BIND Overview

BIND (Business Insurance Normalized Data) is a data interoperability standard for insurance. It defines a common set of resource types and data structures that enable systems across the insurance ecosystem to exchange information in a consistent, machine-readable format.

Background

Insurance is a fragmented industry. Brokers, carriers, MGAs, TPAs, and reinsurers each use different systems with different data models. Moving a submission from broker to carrier, binding a quote into a policy, or reporting a claim involves manual data re-entry, PDF parsing, and bespoke integrations.

BIND defines resources like Insured, Submission, Quote, Policy, Coverage, and Claim — the core concepts that every participant in the insurance ecosystem works with daily.

Components

Resources

Resources are the primary building blocks of BIND. Each resource represents a distinct, identifiable concept in insurance:

Category	Resources	Description
Parties	Insured, Organization	The entities involved — policyholders, carriers, brokers, MGAs
Workflow	Submission, Quote	The pre-bind process of requesting and offering coverage
Contract	Policy, Coverage	The bound agreement and its specific coverage sections
Claims	Claim	Loss reporting and the claims workflow
Property	Location	Physical premises and statement-of-values data

Every resource has a resourceType discriminator, an optional id, and optional meta for versioning and provenance.

Data Types

Data types are reusable structures shared across resources:

• Coding — A coded value from a code system (e.g., NAICS code, line of business)
• CodeableConcept — A concept with one or more coded representations plus text
• Reference — A link from one resource to another ({ResourceType}/{id})
• Money — A monetary amount with currency
• Period — A time range with start and end dates
• Address — Physical or mailing address
• Quantity — A value with unit of measure
• ContactPoint — Phone, email, or other contact info
• Attachment — Document or file reference

Signed Bundles

A BIND Bundle can be signed using JWS (JSON Web Signature) with ES256. The signature proves who created the bundle and that it hasn't been tampered with. Any system can verify a signed bundle by fetching the signer's public key from the BIND Directory — no prior trust relationship required.

Trust Directory

The BIND Directory at bindpki.org is the public key infrastructure for the ecosystem. It is a git-based registry of insurance participants — their identities, regulatory credentials, and signing keys. It serves as the trust anchor for verifying signed bundles and for trust-tiered exchange.

References

Resources link to each other via References. A Policy references an Insured, a Carrier (Organization), and optionally a Broker. A Claim references a Policy. This graph of references models the real relationships in insurance.

Insured ← Submission → Quote → Policy → Coverage
                                  ↓
                                Claim

Approach

Composition over inheritance

BIND resources are composed of data types rather than inheriting from deep class hierarchies. A Policy has a totalPremium (Money), an effectivePeriod (Period), and an insured (Reference) — each a standalone, well-defined type.

TypeScript as source of truth

The canonical definitions live in TypeScript interfaces. JSON Schemas are auto-generated from these types, ensuring the schema always matches the type definitions. This means TypeScript applications get native type safety, while any language can validate against the JSON Schema.

Extensibility via CodeableConcept

Rather than hardcoding every possible classification, BIND uses CodeableConcept — a pattern that pairs machine-readable codes with human-readable text. This allows different organizations to use their own code systems while maintaining interoperability. Browse all available code sets in the Terminology Browser.

Inspiration

BIND draws inspiration from HL7 FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources), which solved the same fragmentation problem in healthcare by defining common resource types and a composable data model. BIND adapts these proven patterns — resource-based modeling, coded values, references between resources — for the insurance domain.

Initiative

BIND is an open initiative aimed at establishing a shared language for insurance data. It was created by CloudRaker, a leader in AI-driven productivity solutions, interoperability, and trust for the insurance industry. The initiative is on a path to becoming a separate, not-for-profit entity — ensuring that governance remains neutral, transparent, and community-driven.

We welcome new members and contributions from across the ecosystem: insurtechs, insurers, brokers, MGAs, and technology partners who share the vision of seamless data exchange.

CloudRaker will operate the upcoming Trust Gateway and BIND Mobile app — production infrastructure that brings the standard to life and enables real-world interoperability between participants.

The Standard

Browse the full standard:

• Resources — The core resource types
• Data Types — The reusable data structures
• Signed Bundles — JWS signing specification for BIND Bundles
• Trust Directory — Public key infrastructure at bindpki.org
• Exchange — Encrypted, link-based sharing of BIND Bundles
• Terminology Browser — Browse all BIND code sets and their values
• Playground — Interactive tools for exploring and testing BIND