If you live in Washington state, we can help with insurance questions and problems. (We're the state agency that regulates insurers, agents and brokers. We get tens of thousands of calls a year from consumers.)
What kind of help? Here are a few examples of recent cases we've handled:
-We helped a dentist get paid when one insurer didn't process a claim because it didn't have the medical codes from the primary insurer. We looked up the codes (on the primary insurer's website; not so hard), provided them, and passed along a friendly reminder about the legal requirements for timely claims processing. The insurer processed the claim the next day.
-We helped another consumer get a life insurer to pay out the proceeds -- more than $250,000 -- on his mother's annuity policy.
-We helped a consumer after an insurer found him 100 percent at fault for an accident. We reviewed their investigation and discovered that they'd failed to get statements from key players (the other driver, for one, and a police officer witness who happened to be sitting beside the road when the accident occurred). We asked the company to contact the two. Result: they reversed their decision, finding the other driver 100 percent at fault for the accident.
-We helped a homeowner expedite and settle a disputed home repair claim for more than $145,000.
Need help? Call us at 1-800-562-6900 or see http://www.insurance.wa.gov/.
(And if you live in another state, here's a handy map with contact info for your own state's insurance regulator.)