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Ohio Insurance Department Saves $11.6M
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Department of Insurance saved or recovered $11.6 million for Ohioans in 2011. The department also received 5,336 consumer complaints, the majority of which dealt with the denial of insurance claims.
Specifically, of the savings realized by Ohio consumers, $7.6 million came from complaints related to personal auto, homeowners and renters insurance, according to Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, also state insurance director. In addition, $2.6 million came from accident and health claims, $566,000 came from life and annuity claims, and all other coverage claims totaled $154,000.
Also included in the total savings is more than $757,000 from last fall's eight-week Medicare annual open enrollment period, Taylor noted. From Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program provided counseling and assistance to Ohioans over the phone and in person at more than 100 events across the state.
The top types of Ohio consumer complaint reasons for 2011 are:
- Denial of claim (32.3%)
- Claim settlement/payment delay (15.5%)
- Claim settlement/unsatisfactory offer (12.6%)
- Premium rating (5.3%)
- Policy cancellation/non-renewal (4.6%)
- The top types of complaints by coverage include:
- Accident and health (43%)
- Personal auto (22%)
- Life and annuity (11.8%)
- Homeowner and renter (18%)
- Other coverage (5.2%)
Ohio consumers who would like to file a complaint or have insurance questions are invited to call the department's consumer hotline at 800-686-1526.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.