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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
health insurance companies
All State Insurance Claims Department
Seems sort of obvious, doesn't it? But, there are different ways to notify the company that you've had a loss. And when you notify the insurance company can make a big difference in how your claim is handled.
The first place to look for information is on your policy. Many policies will have a telephone number listed for reporting a claim. However, I've seen policies that require the policyholder to notify the company in writing. So, make sure that the method of reporting your claim is acceptable to the insurance company. Likely, your agent has his name and telephone number on the policy. If so, call him and report the loss also.
Sometimes, an agent will have settlement authority to handle small losses, such as homeowner's losses under $2,000.00. In that kind of instance, the agent could handle the claim for you. I've found this situation to be rare, though. Occasionally, captive agents (agents that work for only one company, like Allstate, Nationwide or Liberty Mutual) will have a small amount of settlement authority.
The first thing you should remember is that the agent is licensed by the Department of Insurance in his state to be an agent. There is a separate license for claims adjusters. It's actually a violation of insurance regulations for an agent to do claims adjusting. It's not his job to handle your claim, but to assist you in buying the coverage that's right for you. Agents can be very helpful by making calls on your behalf if you're having problems in your claim. They can be helpful in finding out key names and phone numbers for insurance company personnel that are handling your claim. If the agent has a large number of policyholders with that company, and his clientele represents a large amount of premium to that insurance company, it can be very helpful to have the agent call on your behalf when you're having problems. Check Internet #1 All State Insurance Claims Department right now!
After all, it's all about customer service, and keeping the promises made in the insurance policy.
Sometimes, the agent or an office secretary/customer service representative will fill out a claim form (called an ACORD form), and submit the claim form to the insurance company on your behalf. In this age of the Internet, frequently the claim form is electronic, and the agent will submit the electronic form by computer.
If the agent notifies the company on your behalf, and uses some type of form, ask the agent to send you a copy of the completed form. Then, you'll be certain that the claim was submitted, and the date the claim was submitted.
Many times, however, the agent will have to refer you to the claims department of the insurance company. Your policy may have a telephone number for the claims department listed on the policy, and instructions how to make a claim.
Your policy requires you to notify the insurance company "in a timely manner" after you've had a claim. What is timely? It varies policy to policy. But each state has statutes of limitation that limit the amount of time after a claim occurrence that a claim can be made. Check with your state's Department of Insurance to determine the statute of limitation where you live...or where the loss occurred. You'll find a list of all of the Insurance Departments of all 50 U.S. states and their phone numbers in the Appendix, and at the website address shown below. Check Internet #1 All State Insurance Claims Department right now!
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