Ohio consumers saved or recovered more than $23 million last year through the Ohio Department of Insurance’s toll-free hotlines, community outreach efforts and counseling sessions, according to the department.
Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who is the department’s director, announced in a news release that nearly 200,000 Ohioans benefitted from the services last year.
“Each and every day, the department is working with consumers to help resolve their complaints and answer their questions,” Taylor said.
However, the department did not exceed its own record of how much money they saved for Ohio consumers in 2012, when the department says it saved or recovered a record $24.4 million for Ohio consumers.
The department assisted 190,000 Ohioans in 2012.
Of the $23.5 million saved and recovered in 2013, more than $16 million was from the department’s Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program.
The top five reasons for Ohio consumer complaints include denial of claim, claim settlement and policy service, according to the release. The top five types of Ohio consumer complaints by coverage include health insurance, homeowners or renters insurance and personal auto insurance.
Many of the complaints by Ohio consumers were also listed in the top five reasons for national consumer complaints and the top five types of national consumer complaints by coverage, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
“We have free information on our website, of course, and we also will be doing statewide outreach in 2014,” said department spokesman Robert Denhard said.
The department urges Ohioans to know their insurance policies, file claims as soon as possible and ask their insurance companies questions regarding specific language in the policies, among other tips.
@KellyPFisher
kf398711@ohiou.edu
This article originally ran in print under the headline "Millions saved by insurance programs"
