Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis warned that scammers and crooked contractors are already out, preying on families in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. [Read more…] about CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis: Scammers, Crooked Contractors are Already Preying on Families After Hurricane Michael
Insurance Consumer Helpline
ICYMI: Insurance Journal: Florida Reports More Than $9 Million Recovered for Insurance Consumers in Q3
Insurance Journal
October 27, 2017
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Assistance provided to Floridians by from Florida’s insurance consumer helpline led to the recovery of nearly $9.3 million in the third quarter of 2017, according to a statement from Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. Recoveries included insurance claim payments and premium refunds that consumers sought the Department of Financial Services’ help collecting.
The helpline assists Floridians with financial and insurance-related matters, including disaster preparation and insurance fraud, as well as questions and complaints regarding auto, home, health, life and small business insurance. Between July 1, 2017 and Sept. 30, 2017, the helpline’s insurance specialists answered 70,454 calls and opened nearly 4,500 assistance requests. Nearly $9.3 million was recovered on behalf of 1,307 consumers.
Since January, the helpline has answered more than 211,000 calls, opening nearly 14,000 assistance requested and helping return a total of $25.9 million back to Floridians.
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“As many families continue to navigate the post-storm claims process, I encourage them to call us if they reach a roadblock of any kind. Our experts will advocate on their behalf, and quite possibly, secure a positive outcome to a problem that seemed otherwise unsolvable. We’re only one call away, and we’re always ready to help,” Patronis said.
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Floridians can contact the insurance consumer helpline toll-free by calling 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).
CFO Patronis’ Insurance Consumer Helpline Recovers More Than $9 Million for Floridians in Third Quarter of 2017
Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis today announced that assistance provided to Floridians by insurance specialists working Florida’s insurance consumer helpline (1-877-MY-FL-CFO) led to the recovery of nearly $9.3 million in the third quarter of 2017. Recoveries included insurance claim payments and premium refunds that consumers sought the Department of Financial Services’ help collecting.
CFO Patronis said, “Now more than ever, it’s crucial for Floridians to know that they have an unbiased place to turn for insurance information. As many families continue to navigate the post-storm claims process, I encourage them to call us if they reach a roadblock of any kind. Our experts will advocate on their behalf, and quite possibly, secure a positive outcome to a problem that seemed otherwise unsolvable. We’re only one call away, and we’re always ready to help.”
The helpline assists Floridians with financial and insurance-related matters, including disaster preparation and insurance fraud, as well as questions and complaints regarding auto, home, health, life and small business insurance. Between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2017, the helpline’s insurance specialists answered 70,454 calls and opened nearly 4,500 assistance requests. Nearly $9.3 million was recovered on behalf of 1,307 consumers.
Since January, the helpline has answered more than 211,000 calls, opening nearly 14,000 assistance requested and helping return a total of $25.9 million back to Floridians.
Recent examples of how consumers were helped by helpline specialists include:
- A Bay County consumer asked for the Department’s assistance with an automobile claim after his car was stolen in January 2017. After providing his insurance company with the police report and supporting documentation to validate the theft, he stopped hearing from his insurance company. Following several unsuccessful attempts at reaching his insurance adjuster, who had previously acknowledged receiving the documentation, the consumer called the helpline. The insurance company said that staff turnover had derailed the processing of property damage claims, but quickly processed and paid out the consumer’s $6,100 claim.
- A Brevard County consumer filed a homeowners’ claim for Hurricane Matthew damages in October 2016, and, after all repairs had been completed, the consumer filed a second claim in Spring 2017 for the recoverable depreciation. The consumer’s second claim went unanswered for months, until she contacted the Helpline for assistance. The insurance company acknowledged receipt of the second claim, but could provide no valid reason why it had not responded to the consumer or paid the claim. Soon after speaking with a DFS insurance expert, the insurance company apologized to the consumer and promptly paid the $1,372 claim.
- A Citrus County consumer requested the Department’s assistance when, after her sister’s passing, her sibling’s life insurance company continued to demand monthly premium payments rather than paying out the policy benefit. Even after providing a death certificate and beneficiary information, several calls to the life insurance company could not solve the problem. A DFS insurance expert reached out on the consumer’s behalf, and the company acknowledged the miscommunication and delay. The nearly $10,000 policy benefit was promptly paid out to the consumer as her sister’s beneficiary.
- A Brevard County consumer contacted the helpline to settle an aging but unresolved homeowners’ claim. The consumer’s insurance company offered $10,000 in June 2016 to settle the claim, but the consumer declined and hired a public adjuster to help her. The public adjuster she hired worked alongside the insurance company’s adjuster to submit a second settlement offer, which was rejected by the insurance company. After going to mediation and reaching a settlement amount in April 2017, the claim was still not paid by the company. Upon calling for assistance, helpline experts secured the release of the $61,000 payment to the consumer.
Floridians can contact the insurance consumer helpline toll-free by calling 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).
After Irma, Report Losses Quickly and Protect Yourself from Unlicensed Individuals
Following the landfall of Hurricane Irma, many Floridians are now assessing their homes and property for damage and taking steps to make temporary repairs to prevent additional damage before filing insurance claims. CFO Jimmy Patronis and Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier encourage Floridians to be prompt in notifying their insurance companies and cautious of repair deals that sound too good to be true.
“If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is and could be fraud,” said CFO Patronis. “Opportunistic scammers may attempt to defraud Floridians following Hurricane Irma, and I encourage all Floridians to be vigilant in guarding against fraud. Floridians should report suspicious activity ASAP by calling 1-877-693-5236.”
