Free Insurance Claim Denial Information

If your insurance company has denied your claim, you should have been sent an Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Read this document carefully to determine the reason for the denial. Your insurer may simply be requesting more information about your claim. If so, gather the necessary information and resubmit your claim.

If the EOB is not simply asking for additional information, then you should contact the insurance company either by phone or in writing regarding the denial of your claim. The address and phone number of the insurance company should be listed on the EOB. Be sure to include your account number and any other important information that might help with the processing of your claim.

If you phone the insurance company, be sure to write down the name of the person you spoke with. This information is important for future communications with the insurer.

After you have learned the reason(s) for the insurance company's denial of your claim, you should resubmit your claim, attaching additional information to address each of the insurance company's concerns.

If the insurance company continues to deny your claim AND you think that they are wrong, then you can contact your State Insurance Department.

If you are seeking basic information about life insurance, a helpful pamphlet entitled "What You Should Know About Buying Life Insurance" is available from the American Council of Life Insurance. This program's "Life Insurance Ratings" letter can be used to request this pamphlet.

The pamphlet explains different types of life insurance policies (such as term, whole life, universal life, and variable life) and helps prepare you to know what questions to ask when you buy life insurance.

For more information about insurance, you can contact the National Insurance Consumer Helpline (NICH) at 1-800-942-4242.

If you are seeking ratings information about a specific life insurance company, this program's "Life Insurance Ratings" letter can be used to contact one of the following ratings companies:

A. M. Best Company
Ambest Road
Oldwick, NJ 08858
908-439-2200
customerservice@ambest.com

Duff and Phelps Credit Rating Co.
Marketing Department
55 E. Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603
312-368-3100
hotline@dcrco.com

Moody's Investors Service
Marketing Department
99 Church Street
New York, NY 10007
212-553-0300

Standard and Poor's
Marketing Department
25 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
212-208-1146
ratings@mcgraw-hill.com

Weiss Ratings
Marketing Department
4176 Burns Road
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
800-289-9222
wr@weissinc.com

Ratings information provides some indication of the financial stability of insurance companies. This information is important to you as a consumer because financial stability provides some indication of whether the insurance company would have the ability to pay you if you made a claim under your insurance policy.

1. Sign the letter.

2. You may wish to attach a photocopy of the denial notice or other additional documentation to support your claim.

3. Keep a copy of the letter for your records.