?

Yes. Most carrier partners offer claims administration as part of the MGA agreement, allowing the MGA to submit pet insurance claims through the carrier's existing claims platform without building or licensing a separate claims system.

How much can an MGA save by using carrier infrastructure instead of building its own?

An MGA can save $150,000 to $400,000 in first-year technology costs by leveraging the carrier's existing claims and billing systems instead of procuring, implementing, and maintaining standalone platforms.

What claims functions does a carrier's infrastructure typically cover for an MGA?

A carrier's infrastructure typically covers FNOL intake, claims assignment, adjudication workflows, payment processing, reserve management, subrogation tracking, and claims reporting for the MGA's pet insurance program.

Does using carrier infrastructure limit the MGA's control over the claims process?

It depends on the MGA agreement. Some carriers grant MGAs delegated claims authority with access to the carrier's system as an authorized user, while others retain claims control and process claims on the MGA's behalf.

What billing functions can an MGA access through its carrier partner?

Carrier billing infrastructure typically provides premium collection, recurring billing automation, payment method management, dunning and grace period handling, cancellation processing, and remittance reporting for the MGA.

How does shared infrastructure affect the MGA's data access and reporting?

MGAs typically receive dedicated reporting dashboards, API access to policy and claims data, and scheduled data extracts from the carrier's system. The MGA agreement should specify data ownership, access frequency, and format requirements.

Yes. Carrier infrastructure sharing is the standard operating model for new MGAs launching pet insurance because the line's simple product structure and low claim complexity make it easy to run on existing carrier systems without customization.

What should an MGA negotiate in the carrier agreement regarding technology infrastructure?

An MGA should negotiate API access to claims and billing data, dedicated reporting dashboards, SLA commitments for system uptime and claims processing speed, data portability rights, and clear escalation procedures for system issues.

Sources

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How Can MGAs Use Their Carrier Partner's Existing Claims and Billing Infrastructure to Eliminate Duplicate Technology Costs for Pet Insurance