Here are the top tips for consumers currently navigating the insurance claims process:
- Notify your insurance company first. Many insurance companies have reporting deadlines, so it is important to act quickly. Take steps to make temporary repairs that prevent further damage, but remain in contact with your insurance company regarding any outside vendors that are brought in to make repairs. If you need help locating contact information for your insurance company, click here to access the Office of Insurance Regulation’s (OIR) directory. Helpline experts working the Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-693-5236 can also help Floridians locate their insurance company’s contact information.
- While making temporary repairs, obtain the licensing or training credentials of all third-party vendors before signing any work agreements. Beware of fly-by-night repair companies and hire only licensed and reputable vendors. Use the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Contractor License lookup to make sure all contractors are properly licensed and bonded. Access DBPR’s licensee search here.
- Fully review all documentation you are asked to sign and ask questions to make sure you understand the agreements you are signing. Ask specifically who is responsible for paying the vendor, you as the consumer, or your insurance company. For more information about how an assignment of benefits (AOB) for repairs works, visit the DFS “AOB” or Office “AOB Resources” webpages.
- If considering the assistance of a public insurance adjuster, ask for identification to verify that the adjuster is licensed. Visit CFO Patronis’ Hurricane Irma Insurance Resources website to verify the license of any Florida insurance agent or adjuster.
- Understand how much a public insurance adjuster charges as well as what services are included before signing any contract.
- If you suspect fraud or suspicious activity, report it immediately by calling 1-877-693-5236. You concerns will be promptly referred to insurance fraud investigators.
CFO Patronis’ Insurance Consumer Helpline (1-877-693-5236) is available from 8:00am EST to 5:00pm EST to answer all insurance-related questions for Floridians and businesses.
Consumer Alert: Managing the Post-Storm Insurance Claims Filing Process
As Hurricane Irma continues to impact Florida, residents affected by the storm will soon begin the process of surveying damages to their property and belongings. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier have the following tips to help consumers as they begin the process of filing insurance claims on damaged property and belongings:
Tip 1: Locate all applicable insurance policies. This may include a homeowners’ policy, flood policy (flood coverage is not covered under a typical homeowners’ policy and is separate coverage) and an automobile policy (may cover damage to your car from flooding).
Tip 2: Document all damaged property and belongings. Take photos or shoot video footage before attempting any temporary repairs. When you file an insurance claim, you may be asked for visual documentation of damages. A photographic home inventory is a handy resource for this situation. A free smartphone app developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners called “MyHome Scr.APP.book” can help you take and store a room-by-room log of photos.
Tip 3: Contact your insurance company or insurance agent as soon as possible to report damages. Insurance policies require prompt reporting of claims, so it is important to act as soon as possible. If you need help finding your property insurance company’s website and contact information, click here. For a list of licensed insurance agents in Florida, click here.
Tip 4: Cover damaged areas that may be exposed to the elements in order to prevent further damage. Your insurance company may reimburse the expense of these temporary repairs, so keep all receipts. Remove water-logged and otherwise damaged items from your house to prevent the spread of mold, but document them and do not dispose of any damaged property until your insurance company adjuster has had an opportunity to survey it.
CFO Patronis’ toll-free Insurance Consumer Helpline (1-877-693-5236) can answer business and consumer-oriented insurance-related questions. CFO Patronis has launched a Hurricane Irma Insurance Resources webpage to provide comprehensive insurance information. Access the webpage by clicking on the “Hurricane Irma” button on www.myfloridacfo.com
The Office of Insurance Regulation also has additional storm-related materials online. To visit their website, click here.
Florida’s Insurance Consumer Helpline Recovers $16.6M During First Half of 2017
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis today announced that assistance provided by insurance experts working Florida’s Insurance Consumer Helpline led to the recovery of more than $16.6 million during the first half of 2017. Helpline experts answered more than 141,000 calls from Floridians and aided in the recovery of funds that included insurance claim payments and premium refunds that consumers sought the Department of Financial Services’ help collecting.
The Insurance Consumer Helpline is a free service offered to all Floridians that assists callers with financial and insurance-related matters including disaster preparation and insurance fraud, as well as questions and complaints regarding auto, home, health, life, and small business insurance.
“The claims-filing process can be a stressful affair, especially during times of serious illness or after a disastrous event,” said CFO Jimmy Patronis. “I applaud the efforts of our experts who work tirelessly to provide Floridians with the tools and resources they need to easily navigate through their insurance-related issues.”
Recent examples of how consumers were helped by helpline experts include:
- A Leon County consumer contacted the Helpline after insurance claims related to her son’s month-long stay in intensive care were denied. The company denied the claims on the basis of a pre-existing condition, yet the consumer felt the policy did cover her son’s pre-existing illness. Helpline experts contacted the company on her behalf and learned that the insurance agent who sold the policy may have misrepresented what the policy would cover. Helpline staff questioned the pre-existing condition determination, the claims were reprocessed, and a maximum benefit payout of $100,000 was made to the consumer.
- After filing a homeowner’s claim and receiving payment following Hurricane Matthew, a Pinellas County consumer contacted the Helpline when her insurance company denied coverage for additional damage that had been discovered. Even after sending in additional documentation, she was unable to resolve the issue. Upon calling the company, Helpline experts were told that a simple processing error was to blame, not a denial. The company promptly processed the claim, paying out an additional $4,700 to the consumer.
- A Brevard County consumer contacted the Helpline when medical claims payments related to treatment for her son never arrived. The company explained to Helpline experts that the payments had been processed but the company could not explain why they had not been received. A widespread system error was discovered and the company realized that payment checks for 53 consumers had never been mailed. In total, more than $24,000 in unmailed payments went out to the 53 consumers, including the original caller.
Floridians can contact the Insurance Consumer Helpline toll-free by calling 1-877-693-5236.
