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Tag Archives: Best Practices

  1. 2 Problems To Prevent Before They Get Out Of Control: The Lily Pads Revisited December 7, 2011

    Posted in Best Practices.

    Waiting to the last minute can be a costly venture. In out latest post we tell the story of the farmer who waited to clear those innocent lily pads from his pond. He kept going on to what he thought were more important things. Unfortunately he waited to long and the lily pads took over the pond and cost him a lot more to clear. We all have lily pads we don’t want to clear from our desks. It’s time to look for them and clear them off before they strangle the life out of your pond….I know a little poetic but read on and you will get the idea.

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  2. 2 Company Types And Their Approach To Claim Audits: The Have To’s And The Wants To’s  November 9, 2011

    Posted in Best Practices, Claims Auditing.

    Companies can choose to audit because they have to or choose to audit because they want to. Companies that want to audit are destined to provide better customer service, happier employees, and improved results. Our latest post asks the question: Which company are you?

    1 comment
  3. 100 Posts And Counting September 6, 2011

    Posted in Commentary, My SPOT.

    100 articles and counting. In today’s post we stop to reflect on our latest accomplishment and provide some context as to our last 100 articles. Thanks for the continued support and we look forward to writing the next 100.

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  4. 6 Ways To Conquer Procrastination – A Primer For The Claims Professional August 17, 2011

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    Continuing with more insight from the Business Insider War Room, our most recent post deals with ways to fight procrastination. One of the hardest things to do sometimes is avoid distractions and focus on the work. Claims can be exceptionally exciting but at times can be rather repetitive. Working to deal with those times of procrastination in a positive way will help you become a better claims person. Take a look at these ideas and let us hear from you about others.

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  5. 7 Steps To Effective Problem Solving For Every Claims Professional August 2, 2011

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    Let’s face it solving problems in claims is a core reality to what we do. From the second a claim hits your desk until the minute it leaves it there are a series of problems that need to be solved. Should this claim even be accepted? Was there any liability? What experts should I hire? How much is it worth? What are my next steps? At every turn there is another problem that needs to be solved. As you probably have experienced, some people are very good problem solvers and others are not. In claims, however, there is no escaping the need to solve a variety of issues on a daily basis. Don’t fret if you don’t consider yourself a good problem solver as it turns out there is help for you. In our latest post we discuss 7 effective step to problem solving.

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  6. “Summer’s Here And I’m For That” With 2 Ideas To Improve Your Claims Operations July 11, 2011

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    It’s another summer and it can be a slow time for many. Don’t waste the opportunity of a slow time period to improve your operation. In our latest post, we suggest 2 ways to make your claims organization better. First we write about developing a better claim review process and create a value added claims auditing process that goes beyond crossing the “T”. Second, conduct a worklow audit and you will find hours of wasted time for those working even the most basic tools such as Excel or Outlook.

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  7. Continuing Education Is The Path To An Improved Claims Operation April 19, 2011

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    We at the Claims SPOT are committed to promoting continuing education within our industry. As part of that commitment we have teamed with the Americas Claims Event as a media sponsor to promote the conference. Expanding claims knowledge is a critical part of any successful operation and at the ACE Conference you will learn new trends from the best and the brightest in the industry.

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  8. 5 Things To Avoid When Negotiating In Business and Claims March 2, 2011

    Posted in Negotiation, SPOT on Issues.

    Let’s face it, claims is as much about negotiating as anything. It is a significant part of our jobs as claims professionals, yet little real time is spent honing those skills. In coming across an article on 5 things you should never say while negotiating, we comment on how these techniques can be used in claims negotiations. Take a look, and tell us your techniques.

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  9. Claims And A Half Plate Of Vegetables – Teachings From The New Dietary Guidelines February 3, 2011

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues, SPOT on Ops.

    Recently the government changed the way the public should look at nutrition through simplified messages like “eat less.” Simplicity and looking at the obvious in an easy to understand way is a tool that would go a long way to helping the claims professionals be better at what they do. Being understandable and actionable can only be a good thing in claims. In our latest post, we discuss how trying to use visual cues when handling a claim or looking at the claims process can benefit today’s professionals. We are a visual society – time to shift some of those visual cues to claims.

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  10. Looking Back On 2010 And Forward To 2011 In The World Of Claims December 31, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, Claims Technology, Commentary, My SPOT, SPOT on Issues, SPOT on Ops.

    The year began with continued economic concerns, a poor job market and no recovery in sight. It has come to a close with a booming stock market, improved job numbers and a better outlook for 2011. Looking back on the year in claims and looking ahead to the future of claims is always a fun exercise this time of year so here we go! The Claims SPOT adds to the debate about the past and the future.

    Thanks for reading and have a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year!

