Guidelines For Filing Insurance Claims
By Alexander Gordon

Different Procedures for Filing Different Insurance Claims

Guidelines for filing insurance claims differ with the different types of policies. If you are filing insurance claims for medical insurance, then you should do it within two months of the medical appointment. Before filing insurance claims, do not forget to get the photocopies of all the papers you are sending to the insurance company. If the matter is not settled even after the 45 days of filing claim, contact the insurance company to resolve the issue immediately. You also need to ascertain that the doctor has indicated appropriate diagnosis codes in the receipts. Insurance company may delay the process in absence of these codes.

Call the Agent Immediately

Guidelines for filing insurance claims for other kinds of insurance require that you should thoroughly examine whatever property has been damaged. Then call the insurance provider or the agent so that you can report the damage to the insurance company. Here it is important that you note the name of the person to whom you are talking along with the record of date and time. Do not forget to give him your phone number so that he can contact you immediately as and when required. Keep handy your insurance policy number at the time of reporting. Call a photographer so that the photography or the video recording of the damaged area can be done.

Make Temporary Repairs Only Before Inspection

Do not make any permanent repairs unless the claim adjuster has examined the property and estimated the extent of the damage. However, it is possible to do necessary repair work to prevent the property from being damaged further. For example, you can repair holes in the roof or windows so that the water does not come in and make further damages. You are entitled to get the reimbursement for the amount of money you paid for temporary repairs, so keep a record of it along with all receipts. However, you should keep damaged material so that you can show it to the adjuster as a proof of the loss. It will make it easy for the adjuster to assess the damages to the property. You should put your signature on the statement of proof of loss and ascertain that if any further damage is discovered it will also be added.

Buy To Let Property Insurance
Joseph Kenny 

Buy-to-let property insurance, some times also known as residential property owners insurance, is needed if you own houses and/or flats to tenants – either on a short-term or long-term basis. Ordinarily you can buy cheap buy-to-let property insurance in the event that you rent five or less properties in the UK than is the case if you rent more than five properties, as in the case of the former you are seen as a small time landlord with a small business, whereas in the latter you are seen as a full blown property-owning company.

Whether you plan to rent five or less properties, or five or more properties, is, however, a side issue, as in both cases you’ll need to ensure that you have at least the minimum level of required insurance in order to protect yourself. Consequently, the number of properties you own will have a bearing only insofar as the insurance premiums are concerned. That said, if you are looking to become a property owner with a letting business, then you need to ensure that you have the following minimum provisions in your insurance policy:

Fire
Insuring against any fire on the property

Natural Disaster (also known as tempest insurance)
Insuring against natural disasters that may occur, such as a storm where the winds tear off your roof or guttering

Theft
Which is especially important if you are renting out fully furnished properties. In the event that you are renting out unfurnished premises, you may wish to have a discussion with your tenants about whether or not they should have home contents insurance

Public Liability Insurance
This should be a must as it will protect you against any claims your tenants or any third parties (such as their guests) may have for injuries they suffer while on your property.

Your Hurricane Claim Settlement - The Second Storm!
By Don Wood

The first storm has come and gone. The trauma, confusion, and stress of dealing with the debris, the cramped living conditions, and the loss of your property remains. Your insurance company adjusters may have already inspected your loss, but you don't know the outcome yet. What do you do?

You're running out of cash. The atms have no power. But the restaurants are shut down anyway. Any remaining food was ruined when the power went out. The traffic signals are down. Nails and debris are in the roads. Everybody has flat tires. No compressors are available to fill them since gas stations have no electricity. Hundreds of street signs are missing, so you painted your house numbers and policy number on the front of your damaged home to help adjusters and contractors find you. You probably even painted your cell phone number on a wall inside the vacant home. Familiar landmarks are shambles. When you got to your home, there were no lights and no air conditioning. The missing shingles and shattered windows let in so much rain that everything is cooking in the humidity. Mold will begin in a few days. Mold - probably excluded from your insurance policy, but there's nothing you can do, since it will take weeks for the utility company to string power lines back to your neighborhood. But of course, you can't turn on the power until your home is inspected and repaired.

You've got to find rental property. The hotels that are still open are already full. Rents increase rapidly as displaced homeowners compete for housing. You now have a commute from a strange neighborhood. Your kids will be in a different school until yours is rebuilt. Churches, schools, neighbors - all are shut down. Sporadic cell phone service is all there is, since there are no working land lines in your old neighborhood.

You had never eaten a Red Cross-prepared meal before, but now it's delicious. You join the line with the relief workers. You look for contractors in the line. Do they know what they are doing? Are they qualified? How will you obtain repair materials? How do you get the insurance company to pay the costs that have escalated due to shortages?