How to Protect Yourself From Insurance Companies

Insurance is protection for you and your property. It provides reimbursement and coverage for services when a loss or illness occurs. Regardless of the type of insurance, from health to homeowners to auto, you need to ensure you have enough coverage and understand what is covered. The more knowledge you gather about your policies, the better you can protect yourself when you need to file a claim. Licensed agents and consumer resources at your state's department of insurance can help you with this.

Instructions

• 1

  Read all of the information from your insurance company. This includes any summary plan description, evidence of coverage, policies, brochures and other communications provided from your insurer. This information will include information about covered benefits, claims submission, how to appeal decisions and network information.

• 2

  Ask your health care provider to submit treatment plans or requests for pre-authorization before you receive any non-routine or preventive services. This may include specialist visits, outpatient procedures, behavioral health care and lab work. You will likely need pre-certification of any inpatient or surgical procedures. Call your health insurer to inquire if pre-certification is required for the requested service.

• 3

  Stay in network if you participate in a HMO or PPO type of health plan. HMOs require you to stay in network, and you'll protect yourself from denials and doctor bills by only using network providers, labs, facilities and hospitals. PPOs allow you to go out of network; however, you pay a higher price for services.

• 4

  Review the list of benefit limitations and exclusions for all types of your insurance policies. For health insurance, review the frequency of allowed services and what services are not covered. For homeowners insurance, note if you have coverage for floods, hurricanes or other areas not typically covered. For automobile coverage, make sure you policy is current and you have insurance cards. You may want to purchase riders to your policies to ensure full coverage.

• 5

  Make sure you have enough coverage for homeowners and automobile insurance. Ask a health agent or resources at your state's department of insurance for assistance if you are not sure how much coverage you need. You want to protect your property and yourself with enough coverage if you need to file a claim.

• 6

  Ask for a police report and witness statements if you are involved in a car accident. If you have this information when submitting a claim to your auto insurer, it can protect you if other parties file a claim against you.