Beyond the Block: A Novel Blockchain-Based Technical Model for Long-Term Care Insurance

2021 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Zhang, Wenping; Wei, Chih-Ping; Jiang, Qiqi; Peng, Chih-Hung; Zhao, J. Leon

Abstract: The insurance business is characterized by complicated transactional interrelati ... Expand

Abstract: The insurance business is characterized by complicated transactional interrelationships among various stakeholders involved in insurance-related activities. Given this unique nature, the century-old challenge in the insurance industry is to effectively reduce transaction costs among the stakeholders while maintaining business privacy and trust. Although blockchain is a promising technology to mitigate this challenge, two technical issues, namely (1) inefficiency in data auditing and (2) difficulty in verifying encrypted data, are of strategic importance when applying blockchain to the insurance industry. To address these technical challenges, we propose an innovative blockchain-based technical model, InsurModel, in the context of newly initiated long-term care insurance in China. Specifically, we utilize cryptographical methods including "zero-knowledge-proof" to 1) represent business interdependence and 2) verify confidential business information without disclosure of specifics. We demonstrate the scalability and applicability of InsurModel and explore its strategic implications in constraining adverse behaviors of the stakeholders. Collapse

Topics: blockchain Bitcoin database system privacy IT manager

Methods: experiment design science applicability check computational algorithm database modeling

Theories: transaction cost economics