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How We Can Help Required Documentation File a Complaint Companies with Complaints External Review: External Healthcare Review Guidance Your Rights Learn about laws that protect you: Your Policy Claims Credit History Unfair Trade Practices Contact Us Insurance questions? Email: Consumer Services Call: 907-269-7900 — or — 1-800-INSURAK (in-state, outside Anchorage) Consumer Alerts Insurance Cyber Crime Alerts Cybercrime and Your Insurance Insurance Scammers and CyberCrime Scam Alert: DNA Cancer Checks Beware of Scam in Swabbing Cheeks of Seniors for DNA Cancer Checks The Consumer Protection Unit of the Alaska Attorney General’s Office warns Alaskans that a new health care scam is on the rise and may be coming to Alaska. The Division of Insurance has received reports of groups going to senior living communities, assisted living facilities, senior centers and RV/trailer parks offering to swab the cheeks of seniors for genetic material. The scammers are saying the swabs are to perform tests of DNA for cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. If a non-cancer patient provides material for genetic testing under the pretense that the test would be covered by Medicare, this may be a scam or fraud. Be alert if anyone asking to swab your cheeks requests that you agree to be billed for services in the event Medicare does not pay. Medicare has different guidelines regarding the testing of genetic material in patients depending on whether or not they have been diagnosed with cancer. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements must be met in order for such testing to be paid for by Medicare. Disreputable, roving “testers” may be committing Medicare fraud or trying to rip you off if Medicare does not pay. Do not give your Medicare number to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. Theft of your Medicare number is a common form of identity theft and it may be used to commit fraud. Guard your Medicare number as you would your social security number. If there are any questions, please contact the Consumer Protection Unit Staff at (907) 269-5208 or contact: cynthia.franklin@alaska.gov FEMA Risk Rating 2.0 Delayed until October 1, 2021 FEMA Defers the Implementation of Risk Rating 2.0 FEMA is focused on building a culture of preparedness by closing the insurance gap. Recognizing that purchasing flood insurance can be confusing and time-consuming, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is redesigning its risk rating system to improve the policyholder experience. Risk Rating 2.0 aims to accomplish this by leveraging industry best practices and current technology to deliver rates that are transparent, easy to understand, and better reflect a property’s unique flood risk. Through these efforts, FEMA’s goal is to make flood insurance significantly easier for agents to price and sell policies, and in turn, help customers better understand their flood risk and the importance of flood insurance. Demand for change has been building for a long time, and Risk Rating 2.0 will be the culmination of a multi-year effort. FEMA Risk Rating 2.0 Archives Consumer Notice Regarding Out-Of-Pocket Costs Notice The Alaska Division of Insurance invites consumers to learn more about how their health insurance company pays claims, and the out of pocket costs for which consumers are responsible. In addition to premiums, consumers may also be obligated to pay deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and amounts in excess of the allowed amount. Descriptions of the out-of-pocket costs to consumers can be found in the notice. We encourage all consumers to review their insurance plan policy or certificate to view plan benefit levels and the cost sharing structure in order to understand what charges your insurer pays, and which charges consumers pay. Consumers should consider all of the health care costs they will have, not just the premium they pay to their insurance company every month. Please note that a health care provider who fails to bill for or collect consumer portions of the cost sharing may be committing insurance fraud under AS 21.36.360(b). Marketplace Special Enrollment Period for Former Makina Health Beneficiaries Consumer Alert: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made a special enrollment period (SEP) available for Alaska residents who bought health insurance plans from Makina Health. The SEP will run from September 10, 2019, until November 9, 2019. Affected employers and their employees may reference this consumer alert available at www.insurance.alaska.gov to obtain information about the availability of this SEP and the process for enrolling in coverage. Makina Health offered health insurance plans in the state of Alaska without obtaining the appropriate Certificate of Authority by the Alaska Division of Insurance. As a result, the division issued a Cease & Desist Order on March 26, 2019. Benefits will be paid through June 30, 2019, by the Minimum Essential Coverage plans administered by Benveo or the Makina Health Cooperative. Alaska residents who qualify for this SEP may choose to have coverage start retroactive to July 1, 2019, due to Makina’s withdrawal from Alaska’s market as of June 30, 2019, with no advance notice to its beneficiaries. Alternatively, individuals