Bindable RC: Solving the Friction Between Carriers and Brokers

The commercial insurance world has no shortage of inefficiencies. But from a technology perspective, few bottlenecks have caused more friction — or more false optimism — than the limitations of RC1 and RC2 (Rate Call 1 and 2). These protocols, initially intended to simplify quoting, have instead created a fragmented landscape of partial answers, dead-end workflows, and wasted energy across the distribution chain.

At CoverForce, we didn’t set out to build just another quoting tool. We built CoverForce to solve the actual pain we saw on both sides of the carrier-broker equation — bindability, workflow alignment, and full-cycle connectivity across commercial P&C.

And that required throwing out the assumptions embedded in RC1 and RC2.

The Problem with RC1 and RC2

RC1 and RC2 weren’t bad ideas. At a high level:

• RC1 returns a price based on minimal input — think of it as an “indication.”
• RC2 returns a refined price after more detailed underwriting questions.

In theory, this two-step process sounds efficient. In practice, it creates downstream chaos.

Here’s why:

• It’s not bindable.
  Even after getting RC2, agents still need to go to the carrier portal, rekey data, answer additional “hidden” questions, and re-run quotes.
• It breaks agent trust.
  The price you show them initially is rarely the price they’ll get. And after one or two bad experiences, they don’t come back.
• It adds work instead of removing it.
  The promise was efficiency. The reality is parallel workstreams, dual entries, and no visibility into why quotes change or fail.
• It punishes good-faith distributors.
  Wholesalers, brokers, and networks try to steer business to API-enabled carriers — only to find they’re funneling their producers into half-baked quoting flows.

Our Approach: Start with Bindability in Mind

When we built the CoverForce platform, we decided early on that bindability had to be the foundation — not a future phase.

Here’s how we’ve approached it differently:

• We work directly with carrier engineering teams to support full quote → bind → issue via API.
• We don’t mask RC2 as final. If a carrier isn’t ready for bindability, we make that transparent.
• We’ve built layered carrier logic into our platform that deduplicates questions, applies crosswalks, and supports downstream requirements in real-time — so that a quote is never just a guess.
• Our UX only shows what’s necessary for the bindable carriers active on the quote, cutting down agent time per submission.
• We don’t charge carriers per API call. That misaligned incentive model slows adoption and penalizes exploration.

Most importantly, we don’t view ourselves as a portal company. CoverForce is an infrastructure partner for carriers, brokers, and wholesalers who are serious about digitizing distribution — with underwriting integrity intact.

What That Means for the Market

• If you’re a carrier: our goal is to drive real quote volume that converts — not fake signal noise.
• If you’re a wholesaler or MGA: you’ll be able to extend your carrier access with control, visibility, and trust in what your producers see.
• If you’re a retail brokerage or network: your CSRs and producers finally get a quoting experience that delivers the right quote, the first time.

Where We Go From Here

API-based quoting is here to stay — but what matters is how it’s implemented. The industry doesn’t need another shiny UI sitting on top of inconsistent data and carrier portals.

It needs:

• Carrier-grade data integrity
• Full-cycle workflows
• No surprises at bind

That’s the standard we’re building for. And if you’re a carrier or distributor working toward the same vision, let’s build it together.

In commercial insurance, technology has long been the barrier and the bottleneck. Legacy systems, siloed workflows, and half-connected solutions made it difficult for underwriters to underwrite, IT to innovate, and distribution partners to actually distribute.

But that’s changing — fast.

We’re entering the era of enablement. From broker to wholesaler to carrier, the winners in 2025 won’t be those who build the most portals — they’ll be the ones who free their teams from them. The next generation of insurance platforms isn't about adding another screen — it’s about removing the friction between quoting, binding, and scaling.

What’s Driving the Shift?

1. API Quote Volume Is Surging

Carriers are seeing significant increases in quote volume through API-enabled partners. That’s because submission velocity is no longer limited by how fast a producer can toggle through portals — it's tied to how well workflows are orchestrated.

As more business flows through these automated pipelines, underwriters are engaging only where they’re most needed: edge-case risk selection, program creativity, and judgment calls. For everything else? Let the system handle it.

“The idea of API quotes being ‘small ball’ is no longer true. The average API-placed premium has jumped. It’s not just for $500 BOPs anymore.”

2. The Role of IT Is Evolving

IT teams have historically been tasked with stitching together disjointed technologies: AMS → Portal → CRM → Carrier → Custom Workflow Tools.

But with the rise of modern, API-first platforms like CoverForce, IT teams are shifting from building the bridge to owning the architecture. That means:

• Fewer vendor maintenance cycles
• Cleaner data schemas
• Easier integrations
• Greater scalability

Modern infrastructure frees IT to focus on high-leverage work: security, data intelligence, and platform extensibility — instead of troubleshooting another .CSV export.

3. Underwriters Are Freed Up for Strategic Work

When quoting is truly digitized — meaning clean submissions, de-duplicated data, and bindable logic — underwriters stop being human portals. They become decision-makers again.

Instead of chasing clarifications, parsing PDF supplements, or triaging inboxes, they’re spending more time:

• Analyzing pricing trends
• Collaborating on appetite expansion
• Supporting complex risks and program strategy

This shift turns underwriting teams into growth partners — not workflow chokepoints.

Why It Matters for Distribution

Distribution isn’t just sales. It’s the ability to get the right product to the right buyer at the right time — at scale.

When underwriting, IT, and distribution teams are all playing from the same stack, something magical happens:

• Product velocity increases
• More business flows through trusted channels
• Better data fuels appetite and pricing decisions

The takeaway? The best distributors in insurance aren’t just those with the biggest rolodex — they’re the ones with the least friction between submission and bind.

Closing Thought: Legacy Systems Aren’t the Enemy — Siloed Thinking Is

It’s not just about adopting new software. It’s about rethinking how your teams collaborate, how workflows are automated, and how data flows across your organization.

At CoverForce, we work with underwriters, IT leaders, and distribution heads every day — and the message is clear: the teams who modernize their infrastructure now are the ones who will outpace the market later.