Insurance claims can be tricky
Insurance claims are generally straightforward, but they can become quite tricky to manage, especially when natural disasters strike. When a person falls ill and must receive medical care or when a property is damaged by a powerful storm, an insurance claim is generated. These claims are not approved by insurance companies outright and insurers typically investigate the claims they receive to ensure that they are not fraudulent. At times, even honest claims are rejected by companies because the claimant did not provide enough information or simply waited too long to file a claim.
Know your policy
In order to ensure that an insurance claim is paid, there are a few things that you can and should do. The first, and perhaps most important, step is to understand what your insurance policy actually covers. Not all insurance policies provide blanket coverage. In fact, most insurance policies that are purchased only provide a very generalized sort of coverage. In the U.S., homeowners insurance policies do not typically cover any damage that is caused by floods or earthquakes. Property owners typically believe that their policies provide coverage for such damage, but additional coverage must be purchased before a property can be protected. The same issue is common in health insurance, with many insurers providing coverage for ailments like cancer as auxiliary policies.
Getting an insurance claim paid also involves ensuring that you have as much information concerning a particular claim-worth incident as you can get your hands on. Keeping detail documents concerning your medical care and how medical care is affecting your life can ensure that a health insurance claim is paid on time. In the event of a car accident, taking pictures of the damage caused to both your vehicle and the other party’s can also help determine whether a claim will be paid or not. The more information you have, the better your chances are of having a claim paid on time and in full.
State agencies can help with rejected claims
When an insurance claim is rejected, you may be able to appeal this decision through government agencies. A state’s Department of Insurance is meant to oversee the insurance companies that operate within that state. Typically, this means ensuring that insurers are adhering to state and federal regulations and managing any insurance rate increase proposals these companies may have. These agencies are also tasked with ensuring that consumers are treated fairly and often handle appeals concerning rejected insurance claims.