Monthly Archives: May 2011

Take Advantage of Great Learning Opportunities In Claims

Posted on by
Reply

Listening to Other Experts in the Industry is One of the Best Ways to Improve the Future

War stories are really a great way to learn about how to improve claims handling. Claims professionals love telling a great claims story and I know I have learned so much from those stories of the past.  When the opportunity to learn from those involved in major past events occurs it is best to jump at that chance to learn something new. The upcoming Americas Claims Event Conference in New Orleans this June 14-16, 2011 is just one of those opportunities to learn from some great speakers.

Stephen Cozen, one of the founders of the Philadelphia law firm of Cozen & O’Conner, will be giving the keynote address in New Orleans on June 15, 2011. Among his prior accomplishments, Mr. Cozen has been a part of some of the largest claim disputes in the past few decades including the 1980 fire at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the walkway collapse at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City in 1981.  Most recently, Mr. Cozen joined the list of outside attorneys helping BP deal with the fallout from last summers Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

As the Deepwater Horizon accident showed the industry yet again, the nature and extent of catastrophe losses can create new issues for even the most well established claims entities. Mr. Cozen give his insight into this major loss that gave birth to a number of claim and coverage issues not previously seen in the industry.

Other keynote speakers will include Paul Tuhy, Global Head of Claims for XL Insurance and Peter Piotrowski, SVP and Head of Private Client Group, CHARTIS.

This event will provide claims professionals another great opportunity to listen to those leaders shaping the industry. Continuing our mission to help make claims handlers better, we think this is a great opportunity to learn from some of the best in the industry.

3 Ways to Make Your Claim Notes Better

Posted on by
4

Writing Shouldn’t Be a Chore

Recently I have been spending a lot of time auditing claim files.  It’s really a great exercise to review files, and an important part of well-run claims organization.  One thing that continues to amaze me is the number of files that have poor documentation.  Writing good claim file notes are an important part of handling a claim file. Claim notes record the history of what is going on in addition to the reasoning behind claims decisions.  Good claim notes tell a story.

For some reason, putting notes in a file has turned into a painful exercise for many claims professionals. I am not sure why this has happened, but maybe it’s because of added pressure to document files – the dotting of the “i” mentality – or maybe it’s increasing file loads. Either way, good claim notations have suffered.

I am a big advocate that claim notes do not need to be treatises on what has taken place.  There should be no reason to write paragraphs and paragraphs to explain events when a sentence or two will do. You are a claims PROFESSIONAL and are being paid for your professional abilities to summarize and analyze the facts.  Be brief and get to the point and you will find notes will be easier to write and certainly easier to read.

Write Better Notes with These 3 Suggestions

  • Reserve Notes: When reviewing a reserve, and certainly when changing a reserve, a brief note should be put in the file explaining the reasoning behind the reserve. There is no need to write a book, rather simply state “I have changed the reserve to $10,000 because we received new information about medical treatment that had not been considered.”  A good note will explain the action taken in 2 to 3 sentences.
  • Speak English: I know this seems like a silly statement, but I have often read claim notes that are so full of abbreviations that it would be impossible for anyone to know what was being said except for the author.  Does this type of note make sense?

49 year old Private Bar Attendant who sustained injury to her RUE subsequent to her U&C duties on a CT basis.Rcv’d ltr from DA re EE dcsn 2 c new MD. Have been advised that clmnt no longer has TPD but is now a PPD.

  • Plans of Action: Before you get into your car I am fairly certain you know where you are going to go and how you are going to get there.  When you look at a claim file the same should be true. Every file should have a direction, a plan, a way to get from point “a” to point “b”.  A concise plan of action describing the next steps and plans to bring the claim to a conclusion should be a regular part of your note taking habits.

There are certainly more ways to improve notes. Regardless, these three establish a foundation to improving your ability to properly document all that great work you do.

Are There Any Other Suggestions To Improve File Notes?