All posts in Insurance

Is Health Insurance Exchange Navigator Program Attracting Criminals

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The health insurance exchange navigator program has come to be seen as a life savior for the Obama administration after the healthcare.gov fiasco. With a crumbling website and all hands dedicated to keeping it from falling, the health insurance exchange navigators are making sure that people are able to go through the enrollment process. Some navigators are also utilizing the skills gained through the exchange navigator program and helping people with paper applications, especially when the online applications fail. In a nutshell, the millions of dollars given as grants to these navigators are being put to good use in every state.

However, there is a downside to this seemingly angelic attempt by organizations to help people enroll on the marketplaces. In the last couple of weeks, it has come to the notice of the government that several criminals and shady characters are making use of the exchange navigator program to make money. There have been several cases that have demonstrated hidden agenda of working navigators, including a suggestion for applicants to lie on their profile so that they can save a few dollars on premiums. For instance, in an incident in Dallas, three navigators were fired when they were caught on video trying to advise a senior citizen to not to mention tobacco use on his application as it might lower his chances of getting subsidy and low premiums.

Another incident of New York shows the loopholes in the health insurance exchange navigator program, and how a car service company, a cupcake bakery, and a spa saloon were listed as health insurance exchange navigators. While it is not clear whether this was done intentionally, it still exposes the gaps that exist in the whole selection process.

In the light of these events, several other states have become wary of criminals and illegitimate people making use of the exchange navigator program for their hidden agendas. Florida, for instance, has made sure that since these navigators have access to SSN and tax information of applicants who utilize their assistance, all such navigators need to be checked for a criminal history, including a fingerprinting check and criminal background check. Several other states are thinking to follow suit.

However, while these measures show the administration’s vigilance in selecting the right candidates for a job that puts them closer to sensitive information, such actions could cause a severe side effect which the government cannot sustain at the moment – obstruction of navigator function. Several navigators have complained that after receiving the federal grant, they have had to go through extensive interviews again and again for verification of their credibility. While these navigators do not find this to be extremely wrong, they cite wastage of time that could be used for enrolling people, as a major concern.

The Benefits of Cheap Auto Insurance

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Cheap insurance Toronto is not tough to discover. From cases where people, who had vested interests instead of consumer welfare in mind, have been misled by insurance brokers, which is a stemming misconception. If it is known which parameters control auto insurance rates in Toronto or in Canada generally, not only better policies are found to cover for any and every vehicle owned or driven, but also there are affordable home insurance or commercial insurance policies in Toronto. Car owners in Ontario and Toronto are amongst the highest rates and premiums payers in the business of auto insurance, which is not at all surprising. It must be ensured that all the rates from all of the prime insurance brokers in the country/city are readily available. With the help of most online going firms, this has become easier with their quotes and premium rates comparison of on the web. It is advisable to get counseling in the city from the best insurance brokers. This however doesn’t mean traveling hours to the insurance firms’ centers to the other end of the city. Instead, one can simply login to the websites of similar firms to get live counseling from the same brokers met personally at the centers! It is ideal to get anti-theft or burglary alerts systems installed in the car. This means that instead of being reluctant to get car-decking with the software apps and state-of-the-art systems to prevent theft, it may actually be helpful in the long run in saving money through better coverage riders and lesser premium rates!

Due to the economic downfall of all the major global economies, cheap auto insurance has become inevitability. Nevertheless, prime concern of every individual is saving money especially on account of sky rocketing commodity prices and being on the look for discounts, whenever possible. Everybody wish to remain safe while on the road and claim to be safe drivers. Had this been probable, governments would never have gone ahead to buy vehicle covers for their people. According to the prescribed act, bringing a vehicle on road without minimum policy coverage is a criminal offense with severe penalties for the crime.

High risk driver insurance is also known as high risk auto insurance. People categorized by the insurance companies as high risk are always surprised upon augmentation of their insurance premium. To avoid being surprised with the auto insurance coverage rates applied for, it is better to attempt to learn more about drivers’ categorization by companies and their effects on the premium amount imposed on each classification type. While labeling a ‘high risk’ driver individual, several factors are considered by insurance companies. Either the rating of this risk is based on the data derived from the loss experience categorized on this basis.

