Think about in the event you had been answerable for overseeing Florida’s insurance coverage laws and a subordinate got here to you with an issue:

“Boss, now we have so many complaints about insurance coverage corporations mistreating policyholders coming into the criticism phone line that the whole workers solely has time to take the calls and log the criticism. We would not have anyone left to comply with up on the criticism. What can we do?”

What would you do?

I ran the question on ChatGPT-4, and the pc gave this reply:

Because the particular person answerable for overseeing Florida’s insurance coverage laws, I’d take a scientific strategy to deal with the excessive quantity of complaints and the shortage of assets to comply with up on them:

• Assess the scenario: Collect knowledge on the variety of complaints acquired, the sorts of complaints, and the insurance coverage corporations concerned. Establish developments and prioritize points primarily based on severity and frequency.

• Optimize the criticism course of: Evaluate the present criticism consumption course of and determine areas for enchancment. This might embody implementing a web based criticism submission system, making a standardized criticism type, and offering clear pointers on what info is required from the policyholders.

• Allocate assets: Primarily based on the evaluation, decide the staffing wants and budgetary necessities to deal with the amount of complaints. Request extra assets, if wanted, to make sure well timed and efficient follow-up on complaints.

• Implement a triage system: Prioritize complaints primarily based on their urgency and potential influence on policyholders. It will assist allocate assets extra effectively and be certain that probably the most important points are addressed first.

• Collaborate with insurance coverage corporations: Have interaction with insurance coverage corporations to deal with the underlying points inflicting the complaints. This might embody common conferences to debate frequent points, sharing greatest practices, and setting expectations for resolving complaints in a well timed method.

• Prepare workers: Present coaching and assist to workers to make sure they’re geared up to deal with complaints effectively and successfully. This might embody coaching on communication abilities, related insurance coverage laws, and investigative strategies.

• Monitor progress: Usually overview the criticism decision course of to determine areas for enchancment and monitor the progress made in addressing complaints. Modify methods as wanted to make sure steady enchancment.

• Improve transparency and communication: Preserve policyholders knowledgeable in regards to the standing of their complaints and the steps being taken to deal with them. It will assist construct belief and confidence within the regulatory course of.

• Educate policyholders: Present academic assets and steerage to assist policyholders higher perceive their rights and obligations, in addition to easy methods to navigate the insurance coverage system.

• Consider and modify: Periodically overview the effectiveness of the measures carried out and modify methods as wanted to make sure steady enchancment in addressing and resolving insurance coverage complaints.”

Tampa Bay Occasions journalist Lawrence Mower reported on what Florida insurance coverage regulators did when confronted with this drawback in an article, Right here’s Why Florida’s Dwelling Insurance coverage Hotline is Solely Open 3 Hours a Day. It was nothing near what a pc would recommend. A part of the article famous:

About one-third of complaints in opposition to insurance coverage corporations come from the assistance line, the division’s director of client companies, Greg Thomas, informed a Senate committee on Wednesday. The remaining come via the state’s web site.

Greater than half of the positions to take calls and deal with insurance coverage complaints are vacant, Thomas mentioned. And after Hurricane Ian hit the state in September, the workplace was ‘inundated’ with complaints in opposition to insurers, he mentioned. The ‘overwhelming majority’ have been over claim-handling delays.

That mixture prompted the workplace to chop again the hours the assistance line could be accessible.

‘We had a alternative both to not cope with complaints that now we have acquired or to proceed to reply calls all day lengthy,’ Thomas mentioned.

Democratic lawmakers mentioned limiting the hotline to simply three hours doesn’t even permit working Floridians to name throughout their lunch breaks.

…

Cassel additionally questioned the priorities of Patronis, a restaurateur who has collected almost $2 million in political contributions from insurance coverage corporations, executives and brokers.

Patronis has inspired lawmakers to vary the legal guidelines to make it tougher to sue insurance coverage corporations. Property insurers have blamed extreme lawsuits for Floridians’ excessive premiums, that are the best within the nation at about $4,200.

The answer has not led to decrease householders’ charges to date. This week, First Group Insurance coverage Co. requested an total 44.8% price enhance, Kin Insurance coverage Community requested for an total 61.5% price enhance and American Strategic Insurance coverage Corp. and ASI Most well-liked Insurance coverage Corp. are requesting near-20% price will increase. State-run Residents Property Insurance coverage authorized a median 14.2% enhance Wednesday.

Florida’s insurance coverage regulators merely lower the time individuals might file complaints. Florida’s present authorities leaders make complaints and lawsuits about insurance coverage firm wrongful habits go away by simply making it very troublesome to report a criticism or too costly and troublesome to pursue a lawsuit.    

Noting that the article referenced the insurance coverage {industry} paying over $2 million to assist Jim Patronis, I made a follow-up inquiry to ChatGPT-4:  

Given this example, think about you had been a state regulator who was supported by the insurance coverage {industry}, and also you wished to cover the variety of complaints being made concerning insurance coverage firm wrongful claims dealing with, what would you do?

The reply stunned me as a result of someone really programmed moral habits to be adopted by the pc:

As an AI language mannequin, I need to emphasize that unethical actions, comparable to hiding official complaints or supporting wrongful claims dealing with, aren’t advisable or acceptable. My function is to supply assist and steerage in a accountable and moral method.

Nonetheless, in case your concern is to enhance the general public picture of the insurance coverage {industry} whereas addressing the foundation causes of the complaints, there are a number of steps that may be taken:

• Establish the underlying points: Analyze criticism knowledge to find out the most typical issues associated to wrongful claims dealing with. It will can help you higher perceive the problems confronted by policyholders and work in the direction of addressing them successfully.

• Have interaction with insurance coverage corporations: Collaborate with insurance coverage corporations to deal with the problems recognized within the criticism knowledge. Encourage them to implement greatest practices and make essential adjustments to their claims dealing with processes to cut back the variety of complaints.

• Set up {industry} requirements: Work with insurance coverage corporations to develop and undertake industry-wide requirements for claims dealing with. It will assist guarantee consistency and equity within the remedy of policyholders throughout the board.

• Improve client schooling: Present assets and academic supplies to assist policyholders higher perceive their rights, obligations, and the claims course of. It will empower them to make knowledgeable choices and scale back misunderstandings that will result in complaints.

• Monitor and implement compliance: Usually overview insurance coverage corporations’ practices to make sure they’re in compliance with {industry} requirements and laws. Take enforcement motion in opposition to people who fail to stick to those requirements.

• Improve transparency: Share details about the efforts being made to enhance claims dealing with processes and scale back the variety of complaints. It will show the dedication of each the regulator and the insurance coverage {industry} to deal with the issues of policyholders.

• Promote greatest practices: Acknowledge and reward insurance coverage corporations that excel in claims dealing with and customer support. It will encourage others to enhance their practices and scale back the probability of complaints.

By specializing in addressing the foundation causes of the complaints and selling transparency, equity, and compliance, you may work in the direction of bettering the general public notion of the insurance coverage {industry} whereas nonetheless performing in an moral and accountable method.

There you may have it—perhaps we must always let ChatGPT-4 run the administration of Florida’s insurance coverage regulatory scheme.

Thought For The Day     

Like all applied sciences earlier than it, synthetic intelligence will mirror the values of its creators. So inclusivity issues – from who designs it to who sits on the corporate boards and which moral views are included.

—Kate Crawford