If a person was asked what a Claims Department does at an insurance company, more than half would say, “That’s simple, when a loved one comes to the end of their life, the insurance company pays beneficiaries”. I too would have been one of those that said, “That’s simple”. Talking with our ELCO Mutual Claims Department has made me reexamine this proclamation. Our claims team may make the process look easy, but it is anything but. I discovered that a lot of care goes into each and every claim.
The ELCO Claims Department is made up of five moving parts. Mary Navulis with 28 years of service is the department Supervisor. With another collective 28 years of service at ELCO, the other four team members are Danielle Ruiz, Diane Vrabel, Dianne Green, and Steve Rudy. When asked what claims meant to them, each had a different answer. Helping beneficiaries, assisting families, guiding, making a painful process easier, and my favorite was, ‘”being freaky fast”. How could all these things be that simple? Answer, by simply caring about each person on the other end of the hundreds of faxes, emails, and telephone calls.
When our clients and agents call in to file a claim, the process can be both emotional and involved. It’s emotional because the claims team has to be sensitive and competent at the same time. It’s involved because, it can be hard for the client to understand the paperwork, and the in-depth examination that goes on behind the scenes. The feeling was unanimous that each team member is a great fit for this department. Interactions with clients have proved them out with the many letters of thanks. These letters include such phrases as, “you are amazing”, “very professional”, and “extraordinarily knowledgeable”. Time and time again, the words prompt, informative, and easy were used. This “We Care Team” is changing the way we think about a claims department. And, there are more changes on the horizon for this team in 2017. It is shaping up to be a very busy and shall we say, innovative year for them all. Looking ahead to the future includes automating the claims process. With the help of the NAIC’s Policy Locator System, the claims department will be able to assist more people to locate a life insurance or annuity policy for an individual that is deceased. Being partnered with LOMA, a trusted source of quality training and development in the insurance industry, and the ICA, means more class time for ELCO’s Claims Department.
It looks like the Claims Department will be exceedingly busy in 2017. It also looks like this claims department is ready and able to take care of anything you might have for them.
ELCO Mutual’s Claims Department,
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