What Do Property Claims Examiners Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Property Claims Examiners review settled insurance claims to determine that payments and settlements have been made in accordance with company practices and procedures. Report overpayments, underpayments, and other irregularities. Confer with legal counsel on claims requiring litigation. They also investigate, evaluate, and settle claims, applying technical knowledge and human relations skills to effect fair and prompt disposal of cases and to contribute to a reduced loss ratio.

Other tasks include:

• Supervise claims adjusters to ensure that adjusters have followed proper methods.
• Adjust reserves or provide reserve recommendations to ensure that reserve activities are consistent with corporate policies.
• Resolve complex, severe exposure claims, using high service oriented file handling.
• Pay and process claims within designated authority level.
• Examine claims investigated by insurance adjusters, further investigating questionable claims to determine whether to authorize payments.
• Verify and analyze data used in settling claims to ensure that claims are valid and that settlements are made according to company practices and procedures.

We asked Property Claims Examiners how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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70% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 47% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Property Claims Examiners enter claim payments, reserves and new claims on computer system, inputting concise yet sufficient file documentation. They investigate, evaluate, and settle claims, applying technical knowledge and human relations skills to effect fair and prompt disposal of cases and to contribute to a reduced loss ratio.

A typical day for a Property and Casualty Insurance Claims Examiner will also include:

• Maintain claim files, such as records of settled claims and an inventory of claims requiring detailed analysis.
• Pay and process claims within designated authority level.
• Conduct detailed bill reviews to implement sound litigation management and expense control.
• Contact or interview claimants, doctors, medical specialists, or employers to get additional information.
• Supervise claims adjusters to ensure that adjusters have followed proper methods.

We asked some Property Claims Examiners a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	100% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	57% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	61% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	70% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	8% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	75% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Property Claims Examiners also present cases and participate in their discussion at claim committee meetings. They may also communicate with reinsurance brokers to obtain information necessary for processing claims.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Property Claims Examiners Report overpayments, underpayments, and other irregularities. They might also Prepare reports to be submitted to company’s data processing department.

In addition, they Resolve complex, severe exposure claims, using high service oriented file handling.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Confer with legal counsel on claims requiring litigation.

To some Property Claims Examiners, it is also their responsibility to Conduct detailed bill reviews to implement sound litigation management and expense control.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Property and Casualty Insurance Claims Examiner, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas..

They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/business-and-financial/claims-adjusters-appraisers-examiners-and-investigators.htm

http://www.claim.org/index.cfm

http://www.napia.com/

http://www.theinstitutes.org/