How to Design Retrieval Architecture for Insurance Intake Under Time Limits

Insurance claims intake demands a swift response from adjusters while callers wait for evidence. The key is a retrieval architecture that balances quality against latency limits. The first 150 ms should focus on lexical and metadata filtering for quick matches. Following that, 350 ms can be allocated to semantic retrieval and reranking, with a hard deadline of one second overall.

If the system cannot find sufficient matches within this time, it should return the best-cited options rather than delaying the intake process further.

To manage latency budgets effectively, start by breaking down the budget into categories. The lexical plus metadata stage should consume 150 ms, while hybrid retrieval and semantic retrieval stages together should occupy up to 850 ms. For asynchronous enrichment, allocate a no-blocking budget. This approach ensures the system can prioritize immediate matches over more time-consuming searches.

When designing the architecture, consider the specific claim mix and network topology. The path budget will vary based on these factors, so it's essential to measure performance against your unique requirements. Within the architecture, reserve dedicated slots for lexical, semantic, and reranking processes. Each component should communicate via a stable document ID and preserve the retrieval source for debugging purposes.

Implement the architecture using a TypeScript-based searcher interface that supports lexical, semantic, and rerank operations. The retrieveEvidence function orchestrates the entire process, respecting the total allotted time (defaulting to one second). It utilizes AbortController to halt operations if the deadline is exceeded, ensuring no single component consumes all available time.

By merging lexical and semantic results and reranking only the most promising candidates, the system achieves a balance between speed and accuracy in insurance claims processing.