Handling an Insurance Company Complaint or Question

I see this question posed all of the time. If you have a question or complaint about the way your insurance company handled your claim, what should you do? Even if you don't have a complaint, but are unsure about an insurance company or insurance agency, do you have anywhere to go to check up on them?

Well, every state in the US has an insurance regulatory body. This is usually an insurance commission or department of insurance.

HERE IS A PAGE WITH A LIST OF THE U.S. STATE INSURANCE REGULATORS.

If you do have a complaint with the way an insurance claim was handled, I think you should start with your insurance agent or the insurance company. Mistakes do get made, and sometimes a mistake can be traced back to miscoding a form in a clerical department. I have helped clients get claims approved and paid by just making a call to an insurance company and trying to find out if it was an error.

That said, bad stuff does happen too. If you have gone over the problem with your insurance company or insurance agent, and you still feel that they have violated the terms of your insurance policy, you should document what you've done, and communicate with your state insurance regulatory body. They are in charge of regulating the way that insurance companies do business in your state, and they will research the matter.

The last step that I would advise would be to actually contact a lawyer. They will cost you money, and while that may be money well spent, you need to gather information before you can make a decision on that. The state insurance commission will look at your case and determine if, in their judgement, the company has broken one of their rules.

If you'd like to look for a new insurance company or agent, I always suggest INSUREME because you can get an online quote and find a local agent. They also participate in the BBB Online Program, and have a clear privacy policy.