Search results for: Claims Handling Requirements by State

I recently received a request to write about the claims handling guidelines in Oklahoma. Again, I plan to go through all 50 states, but if you have a burning desire to see your state sooner rather than later, speak up! In Oklahoma, the handling of insurance claims is governed by both statute and the administrative code. Continue Reading Claims Handling Requirements by State – Oklahoma

I recently received a request to write about the claims handling guidelines in Arkansas. As always, I am happy to help. The Arkansas Insurance Rules and Regulations state that the “purpose of this rule is to define certain minimum standards which, if violated with such frequency as to indicate a general business practice, will be deemed to constitute unfair claims settlement practices.” Ark. Ins. Rule & Reg. 43 § 1. Continue Reading Claims Handling Requirements by State – Arkansas

Next up in our whirlwind 50-state tour of claims handling requirements is the Tar Heel State. Unlike our previous stops in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, North Carolina has relatively few explicit claims handling requirements. This may be why North Carolina ranked dead last in a 50-state ranking of insurance regulations as pointed out by my colleague, Nicole Vinson. Continue Reading Claims Handling Requirements by State – North Carolina

As promised in my recent post regarding the Gatlinburg fires, today we are looking at the claims handling guidelines provided by the Tennessee code. The Tennessee code has general requirements that require insurance carriers to develop standards and practices for the prompt and proper handling of claims in the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act.1 Continue Reading Claims Handling Requirements by State – Tennessee

I was recently asked by a collegue how long an insurance carrier has to pay a claim once it has been submitted. Because I maintain a database of regulations for the fifty states at my desk, I could answer the question quickly, but I realized that having a quick reference for these materials might be helpful for others, and with that a blog series was born. I hope to work through all fifty states to discuss the regulations (or lack thereof) that affect claims handling. Naturally, the first stop is the Garden State.

Continue Reading Claims Handling Requirements by State – New Jersey

Imagine if you were responsible for overseeing Florida’s insurance regulations and a subordinate came to you with a problem:

“Boss, we have so many complaints about insurance companies mistreating policyholders coming into the complaint telephone line that the entire staff only has time to take the calls and log the complaint. We do not have anybody left to follow up on the complaint. What do we do?”

Continue Reading Florida Regulatory Officials Overrun With Unfair Claims Practice Complaints From Hurricane Ian

The property insurance claims industry is increasingly turning to independent adjusters rather than company adjusters. The number of independent adjusters calling, texting, and literally confessing to me about unethical conduct has exploded over the last few years. My thought is that insurance companies are hiring independent adjustment firms and then placing financial pressure on those entities to reduce claims severity. Insurers trying to make their financial claims goals will simply hire a competitor of the independent adjusting firm if those numbers are not met. Those independent adjustment companies, in turn, have their claims managers place more emphasis upon closing claims for less than what is owed—damn regulatory ethics requirements and good faith treatment. Continue Reading Do Independent Property Claims Adjusters Need More Legal Protection From Unethical Managers