How to become and Insurance Examiner
Insurance examiners, claims representative, claims examiner and insurance adjusters are some of the titles that essentially describe the same job. Insurance examiners are employed by the claims department of an insurance company. Their main function is to detect cases of fraud during a review of cases submitted for claim payments. Becoming an examiner requires a good education, hard work and dedication.
The initial step towards becoming a claims examiner is to earn a college degree. While it is true that there are some claims examiners with only a high school diploma, the field is becoming more competitive and now a majority of the examiners hold a minimum of an associate’s degree, but a bachelor’s is now the preferred choice. There are no degree programs that are specifically designed for claims examiners; employers look for people with formal training in the insurance field.
Many of the states require their examiners to be certified or hold a license. So, depending on the state one resides in, it is important to become familiar with the state requirements. Some of the states even require their examiners to have a certain amount of experience so one may have to become a trainee after completion of their education and before being able to practice on their own.
A large number of the companies have in-house training programs. Many insurance companies hire new examiners as trainees, which gives the trainees the necessary work experience as well as provide job-related coursework. A significant number of companies now look to hire individuals who have some legal experience for claims having to do with liability, people with medical experience for health claims and individuals having engineering or architectural background to become examiners for industrial claims. The field of insurance examiners is becoming more specialized.
Working under an experienced supervisor, a newly hired trainee starts by working on the simpler cases and builds up to the more complex ones. A mixture of analytic and people skills go a long way in helping an insurance claims examiner. In evaluating a health insurance claim, the examiner may have to deal with medical experts and understand medical records, whereas a case dealing with life insurance policies will require examiners to establish cause of death. Some cases may even require negotiations on behalf of the company. Trainee openings can be found in newspapers, internet job boards or through industry linked websites.
Once the training period is over, one can become an independent insurance examiner. Since the insurance field is ever evolving with new regulations or court judgments, it is important to keep on top of things by routinely taking courses to keep skills current. Advancement opportunities are usually in-house, while it is possible to advance by jumping from one company to another. Keeping the resume updated by participating in workshops, seminars, and classes improves the chances of advancement.
The position of insurance examiner offers good pay and the hours are regular. If one is looking for a stable work live then this is a good field. Normally, claims examiners in the life and health insurance field have the normal forty hours week from an assigned office. However, those dealing in property or casualty insurance will generally have longer work weeks that require travel.
The only negative aspect of the job is when one has to turn down an excessive claim or one that is not covered in the policy. This becomes more difficult in the health field where medical care of ill people comes into play. The salaries of insurance examiners vary according to location, but the average salary is $57,000.