Louisiana Policyholders Receive Additional $9.1 Million With Help From the LDI

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, Jan. 26 -- The Louisiana Department of Insurance issued the following news release:

Commissioner Jim Donelon is pleased to announce that last year the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) helped consumers collect $9.1 million in payouts in addition to the original amounts offered by insurance companies. These additional funds are the result of consumers filing complaints with the LDI Office of Consumer Services staff who review consumer complaints and work with company representatives to resolve disagreements.

"Consumers reach out to us when they have questions or concerns about their insurance, whether it's in regards to understanding what their policies cover, or being unhappy with the claim settlement offered." Commissioner Donelon said.

In 2017,the LDI received 3,479 complaints and helped consumers recover $9,111,303 in additional payments from insurers. By comparison, in 2016 the LDI helped consumers recover $7,604,380 from 4,369 filed complaints. The decrease in complaint numbers is a result of the 2016 flooding events that struck our state.

Funds recovered are from formal complaints regarding property and casualty, health, and life and annuities products. Information on complaints and funds recovered in 2017 are broken down by insurance product as follows:

Click here to view Table: http://www.ldi.louisiana.gov/news/press-releases/1-26-18-louisiana-policyholders-receive-additional-$9-1-million-with-help-from-the-ldi

Insurance consumers may file a formal complaint online by going to www.ldi.la.gov/fileacomplaint or by completing and submitting a paper form. Louisiana policyholders may also meet with Consumer Services staff at the Department of Insurance in Baton Rouge between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to discuss their issues and file a complaint if warranted.

Policyholders who file a complaint will be given the name of the examiner assigned to their case and a tracking number they can use to check the progress of their case online. The average complaint takes 45 days to fully investigate, depending on the complexity of the case.

The LDI also has an online feature where consumers can view the number of complaints filed against companies who write insurance in Louisiana. Consumers can visit www.ldi.la.gov/complaintdata to see complaints sorted by company name, premium written and the complaint index which measures complaints for a company relative to the amount of premium written.

Consumers with questions or complaints may contact the Office of Consumer Services by calling 1-800-259-5300. Specific areas where the Department can be of assistance include guidance following unsatisfactory resolution of a claim, help locating a life insurance policy and unbiased counseling navigating Medicare choices.