NAIC Sets up Consumer Call Centers to Respond to Resident Needs

By Tabitha Naylor
Contributing Writer

To assist New Jersey and other Eastern Seaboard residents in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, State insurance regulators, working cooperatively through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), are coordinating efforts.

Last week in the NAIC’s Central Office in Kansas City, Missouri, the NAIC has set up a consumer assistance call center to help field calls and respond to residents’ needs. As it responds to a high volume of telephone calls regarding losses associated with the disaster, the call center will initially help support the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance.

Working directly with the public, volunteers in the call center will perform tasks such as responding to general inquiries as well as collecting claims information. This information will then be transmitted to the New Jersey Department.

“State insurance regulators from across the country are united to provide assistance to our colleagues in New Jersey and other states that may need assistance or support services during this disaster recovery,” said Kevin McCarty, NAIC President and Florida Insurance Commissioner.

He added that to promptly assist consumers during this difficult time, this call center will effectively allow to centralize and maximize its ability. Following Hurricane Katrina, the successful coordinated efforts demonstrated readiness for recovery and thus, they are confident that its response systems are in place to act appropriately.

Kenneth Kobylowski, Acting Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, stated that yet another example of the collaborative strength of its state-based regulatory system is the quick mobilization of this consumer call center. Ready to respond in disaster recovery efforts and to answer questions, address concerns and facilitate the claims process, consumers can count on the fact that its national system of state regulation has experts on the ground.

The center will initially be staffed by regulators from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Operating Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. central standard time, the center is expected to handle calls for several months.

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