By Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger
Filing an insurance claim can be an added stressful process following an accident or natural disaster.
In fact, according to the new 2011 Kansas Consumer Complaint Ratio booklet from the Kansas Insurance Department (KID), of the complaints registered for all lines of insurance in 2011, almost two-thirds — 65 percent — of complaints concerned problems related to claims handling.
In breaking down that statistic some more, most claims processing problems involved an unsatisfactory claim settlement/offer, denial of a claim, or claims delays. Those three areas certainly can lead to your anxiety with the whole process. What might help are the following tips, all commonsense aids in keeping your cool in stressful circumstances:
1. Know your policy — Understand what your policy says. The policy is a legal contract between you and your insurance company. Know what’s covered, what’s excluded and what the deductibles are. Enlist your local agent, if needed, to guide you through the coverage details.
2. File claims as soon as possible — Don’t let the bills or receipts pile up. Call your agent or your company’s claims hotline as soon as possible. Your policy might even require that you make the notification within a certain time frame.
3. Provide complete, correct information — Be certain to give your insurance company all the necessary information. Incorrect or incomplete information will only cause a claims processing delay.
4. Keep copies of all correspondence — Whenever you communicate with your insurance company, be sure to keep copies and records of all correspondence, emails and phone calls. Write down information about your telephone and in-person contacts, including the date, name and title of the person you spoke with and what was said. Also, keep a record of your time and expenses.
5. Document homeowners temporary repairs — Homeowners policies might require you to make temporary repairs to protect your property from further damage. Your policy should cover the cost of these temporary repairs, so keep all receipts. Also, take photos or video of the damage before making those repairs.
6. Document accident and health claims details — A consumer should keep track of bills and claim correspondence to make sure that his/her insurance company has received a claim for every service being billed. Sometimes claims are not submitted, or not received, and the problem may not become apparent until the consumer is contacted by a collection agency several months later.
7. Ask questions — If there is a disagreement about the claim settlement, ask the company for the specific language in the policy that is in question. Find out if the disagreement is because you and the insurance company interpret your policy differently.
8. Don’t rush into a settlement — If the first offer made by your insurance company does not meet your expectations, be prepared to negotiate to get a fair settlement. If you have any questions regarding the fairness of your settlement, talk with your local agent or call our Kansas Insurance Department’s Consumer Assistance Hotline, 1-800-432-2484.
Being a savvy insurance consumer is a great way to avoid the potential frustrations of a claim when you have an accident or have to deal with a natural disaster. But, if you need additional assistance, KID employees will be here to help.
Sandy Praeger, Kansas Commissioner of Insurance
A LaCrosse man has been charged in federal court with unlawfully killing a golden eagle in Trego County in January.
