If someone feels that they have been unfairly treated by an insurance carrier, they have the right to complain. By filing an insurance broker complaint report with the state department of insurance (DOI), policyholders can get protection against wrongdoing from an insurance company or an insurance agent. The state departments of insurance enforce insurance laws, investigate insurance carrier complaints and offer information to help customers understand their rights.
To file an insurance company complaint, policyholders should find their state department of insurance website, and determine whether they can file an insurance broker complaint on-line. Online filing speeds up the process of an insurance company investigation and is offered by most state departments of insurance. When filing an insurance agent complaint, consumers need to have all of their insurance policy information and any documentation related to the insurance company complaint available.
- Documentation might include copies of e-mails or letters sent to or received from an insurance company or agent related to the insurance agent complaint.
- A call log, times and dates of calls and details of the insurance carrier complaint can also be helpful; many insurance companies record incoming calls. Insurance policy information includes the policy number and any associated forms or sales materials that pertain to the insurance agent complaint.
- Consumers also provide an overview of the insurance company complaint, a description of the problem, what they have done in response to the problem or insurance claim, what the agent or insurance carrier has done in response, and how they think your insurance carrier complaint should be resolved.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, types of insurance complaints typically include:
- Insurance company complaints against sales or policyholder services
- Premium rates or refunds insurance complaints
- Cancellation/ Non-Renewals
- Claim Delays/ Denials/ Unsatisfactory Settlements
- Other insurance company complaints
Insurance broker complaints can be filed for almost any type of insurance; see individual state department of insurance websites for more detail. The state departments of insurance thoroughly investigate all complaints, and if laws have been broken they will follow-up with appropriate actions to resolve insurance agent complaints. Filing an insurance broker complaint takes time; expect to wait for insurance company investigation results for up to 60 days after filing the complaint. I've reviewed more than my share of insurance company complaints. And I can honestly say, most of the complaints that I saw were the result of a misunderstanding, not any company wrongdoing.
Read up to date news and articles on the writer's blog.