Insurance Company Complaints Who Are The Top 10 Companies With The Least Number Of Complaints

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The New York State Department of Insurance (DOI) just released the 2008 Annual Ranking of Automobile Insurance Complaints. The report has been issued to help consumers find the automobile insurer that best meets their needs. You can use this report to compare the ranking of the insurance company you are doing business with now, or check another company you may be considering.

This report analyzed data collected from 2006 and 2007. It only ranks companies doing business in the State of New York. However, as New York is a heavily populated state, with both big urban centers and big suburban areas, the report can be considered a good representation of insurance company performance nationwide.

How The Ranking Works

The insurance companies are ranked on a complaint ratio. The ratio is calculated by the number of complaints upheld against companies as a percentage of their total private passenger auto business.

Insurers with the fewest upheld complaints per million dollars of premiums are shown at the top of the list. The companies with the highest ratio of complaints are ranked at the bottom.

Other Information to Consider

The ranking of an insurance company is important, but it is only one characteristic that consumers should weigh when considering doing business with an insurance company. Others are:

Referrals from friends, relatives, neighbors or co-workers about the experiences they had with their insurance companies
Price of the premium versus perceived value
Search the Internet for other ideas
Check your states DOI website, which may contain valuable consumer information about companies doing business in your state.

What The Ranking Does and Does Not Contain

Private passenger insurance is the only type evaluated.
It only includes the complaints referred by consumers to the DOI. It does not include complaints made directly to the insurance companies.
Complaints are upheld when the DOI agrees with a consumer that an insurance company made an inappropriate decision.
Information from prior years is included in the tables so consumers can see if the company has improved or gotten worse.
All companies with at least $10 million in premium in 2006 and 2007 are included in the ranking. Insurers with less than $10 million were included if they had 10 or more complaints against them.

Top Three Most Common Complaints

1.Monetary settlements settlement amount is too low.
2.Policy terminations
3.Promptness of insurance payments

2007 Auto Complaint Listing (ranked lowest number at top, higher as you go down)

1.Mercury General Group
2.American Express, Amex Assurance, IDS Property Casualty
3.Eveready Insurance Co.
4.Electric Insurance Group
5.Amica Mutual
6.Preferred Mutual Insurance Co.
7.United Services Automobile Assurance Group (USAA)
8.Chubb
9.Utica Mutual
10.State Farm
11.Central Services Group, Central Insurance Group, NY Central Mutual Fire Ins.
12.Main Street America Group, National Grange Mutual
13.Progressive
14.Liberty Mutual
15.Kingsway Insurance Group, Lincoln General Ins.
16.Response Insurance Group
17.Nationwide Insurance
18.American Modern Ins. Group, American Family Home Ins.
19.St. Paul Travelers
20.Unitrin Group, Kemper
21.Erie Insurance Group
22.Berkshire Hathaway Insurance, GEICO
23.Allstate Insurance
24.The Hartford Insurance Group
25.Hanover Insurance, Citizens Ins., Allmerica Financial Alliance
26.Metropolitan Group
27.American National Financial Group
28.Allianz Insurance Group
29.GMAC, Integon, MIC P&C, National General Ins. Co.
30.Zurich Ins.Group, Foremost, Maryland Casualty
31.Hannover RE Group, Clarendon National
32.State Wide Insurance
33.White Mountains Group, OneBeacon, Esurance, Auto One Ins.
34.Countrywide Insurance
35.Safeco Insurance Group
36.American International Group (AIG)
37.Tri-State Consumer Ins. Group
38.Interboro Mutual
39.Infinity Property & Casualty
40.Long Island Insurance

Conclusion

If your auto insurance provider is not shown on this list, it could be that they dont sell insurance in New York. Or, it could be that their number of complaints is worse than the company in the #40 position!!

Think about this statement, my friends.

The only thing that truly matters about your auto insurance is what happens when you submit a claim. Claims are about KEEPING PROMISES. When the insurance companies dont keep their promises, the complaints pile up!

So, why would you EVER consider doing business with any insurance company LOWER than NUMBER 10 on the list?

If you are one of the unfortunate people who experience an automobile loss of any kind, you’ll need to know how to handle your insurance claim so that you maximize your recovery. You will need to know how to take control of your insurance claim, and add hundreds or even thousands more dollars to your claim settlement. For more information, check out the website shown below in the Resource Box.