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  11. Claims And The Investigative Journalist And Learning From All The President’s Men November 9, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    Investigating a claim is like being an investigative journalist. Using the story of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and All the President’s Men, see how there is a relationship between investigative reporting and claims. In today’s post we also remind claim professionals how technology has truly made certain aspects of claims bette. Regardless, it is important not to forget what is most important in claims – the knowledge and skill of the claims professional’s ability to analyze fact and come to a reasoned and supported conclusion.

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  12. 3 Perspectives On The Use Of Social Media In The Claims Investigation Process October 25, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    Social medial sites like LinkedIn, Foresquare and Facebook are becoming a regular common experience in today’s world. With increased use is information that regular people put online that is available for review and scrutiny. In today’s post we discuss the use of these sites in the investigation of claims from the perspectives of attorneys, claims professionals and investigators. Summarizing a recent discussion on the Insurance Professionals group of linkedIn, it provides and interesting perspective on how these sites are very much being used in the claims process today.

    1 comment
  13. Do The Hard Things First And Embrace The Challenges: A Conversation With Chartis (AIG) Chief Claims Officer Rick Woollams October 13, 2010

    Posted in Rick Woollams (Chartis Chief Claims Officer), The Inside SPOT.

    On July 28, 2010, The Claims SPOT had the pleasure to sit down with Rick Woollams for our “The Inside SPOT” series of industry leaders. We hope to present more interviews where we explore how these leaders began their careers and how they see the industry today.

    Rick Wollams is in charge of one of the largest claims organizations in the world. What was most interesting about our discussion was how he began his insurance career as a front line liability claims handler and worked his way up the ranks. At his heart he is a claims person through and through and clearly cares about the profession and the people that work for him.

    Do the hard things first and embrace the challenges is a wonderful message from Rick Wollams so please read more and enjoy the interview.

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  14. There Is No Such Thing As A Pro Forma Signature On A Document – If You Sign It You Own It October 6, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, Compliance, SPOT on Issues, SPOT on Ops.

    Doing things for the sake of doing things can have significant adverse consequences for an organization. It is important to realize that one day you may have to answer for every action you take on a claim file. The concept of how doing a pro forma task can come back to bite you is being highlighted as a yet another fallout of the mortgage crisis. Tens of thousands of foreclosures are being halted because of a process in place where an individual just signed hundreds of documents without ensuring the information contained on the documents were correct.

    Clearly, doing something for the sake of doing something can really have negative consequences for the organization. In our latest post we offer questions to ask when signing documents. Controls are important, however, if they are not adding value they should be reviewed.

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  15. Why Extending More Claims Authority Means Extending More Responsibility September 10, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    Extending additional authority to a number of claim handlers can have a dramatic affect on the department’s total incurred. Make sure claim handlers understand the impact, both good and bad, to the company. Deciding when, and how much authority to extend will always depend on the line of business, and experience of the claims professional. Giving more authority also means extending more responsibility to the junior claims professional to make greater financial decisions for the company.

    In today’s post we discuss the authority-responsibility correlation and the importance of ensuring claims authority is extended only when responsibilities associated with that authority are understood.

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  16. 3 Ways To Help Defense Counsel Help You Make Claims Management More Efficient September 3, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, Litigation Management, SPOT on Ops.

    We all talk about collaboration with counsel as a means to get better results at a lower costs. But getting what you want is not so easy. How about trying to get what you truly need to get your job done. In our latest post, we discuss three suggestions for helping counsel help you get better results. No attorney is going to say that they don’t want to make a claims professional’s job easier, so help them to help you. Start by telling them what you do, ask for what you want, and then make sure they do it. Take a look at the latest – from the Claims SPOT.

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  17. 3 Suggestions To Beat The Summer Slow Down In Claims (If You Do Slow Down) August 3, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    It’s summer time and the living is easy!

    Take advantage of the summer slow down and make changes, clean things up and improve your operation. In the latest post from the Claims SPOT see three suggestions for ways to use your summer effectively. One for the manager, one for the claims handler and one for the claims executive, suggestions to use the slow down to improve your operation. Take a look and suggest others – we would love to hear from you.

    2 comments
  18. Why Can’t We All Get Along? Making The Agent A Partner In The Claims Process July 27, 2010

    Posted in Customer Service, SPOT on Issues, SPOT on Ops.

    Creating a strategic advantage through improved agent carrier relations

    The relationship between claim adjusters and agents can be an adversarial one. Each side often finds itself correcting issues created by the other side. Agents may set the wrong coverage expectation for a customer, leaving the adjuster to deliver the bad news. Adjusters may get overloaded and not return phone calls in a timely manner, resulting in a complaint to the agent’s office. In the worst case scenario, adjusters and agents may badmouth each other to customers, putting customers in the middle. Clearly, agencies have a role to play in the claim process. Enabling agents and their staff to perform their role efficiently with empathy and professionalism can benefit customers, agents, and the claims department. Read more this week from Melissa Loew.

