Insurance is a part of life, helping to protect you from unexpected emergencies and expenses. But what happens when it doesn’t serve you the way it’s supposed to? When a tree falls on your house, but the insurance company refuses to pay, or they say that a qualified medical expense isn’t covered, you might be left with bills that shouldn’t be yours to pay. That’s where insurance complaints come in. If you need to file an insurance complaint with the Montana State Auditor, you can do so through the state auditor. An attorney like Cok Kinzler can guide you through it, helping you achieve the best outcome. Here’s what you need to know about the process.
Whether your complaint relates to home, auto, life, business, health or other insurance types, there’s recourse for it through the state auditor. The commissioner of securities and insurance can also investigate issues against insurance consultants, agents and adjusters. However, the commissioner can’t provide legal advice. That’s where legal counsel from Cok Kinzler comes in.
Filing a complaint this way isn’t the route to take with every insurance issue, though. The office can’t help with federal employees’ health plan and life insurance, Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D, Medicaid, worker’s compensation claims disputes, self-funded employee health benefit plans, state-sponsored, self-insured health plan for teachers and state employees, or any self-insured governmental plans. But if your issue falls under one of these categories, don’t worry. There are other avenues available to pursue a resolution. Get in touch with Cok Kinzler to find out how.
Before you even file a complaint, it’s important to reach out to the insurance company to let them know there’s a problem. If you do this on your own, make sure to document each communication, noting down names of people you speak to. If the issue still isn’t resolved from there, you can take it to the next level. Your legal team can help you out with this, so you don’t need to go it alone.
The online complaint form asks for some basic information about you and your insurance company, as well as a detailed description of your problem. You can also attach supporting documents. It can be hard to know exactly what to say, so seeking legal advice is a great next step before filing the paperwork.
When you’ve enlisted legal counsel, the commissioner can’t communicate with you directly unless they’ve received written permission from your attorney. That takes the hassle off of you, letting the pros take care of it on your behalf.
You’ll get a case number, and then the office will reach out to the insurance company to respond to the complaint against them. No matter whether they decide in your favor or not, you’ll receive a written notice explaining the decision.. If the commissioner decides that the insurance company violated a law or didn’t abide by a policy, they’ll seek corrective action from there.
If the complaint doesn't go your way, having an attorney can help seek other courses of action. Appealing a decision might be the next step, depending on your case. But don’t get left wondering whether you should have done something differently. Reach out to Cok Kinzler for a free consultation, and get assistance as you pursue your insurance complaint.