November 2021
Fighting Insurance Fraud to Protect Ohioans
by Judith L. French, Director
The act of insurance fraud -- the intentional submission of a false or deceptive statement to an insurance company for financial gain -- is one of the major white-collar crimes in the U.S. More than $40 billion of it occurs annually, increasing the cost of insurance for families by around $700 each year.
Fighting insurance fraud to protect Ohioans is a priority for the Ohio Department of Insurance. In November, we announced the revocation of an insurance agent's license after a department investigation confirmed the agent stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance premiums and trust funds from a number of Ohio funeral directors.
Each day, we are working through various channels, including with our law enforcement and industry partners, to bring those who commit insurance fraud, and professional misconduct, to justice.
During the department’s past fiscal year, we received 7,980 allegations of agent misconduct and insurance fraud from insurance companies, consumers, government agencies, and law enforcement entities. As the result, we opened 777 administrative and criminal investigations, identified 142 potential law violations, and took administrative and/or criminal action against 103 individuals. Several cases involved millions of dollars.
Some of the common types of allegations we receive include false and inflated homeowner and automobile insurance claims, staged auto accidents, car thefts, burglaries, arson, intentional damage to property, slip and fall claims, and fraudulent medical billings.
Last month, during International Fraud Awareness Week, we urged Ohioans to report insurance fraud to us. So join the insurance fraud fight and report it through our website or 1-800-686-1527. Reporting insurance fraud can be anonymous and the law provides protection from civil liability in the absence of fraud or bad faith.
For more insurance fraud insights, please visit this section of our website.
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Director French and Senior Policy Adviser Lori Barron Share Thoughts on Insurance Innovation
Ohio Department of Insurance director Judith L. French and senior policy adviser Lori Barron were interviewed by Michael Fiedel, a Managing Director at InsurTech Ohio and Co-Founder at PolicyFly, Inc.
The interview focused on important topics around insurance innovation in the state, including the work of the department's emerging products division, types of emerging products that are the future of the insurance industry, and what insurance and technology entrepreneurs should consider.
Helping Healthcare Professionals Understand Mental Health Insurance
The Ohio Department of Insurance continues its robust effort to educate Ohioans about mental health and substance use disorder insurance benefits.
Healthcare professionals can assist patients in understanding, and sometimes appealing, their mental health and substance use disorder benefits and/or claim decisions.
Find out how in this toolkit and contact the department with any questions.
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Enrolling in Marketplace Coverage for 2022
The open enrollment period for 2022 health insurance coverage through the Ohio federal marketplace and other individual plans is underway.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners created a toolkit to simplify how it all works.
The Ohio Department of Insurance has also created a toolkit, which includes a listing of companies selling in Ohio and their premium information.
Ohioans Urged to Winterize Property and Review Insurance for Winter
Property winterization and ensuring adequate insurance protection could help minimize the financial impact of damaging weather.
Use these tips and insights to get started!
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Consumer Education Pieces on Health Insurance Launched
A new series of consumer education pieces about health insurance is available from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The series aims to help policyholders better understand how to get the most out of their health insurance coverage.
Reminder: 2021 Annual Title Reviews Due Jan. 15
Licensed Ohio title insurance agents and agencies or their authorized representatives are required to file an annual title agent/agency review.
Authorized agents and agencies should upload annual title review forms to the Ohio Department of Insurance through OH|ID.
Annual filings for the 2021 filing period (Sept. 1, 2020 - Aug. 31, 2021) are due by Jan. 15, 2022.
Access detailed annual title filing information and instructions on this page of the department's website.
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Medicare Open Enrollment Deadline Dec. 7
Ohioans are reminded that the deadline to secure Medicare coverage for 2022 through open enrollment is Dec. 7 at midnight. Plan information is available at medicare.gov.
Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) staff are available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800-686-1578 and OSHIIPmail@insurance.ohio.gov to answer any questions.
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