Citizens of FL changes Independent Training Requirements for 2008

 

Thousands of independent adjusters participated in the 2007 online training requirements with Citizens of FL so they could handle their claims.

We’ve all been notified by numerous adjusting firms that those requirements recently changed yet again to require face-to -face training versus the online training with the independent adjusters due to the change in requirements by Citizens. Many of the vendor emails state the online training you took in the summer/fall of 2007 will NOT qualify you to work 2008 losses.

Evans Claims has the actual email from the Citizens Interim Catastrophe Director, Mike Schwartz posted on their website here:

http://evansclaims.com/wiki/ECS/FlaCit

Here’s what it says in case it is taken down:
May 12, 2008

Memo To: Citizens Independent Adjusters

From: Mike Schwarz Interim Claims Director – Catastrophe Operations Citizens Property Insurance Corporation

RE: 2008 Citizens Training

Representatives from your adjusting firms recently attended this years Train the Trainer workshop. They received important updates to our workflows and processes. During our meeting, we also communicated the requirement that face-to-face training be completed by all independent adjusters for 2008. We understand that this is an additional requirement to previous years and we do appreciate the time and travel that will be involved in completion of this training. This extra step is important for us to validate the quality of training provided to our independent partners. We are committed to providing a high level of customer service to our customers and proper training is critical in the achievement of this goal. We thank you for your efforts over the next several weeks as we prepare for the upcoming storm season.

Thank you,

Mike Schwarz
Interim Claims Director- Catastrophe Operations
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation

******

I double checked the Citizens website and it still has the old online requirement information posted on their Adjuster Resources page here (look at top right hand corner where it says Adjuster Training):

https://www.citizensfla.com/adjuster/index.cfm

We are posting copies of all 46 vendors training emails in our ClaimSmentor Seminars Forums as we receive copies so adjusters know where they can find the training. Thus far, we’ve found classes in many states to include TX, FL, GA, AZ,  CO and several others. Most of the emails we have seen thus far are from vendors offering the training free of charge to independents. Citizens still doesn’t have the website links up for the 46 vendors either and we have posted those in our forums as well. They were difficult to find for many of the firms as they weren’t listed correctly on their award list. For example, CNC-Resource out of Mobile,AL is one of the vendors yet they are listed on the Citizens Award list on the adjuster resource link above (bottom left hand column on that page) as Resource CNC and there are several other errors we found in names. They also never updated the award list with the 46th vendor that later added to the award group.

Many adjusters are in an uproar over the continual changes, fee schedule issues and over the Citizens Q & A answers in response to vendors questions as a result of the new RFP for vendors wishing to work  their claims that was posted 4/22/08  through 5/09/2008 on their purchaing site (click here to view RFP 08-0016 and all addendums and revisions) then once again revised 4/28/08 (this is in addition to the initial RFP posted at the beginning of the year that was cancelled for changes). Can you imagine if they have this  much trouble BEFORE a storm has hit just coming up with vendor requirements what the ever changing issues will be once adjusters do begin to work their claims? The adjusters voicing concern are rightfully doing so!

I haven’t had a chance yet to write the blog on the comparison of the 2008 RFP from the 2007 RFP requirements but they are drastic and I”ll try to get that up within the next couple of days and leave this post to addressing the new training challenges only.

If you wish to join  our claim industry group at ClaimSmenor to view the Seminars Forum for this info, you’ll find the registration link on our About Page here on the blog.