Lanzko Insights/The Claims SPOT

Best Practices | SPOT on Issues

Why Extending More Claims Authority Means Extending More Responsibility
ByMarc Lanzkowsky September 10, 2010

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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Best Practices | Litigation Management | SPOT on Ops

3 Ways To Help Defense Counsel Help You Make Claims Management More Efficient
ByMarc Lanzkowsky September 3, 2010

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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Claims Technology | Due Diligence | SPOT on Ops

Quick SPOT: 6 Security Tips To Keep Portable Technology Safe For Claims
ByMarc Lanzkowsky August 27, 2010

If you are like me you keep everything on your laptop and cell phone. Numbers, corporate information, claims data, and even some of the dreaded non-private personal information of others. Claims data is filled with information that if lost or stolen could be detrimental to both the company and the individual. Many companies today issue corporate cell phones and blackberry devices as well as laptop computes in place of desktops. It’s a modern world and we are all expected to be connected. Partial work at home arrangements also mean this information is traveling from location to location which can increase the risk that things may be lost or stolen.

Take a look at these suggestions to help keep your claim information safe and secure in the latest post from the Claims SPOT.

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Medical Malpractice | SPOT on Issues

AMA Study Finds Almost 1 Malpractice Claim Is Filed For Every Physician – Not Really Shocking
ByMarc Lanzkowsky August 23, 2010August 17, 2010

A study from the American Medical Association (AMA) reports that an average of 95 medical liability claims are filed for every 100 physicians, almost one per physician. The AMA study looked at 42 specialties and was from a sample size of over 5,800 physicians. The number of medical liability claims is not an indication of the frequency of medical error, as the physician prevails 90 percent of the time in cases that go to trial. While 65 percent of claims are dropped or dismissed, they are not cost-free.

Read More AMA Study Finds Almost 1 Malpractice Claim Is Filed For Every Physician – Not Really Shocking
My SPOT

The Claims SPOT Has Been Selected As One Of The Top 50 Insurance Blogs For 2009
ByMarc Lanzkowsky August 17, 2010August 20, 2010

The claims SPOT has been designated one of the LexisNexis Top 50 Insurance Blog. Thank you to all our readers for reading and your continued support!

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Best Practices | SPOT on Issues

Promote Creative Thinking To Get The Most Out Of Your Claims Staff
ByMarc Lanzkowsky August 16, 2010August 13, 2010

Good workers are sometimes all that claims departments look for and, given the nature of claims these days, it is not a bad thing. There is so much to do and so little time to do it and good workers, however you define them, are great to have. But how often are creative thinkers looked for? In a video lecture from, Sir Ken Robinson, he asks why don’t we get the best out of people? He argues that it’s because we’ve been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Do you recognize that employee in your organization? How should we promote creative thinking in the claims world – read more in today’s post at the Claims SPOT.

Read More Promote Creative Thinking To Get The Most Out Of Your Claims Staff
Best Practices | SPOT on Issues

3 Suggestions To Beat The Summer Slow Down In Claims (If You Do Slow Down)
ByMarc Lanzkowsky August 3, 2010August 2, 2010

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.

Read More 3 Suggestions To Beat The Summer Slow Down In Claims (If You Do Slow Down)
Customer Service | SPOT on Issues | SPOT on Ops

Why Can’t We All Get Along? Making The Agent A Partner In The Claims Process
ByMelissa Loew July 27, 2010July 27, 2010

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.

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Customer Service | SPOT on Ops

Increasing Claims Satisfaction Doesn’t Mean Increasing Staff
ByMelissa Loew July 21, 2010July 19, 2010

Is it possible to increase claim satisfaction and decrease cost at the same time? Many claim representatives say no. Some view that satisfaction is driven by the ratio of adjusters to claims – having more people to handle claims means higher satisfaction, although also higher loss adjustment expense. Some believe that higher settlement amounts result in higher satisfaction and higher loss costs.

As the Claims SPOT welcomes new contributing author, Melissa Loew, see how customer satisfaction can be addressed in tight staffing markets.

Read More Increasing Claims Satisfaction Doesn’t Mean Increasing Staff
Best Practices | SPOT on Issues

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

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

Read More In Claims Don’t Let The Process “Thing” Get In The Way Of Doing The “Right” Thing