The Difference Between Classic And Vintage Cars

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It is not always easy to determine if a vehicle is considered to be a vintage car or a classic one. The definitions seem to be changing all the time. A vintage car is usually considered to be any that was built from 1919 to 1930. However, the classic era seems to have crossed into the vintage, at least according to some experts. This can make defining the two tricky. Sometimes knowing the two are different is simply not enough information. If you have an older car and you need facts, you will want to do your homework.

The reason most people need to define their car as classic or vintage is for insurance purposes. You should always have insurance coverage on your vehicle. If anything were to happen to it you would otherwise have to pay for it out of your own pocket. And thats a chance that should never be taken with any old vehicle. Many insurance companies have a rule that the car must be at least 25 years old or older to be considered a classic. If the car is older than the 1930s it will likely be considered vintage. Of course some agencies even have a historical status for vehicles of certain ages so be sure to inquire fully.

Currently it seems that there is no concrete definition of a classic car. To some it is an old hotrod from the 1950s and for others it is the muscle cars of the 1970s. This term gets a little sticky because the definition seems to change with every person asked.

According to the Classic Car Club of America a classic automobile is any one that has been built between the years of 1925 and 1948. This is an indication of how drastically different the opinions are from resource to resource. That definition does apply to cars that were either domestic or foreign built. If you check out the clubs website and find a car missing from their classic list that you feel should be there, you can actually petition the site to add it to their list. It doesnt mean that they will but its certainly worth a try.

You will likely find that different organizations or car clubs will have their own definitions of vintage and classic cars. Many different factors affect these choices too such as the popularity of the car then and now as well as the make, model and historical value. For instance, models of vehicles that appeared on TV or in movies tend to have a higher ranking classic status than those that did not.

The rarity of the vehicle also may play a role in if it is classic or vintage. A car that is exceptionally rare will likely have a higher numerical value attached to it. This can affect what category it falls into. Do not stop searching for definitions at just one source. Compare and contrast them, form your own definition if need be based on what you find. A professional opinion is recommended for extremely valuable or rare vehicles.

Insurance Claim Investigation

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The increase in the number of players in the Insurance sector has lead to spiralling growth of the Industry. More people are now aware of Health, Medical, General and Life Insurance plans and are keenly opting for various types of risk cover. As the customer base increases for these players so do the number of Insurance claims being filed with these companies. In a country such as India where there are few verifiable facts about a customer, this creates a large number of fraudulent risk claims. Onicra works closely with the Insurance companies to establish validity of these claims and mitigate risk.

What exactly is Insurance Claims Investigation?
Individuals and business enterprises buy insurance policies to safeguard themselves against monetary losses. In case there is a loss, the insurance policy holders submit claims, or request for payment to seek compensation for their loss.

Insurance investigators thus work for life and general insurance companies, for whom they handle claims contending unfortunate cases of bodily injury, deaths or third party claims. Their main job is to investigate the claims, negotiate settlements, and authorize payments to claimants. It is they who must assess and verify whether the customer’s insurance policy covers the loss and how much of the loss should be paid to the claimant.

About Insurance Claims Investigation Services

Life and General Insurance claim processing.

Authentication of medical reports (Life and General Insurance).

Conducting checks and balances before extending insurance.

Onicra is leading and pioneering the way that Insurance claim investigation is conducted.

Compnay insurance investigators possess decades of experience and have established a proven reputation in the industry for exposing fraudulent applications and claims, Our clients include companies such as Reliance Insurance, Bajaj Allianz etc. Our well-trained staff examines the various causes of the accident, death, property loss, vehicle damage or third party damage and reports the claims to the client as valid or in-valid based upon a comprehensive set of guidelines using our revolutionary PDA technology. This decision analysis tool aids us in identifying insurance claims as genuine or fraudulent.

With our team of seasoned industry specialists and our highly trained workforce, we have set new benchmarks in the Industry using this system.In addition our widely spread network across the country gives us the leverage to cover almost any geographic location. In states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and the Eastern Belt, which are vast in terms of reach and spread, our network is extremely robust.

Benefits of outsourcing Insurance Claims Investigation to Onicra

High strike rate in identifying fraudulent insurance claims

Fast track PDA technology facilitates live transfer of case

Real Time Case tracking and management solution

Reduces claim handling costs and other operations costs

Help mitigate risk, reduce settlements and identify fraud claims