Lost Policy Service Helps Tennesseans Recover $1.6M in Life Insurance Benefits

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 20 -- The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance issued the following news:

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) reminds Tennesseans of an online tool that has so far returned over $1,679,721 in life insurance benefits to Tennesseans since last year.

Available since 2016, the Life Insurance Policy Locator Service helps consumers locate benefits from life insurance policies and annuity contracts. Developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the service enables beneficiaries, executors, or legal representatives of a deceased person to track down the life insurance policies or annuity contracts of deceased family members or friends.

"The death of a loved one is an emotionally draining time, and the last thing consumers want to do is track down an insurance policy that may have been purchased 20 years ago from a company that has since merged," said TDCI Assistant Commissioner Michael Humphreys. "We are pleased that the policy search has helped Tennesseans. We encourage others to take advantage of this free service."

In the eight-month period from November 4, 2016 to June 30, 2017, Tennessee had a total of 491 requests for lost policy searches and $1,679,721 in life insurance benefits was returned to beneficiaries through the program.

As a first step in locating a loved one's lost policy, TDCI suggests looking through papers or financial records to see if you can find where payments were being made to an insurance company. If you find any documents with an insurance company name listed, you should contact the company directly to see if a life policy can be located.

If that search does not provide sufficient information, a request form to locate a lost policy may be submitted with the NAIC by an individual who believes they are a beneficiary of a policy issued in Tennessee, or from an executor or legally authorized representative of a deceased individual who may have lived in Tennessee when a policy was issued or an annuity was purchased.

The request form can be submitted to the NAIC through the website or email at help@naic.org.

The NAIC does not accept paper submissions. However, paper submission can be submitted to TDCI by printing the request form and sending it to TDCI by mail, email, or fax using the following contact information:

Lost Policy Service Request

Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance, Consumer Insurance Services Section

500 James Robertson Parkway, Davy Crockett Tower, 6th Floor

Nashville, Tennessee 37243

Fax: (615) 532-7389

Please note: A copy of a death certificate is required when filing a request.

For more information on the Lost Policy Service and other consumer insurance resources, visit the TDCI website or contact the TDCI Consumer Insurance Service Division at 1-800-342-4029 or (615) 741-2218.