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How and When to File a Complaint
It is always best to make an attempt at resolving a problem with your
insurance
company prior to filing a complaint. In any case, it's important to keep
notes; e.g.,
dates, times and names of those you spoke with when trying to resolve
a problem. If
the insurance company is unable or unwilling to resolve the problem, then
by
all means, file a complaint with the state department of insurance.
When filing a complaint, you must do it in writing, clearly outlining
the problem.
It is a good idea to list names, dates, times and whom you spoke with
at the insurance
company, and what their responses were. This will give your complaint
more credibility than a poorly written or poorly documented complaint.
Proper documentation will help to resolve the problem faster.
You should send your written complaint, certified mail, return receipt,
to the
state department of insurance in your state. You should expect a response
within 30
days. Follow up with a phone call to the department if no response is
received in that
time frame. Also send a copy of your complaint to your insurance company
and
agent, if you have one.
I would like to say at this point the results you receive from the state
department
of insurance will depend on the state in which you live and the insurance
company
you insure with. The reason is simply this. In some states, the state
department of
insurance tends to look out for the interests of the industry; therefore,
the consumer
is not treated fairly. In most states, they are doing their job correctly,
protecting the
public from any misconduct of the insurance industry, as well as protecting
the
insurance industry from consumer misconduct. The individual company may
or
may not be on good terms with the state department of insurance; therefore,
the
complaint may be handled differently based on the company you insure with.
Ideally,
all complaints should be handled fairly for all parties involved!
Expected Results
The problem should be resolved within 30 to 60 days depending on the
complexity of the complaint. You should also expect the complaint to be
resolved
within the laws that govern the affairs of the insurance industry in your
state, as well
as within the rules filed by your insurance company with the state.
Hopefully, you will never have to deal with this situation, but if you
ever do,
you now have the knowledge to handle it.
The following list contains the phone numbers for the state departments
of insurance for all 50 states.
Alabama 334-269-3550
Alaska 907-269-7900
Arizona 602-912-8444
Arkansas 800-852-5494
California 800-927-4357
Colorado 303-894-7499
Connecticut 203-297-3867
Delaware 800-282-8611
Florida 904-022-3132
Georgia 404-656-2070
Hawaii 808-587-1234
Idaho 800-721-3272
Illinois 217-782-4515
Indiana 800-622-4461
Iowa 515-281-5705
Kansas 800-432-2484
Kentucky 502-564-3630
Louisiana 800-259-5300
Maine 207-624-8475
Maryland 800-492-6116
Massachusetts 617-521-7777
Michigan 517-373-9273
Minnesota 800-657-3602
Mississippi 800-562-2957
Missouri 800-726-7390
Montana 800-332-6148
Nebraska 402-471-2201
Nevada 800992-0900
New Hampshire 800-852-341
New Jersey 800-446-7467
New Mexico 800-947-4722
New York 800-342-3736
North Carolina 800-662-7777
North Dakota 800-247-0560
Ohio 800-686-1526
Oregon 503-378-4484
Pennsylvania 717-787-2317
Rhode Island 401-277-2223
South Carolina 800-768-3467
South Dakota 605-773-3563
Tennessee 800-342-4029
Texas 800-252-3439
Utah 800-439-3805
Vermont 802-828-3301
Virginia 800-552-7945
Washington 800-562-6900
Washington D.C. 202-727-8000
West Virginia 800-642-9004
Wisconsin 800-236-8517
Wyoming 800-438-5768
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