    2 comments
  19. Encounters of the Best Kind Can Create The Strongest Claims Organizations July 20, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, Customer Service, SPOT on Issues, SPOT on Ops.

    Companies cannot define their core “brand” through brute marketing and advertising. Rather, customers define what that brand is in their individual interactions with the company. Those interactions can either be transactions or encounters. Encounters make the relationship stronger while transactions result in a worse relationship or one that stays the same. This is no different in the claims professional’s world. How can claims professionals create encounters, and avoid transactions, in their interactions with their customers?

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  20. In Claims Don’t Let The Process “Thing” Get In The Way Of Doing The “Right” Thing July 19, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    Making a check in the process won’t ensure the matter is done right. I have written, and am a big proponent of, the importance of good process as a way to ensure good results. Putting a proper process in place is a road-map to help move claims to a prompt fair resolution. Nonetheless, doing and focusing on the process without making sure the outcome is sound is doing things right without doing the right thing. It’s so easy in claims to focus on the process and not use the process as a means to the end

    2 comments
  21. 5 Questions To Ask Property Adjusters Before Making That Partnership July 9, 2010

    Posted in Due Diligence, SPOT on Ops.

    Selecting the right partner for your property adjustment needs can be absolutely crucial to meeting stake-holder needs across the claims process. Making the wrong decision up-front can create countless problems down the road.

    At a high level, claims executives might look for synergy, good philosophical fit, and a proven track record. But what about day-to-day operational considerations? What should be included in your detailed market evaluations, your informational meetings with potential vendors, or even your RFI and RFP for property adjustment services?

    Learn how to not not shortchange the process by not asking the right questions in Taylor Smith’s posting of 5 questions to ask property adjusters before making the partnership.

    1 comment
  22. Social Media And Claims Investigation: Do You Know About Foursquare? June 28, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    Undoubtedly, you’ve read plenty of articles or have been to numerous presentations regarding the use of social media to investigate claimants. At this point, the novelty of Facebook and MySpace has worn off. The same can be said about Twitter. Everyone knows at this point to take a look at those platforms when searching a claimant’s background. Enough said. However, seemingly with every new day comes a new social media application. One relatively new application that you should also take a look at during your claims investigation is Foursquare.

    Learn more from out latest contributor, Christian Stegmaier, JD and look for more articles from Christian in the weeks to come.

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  23. You Can’t Wait Till The Last Minute To Improve You Operation – Planning Starts Now! June 22, 2010

    Posted in SPOT on Ops.

    In a a great analogy about the rapid growth of lily pads in a pond, we discuss the need to start strategic planning to solve problems before they become to hard to deal with. Like most industries, adopting and changing with the times can be a difficult proposition. It takes time to think of issues, come up with solutions and implement the changes. Insurance companies have added legal, compliance and regulatory concerns to say nothing of complex (sometimes outdated) information technology systems. Regardless, it’s not too late to address issues such as a social media or mobile strategy. We give two suggestions of recent trends that should be explored by claims organizations over then next few years.

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  24. The Need For Claim Auditing In Catastrophe Loss Situations Such As The Gulf Tragedy June 15, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, Claims Auditing, Rick Woollams (Chartis Chief Claims Officer), SPOT on Issues.

    The tragedy of the Deepwater Horizon and the aftermath seem to be a topic of constant conversation. From an insurance perspective there is a large amount of criticism being brought to bear on the claims process. The massive administrative organization that has been established to handle what are already tens of thousands of claims is an undertaking that could be fraught with problems. In today’s post from The Claims SPOT we discuss how auditing in the Catastrophe situation is an important part of the process to ensure claims are paid quickly and appropriately while at the same time preventing fraud.

    Take a look and join the conversation.

    Like what you read? Pass it along to a friend and suggest they subscribe.

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  25. Change Hats With Someone And Free Your Mind To Make Your Claims Operation Better June 9, 2010

    Posted in Best Practices, SPOT on Issues.

    Don’t limit what you can imagine by what you know – look to others to help improve your claims department.

    In Trading Places: A Smart Way to Change Your Mind, Harvard Business Review contributor, Bill Taylor discusses the “power of a whole new mindset about innovation.” The article goes into what happened when two CEO’s switched companies for a day and the learning that came from the new perspectives they had. The Claims SPOT discusses how having claims adjusters switch roles with different disciplines can be a new way to expand their skills. Having managers sit with other business divisions, such as underwriting or actuarial, can be a great way to get a better understanding of the entire insurance process outside of claims. And lastly, looking outside of claims and insurance altogether to change hats and free your mind to new ways to make your operation better.

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