June 6th, 2009 by DieWolf
Different Procedures for Filing Different Insurance Claims
Guidelines for filing insurance claims differ with the different types of policies. If you are filing insurance claims for medical insurance, then you should do it within two months of the medical appointment. Before filing insurance claims, do not forget to get the photocopies of all the papers you are sending to the insurance company. If the matter is not settled even after the 45 days of filing claim, contact the insurance company to resolve the issue immediately. You also need to ascertain that the doctor has indicated appropriate diagnosis codes in the receipts. Insurance company may delay the process in absence of these codes.
Call the Agent Immediately
Guidelines for filing insurance claims for other kinds of insurance require that you should thoroughly examine whatever property has been damaged. Then call the insurance provider or the agent so that you can report the damage to the insurance company. Here it is important that you note the name of the person to whom you are talking along with the record of date and time. Do not forget to give him your phone number so that he can contact you immediately as and when required. Keep handy your insurance policy number at the time of reporting. Call a photographer so that the photography or the video recording of the damaged area can be done.
Make Temporary Repairs Only Before Inspection
Do not make any permanent repairs unless the claim adjuster has examined the property and estimated the extent of the damage. However, it is possible to do necessary repair work to prevent the property from being damaged further. For example, you can repair holes in the roof or windows so that the water does not come in and make further damages. You are entitled to get the reimbursement for the amount of money you paid for temporary repairs, so keep a record of it along with all receipts. However, you should keep damaged material so that you can show it to the adjuster as a proof of the loss. It will make it easy for the adjuster to assess the damages to the property. You should put your signature on the statement of proof of loss and ascertain that if any further damage is discovered it will also be added.
CAT Offices
One important question regarding filing insurance claims is what you would do if the office of insurance company itself is damaged and closed. In such circumstances, insurance companies send catastrophe—also known as CAT‑teams in or near damaged areas so that people can contact them. If you are unable to find the CAT office, you can visit the official web site of the insurance company to get the address.
June 3rd, 2009 by DieWolf
What is Household Insurance?
Household insurance covers damage from incidents such as fire, theft, and vandalism to your house, usually adjacent structures like a garage or shed, and your personal belongings. It covers living expenses if your household becomes temporarily unusable.
Household insurance is a policy designed to cover your home and if applicable its contents against the possible risks. There are two types of household insurance – contents insurance and buildings insurance.
Contents insurance for your household is designed to cover your possessions if in the home in circumstances where you suffer a burglary or you have an accident where damage is caused. Buildings insurance is designed to cover the actual building you live in- the bricks, roof, floors, doors and windows and the general building structure from naturally occurring events and where applicable accidental damage.
The Environment Agency has flood maps and a postcode checker to assess the risk of flooding to your street as this could effect your insurance and even make it harder to find insurance. Click here to check if you live in a flood risk area
Do I need household insurance?
If you have a mortgage, your lender will insist you have buildings insurance. Its up to you as to whether you take out contents insurance but work out how much all your possessions are worth and you will probably find that the monthly insurance payment is a small price to pay for the peace of mind from having your home contents insured. You don’t always have to take out your lender’s own insurance, and it is often cheaper not to but to find an independent insurance company. If you rent your home then you won’t usually need buildings insurance as your landlord will normally take responsibility for the household insurance.
What do I need to know?
When you purchase Household Insurance, your insurer will usually issue documents such as:
• The Policy Document – sets out in full the terms and conditions of your policy
• The Policy Handbook – contains more details about your insurance Read and make sure you understand your insurance policy document. If there are insurance terms you are not sure of then check the explanations in the Insurance Glossary
How to choose the right policy for you?
Buildings insurance is compulsory if you have a mortgage but contents insurance is up to you. Check of exclusions, excess levels and if you value your possessions, make sure they are adequately covered. Below outlines the different types of cover available:
Buildings Insurance Policies usually cover:
• Natural events such as fire/flood, storm or lightning
• Burglary or damage from attempted burglary
• Subsidence or heave
• Burst pipes, water tanks or boilers
Contents Insurance Policies usually cover:
• Loss of possessions resulting from a burglary
• Damage to possessions caused by burst pipes, water tanks or boilers
• Damage to possessions arising from fire/theft or natural events
Make sure you have all the information you need before getting a quote using our Household Insurance Checklist
Where do you buy your insurance?
Make sure you shop around and get at least five or six quotes to ensure you are getting competitive quotes. But don’t just look at the price, check what is covered under the policy and check the value of the possessions you want to protect are actually covered by the insurance policy.
