How to Get Insurance Companies to Pay Your Claims

After going through a traumatic event the last thing you want is to have to deal with an insurance company that doesn’t want to pay your claims. Unfortunately, insurance companies often deny claims, so you shouldn’t be too surprised if this happens to you. After all, they’re counting on at least some percentage of people getting discouraged and not appealing the decision.

However, there is always a way to appeal and force them to pay. In fact, you can even take certain steps before a traumatic event takes place. If you ever find yourself in a situation where an insurance company refuses to pay your claims, you shouldn’t assume that the first “no” you get is final. It is your legal right to appeal their decision and get the money that they owe you. This is especially the case with health insurance, where companies often deny coverage on the first submission.

There are quite a few different tactics that you can use in order to get insurance companies to pay your claims. Depending on the type of insurance that you have, this is what you can do.

Homeowners Insurance

Keeping detailed records is extremely important when it comes to insuring the contents in your home. There once was a time when people would make a list of everything that was in their house and keep it in a safe place, so that they can show it to an insurance company in case something happened. Nowadays, it’s much easier to gather information about your possessions since you can simply snap some photos or take a video with your smartphone. It’s also important that you snap some photos when the damage is done as well, since you may find it difficult to recall what happened later on.

“You shouldn’t put yourself in any danger, but it’s a good idea to photograph the source of the damage. If you do this, the insurance company won’t have a lot of questions regarding the cause of the loss,” says Avner Gat, a trusted public adjuster based in Los Angeles.

Make sure to prevent further damage once you’re done taking photos, but don’t repair or clean anything before the insurance adjuster arrives. Having an adjuster and contractor come to your home and inspect the damage will definitely help speed up the whole process of your insurance company paying your claims.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is more complicated than homeowners insurance because hospitals and health care providers have different deals for every insurer. Because of this, you’ll need to do some research on what your policy covers. Keep in mind that there’s a good chance your first submission will get denied, but you shouldn’t let that discourage you from fighting back.

Start by requesting a written denial from your insurance company, which will provide you with the necessary information on why you were denied. Once you review this, it’s recommended that you start working on your argument for why the company should honor your claim. Contact your doctor and ask him or her to help you write a letter of appeal. Apart from getting help from your doctor, you can also get in contact with the human resources department at your workplace in case you receive insurance from your employer.

Auto Insurance

Everyone knows that you should exchange insurance and contact information when you get in a car accident. However, most people have no clue that taking photos of the accident is just as important. Make sure to snap photos of the damage done to your car and the other car, as well as the accident scene, both driver’s license plates, insurance, and registration cards. On top of that, you should get contact information from any people who were nearby and saw the accident, since they can serve as witnesses.