eligible for the SEP may choose to have coverage start in the future. NAIC Consumer Alerts Do I Need Renters’ Insurance for College? What You Should Know About Homeowners Claims and Additional Living Expenses Cybersecurity Risk Management: How to Take Action Against Identity Theft What Is a Health Savings Account? Understanding the Purpose of an HSA Life Insurance Awareness Month Buying Your Dream Home? Protect Your Property with Title Insurance Understand How Credit and Other Factors Determine Your Premiums Tips to Help You Take Control of Your Health Care Costs Protect Your Home from Damaging Winter Weather What You Should Know About Named Storm Deductibles Disaster Preparedness and your Insurance If you experience an insurance-related claims-handling issue after a disaster, you are welcome to contact Consumer Services at the Alaska Division of Insurance (907-269-7900) with your concerns. Consumers can file complaints regarding their encountered issues on this website. For more information about filing a complaint, select this link. Disaster Preparedness Homeowners Insurance and Inflation Post-Disaster Claims Guide Protect your Home from Damaging Winter Weather Alaska Ready Together - My Emergency Plan Flood After the Fire Fact Sheet Flood after Fire: The Increased Risk (FEMA) Disaster Response: What Business Owners Need to Know Disaster Preparedness Checklist for Pets NAIC Home Insurance: What you Need to Know Take a Home Inventory Before a Disaster Occurs Disastersafety.org Prepare your Home for Disasters! Earthquake Resources Earthquake Insurance Earthquake Safety Checklist (FEMA) Consumer Guide to Earthquake Insurance (NAIC) Understanding Earthquake Deductibles (NAIC) Do you Know What to do Before and After an Earthquake? (NAIC) B18-17: Dominant Cause of Loss — Coverages available to consumers without earthquake insurance for their losses related to the November 30, 2018, 7.0 earthquake impacting southcentral Alaska. B18-16 (Supersedes B18-15): Fair treatment of consumers following the Anchorage earthquake on November 30, 2018 Press Release: Alaska Division of Insurance provides Earthquake Guidance NAIC Consumers Guide to Earthquake Insurance Landslide Resources Are home and business insurance coverage for landslides the same as for mudflow or earthquake? No. A landslide is considered an "earth movement" event so, like an earthquake, it is excluded from standard homeowners and business insurance policies. However, you can buy what’s commonly known as a "difference in conditions" policy (which typically offers all-in-one coverage for landslides, mudflows, earthquakes, and floods). Difference in conditions policies are sold by surplus lines insurers; your insurance professional can help you find a surplus lines insurer that will meet your needs. Will an earthquake insurance policy cover my home or business for landslides as well? No. Like landslides, earthquakes do involve earth movement, however in general a separate earthquake policy is needed for quake-caused property damage as the causes of the movement are different. Landslides are caused by erosion or water accumulation that destabilizes the land, while earthquakes are caused by seismic activity. Earthquake insurance is available from private insurance carriers for renters, homeowners and business owners. Does my auto insurance policy provide coverage for mudflow and landslides? Check with your insurer to determine if you purchased optional comprehensive coverage with your auto insurance policy. Landslide Resources: Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management: Landslide Information FEMA: Be Prepared for a Landslide Fire/Wildfire Resources Wildfire Insurance Ready.Gov/Wildfires Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post-Fire Assistance Grant (FEMA) Wildfire Resources from NAIC Alaska Wildland Fire Information Prepare your Property for Wildfires Flood and Mudslide Resources Flood Insurance Flood Insurance Resources from NAIC Facts about the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) What the Flood! Floodsmart.Gov Mudflow Defined (FEMA) Understanding Mudflow and the NFIP Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grant Fact Sheet: Flood Loss Avoidance Flood Claim and Recovery Resources from FEMA How to Document Flood Damage and Start Clean-up How to Document Damage (video) Federal Disaster Assistance: Meeting the Flood Insurance Requirement How to Start Filing your Claim How to File a Flood Insurance Claim Starting your Recovery: FEMA's Flood Insurance Claims Process Wind Versus Water Damage Who's Knocking at your Door? Windstorm Resources What to do After a Storm Read the Fine Print and be Aware of Assignments of Benefits (NAIC) Building Science Resource Library High Wind Publications (FEMA) Independently Procured Statement of Independently Procured Insurance Form 08-208 is to be filed within 30 days after the date the insurance was procured. Premium Tax Report Form 08-278 is to be postmarked on or before March 1 of each year with the tax payment made payable to: Alaska Division of Insurance to: Rebecca Nesheim, Tax Auditor Alaska Division of Insurance P. O. Box 110805 Juneau, AK 99811-0805 Please make checks payable to: Alaska Division of Insurance New! If you would like to pay by credit card and file by email, contact rebecca.nesheim@alaska.gov.