Insurance companies are always looking for ways to save money. Unpaid insurance claims are a huge source of revenue for them. When you submit an unpaid insurance claim, the company will often try to minimize their payout by using unethical or illegal tactics. Resclaim offers some guidelines to follow on how to handle an unpaid insurance claim.
- Verify the insurance company has received your claim
After submitting a claim, the company could either acknowledge receipt of your claim by sending you a letter or making a phone call or completely ignore your claim. If they have acknowledged receipt of your claim, they should follow up with a payment shortly afterward. Once you have submitted a claim and the acknowledgment is received, it’s time to be patient because even if they owe you money – insurance companies have no legal obligation to pay until 30 days after acknowledgment.
- Determine how long it will take for them to process your claim.
In this situation, patience is key again. This step may not apply in every circumstance, but for most significant claims, it would apply. The duration of the process is up to them. Insurance companies have 30 days from after receiving your claim in which they must acknowledge it in some way, shape, or form. For example, if you submit a medical claim on February 1st for 10k and the company has not acknowledged it by March 2nd, you immediately contact an insurance claims lawyer because they violate federal law.
- Identify any issues processing your claim
If, at any time, the insurance company fails to attempt to process your unpaid insurance claim within their legally required timeframes, then they are again violating Federal law. If at this point, you have not received an adjustment letter or phone call, then you should contact an attorney to determine if there are violations of Federal law that may apply.
- Verify if any technicalities are preventing an adjustment of your claim.
Some examples of technicalities would be if the insurance company submits a denial due to a lack of medical records or because you were unable to suffer from your injury for two weeks before receiving treatment. Short term injuries do not require you to miss work, but it’s still valid under most policies. If any type of technicality is used as an excuse for their failure to adjust your claim, then contact an attorney immediately because they are acting illegally by trying to get out of paying you without additional legal assistance.
- Consider hiring an unpaid insurance claim lawyer.
It’s always best practice to hire an uninsured insurance claims lawyer when dealing with large claims such as this one. The longer the claim goes unpaid, the more likely you will need a lawyer in order to get your money. An attorney can assist you in understanding what options are available and how best to proceed. Remember, insurance companies have been known to violate Federal law when it comes to paying claims, so if at any time they fail to meet their timeframes or attempt any type of technicality, then an attorney should be contacted immediately because the company is acting illegally by trying to get out of paying you without additional legal assistance.
- Never accept a settlement if you believe it to be unfair
Insurance companies have been known to make offers on claims when their backs are against the wall in order to minimize payout. Before accepting any offer, consider consulting with an attorney because they could be attempting to settle for an amount that is less than what you deserve under Federal law.