On May 8th, SMW team members met with our public adjuster (PA) counterparts from across Massachusetts to hold a dialogue on the issue of top importance to the PA industry. Hosted by the Massachusetts Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (MAPIA), the seminar took place in Waltham and addressed several trends that directly impact PAs – both in Massachusetts and across the nation.
Among the numerous compelling topics, the following updates by MAPIA presenters resonated strongly with us:
UPPA – The Unlicensed Practice of Public Adjusting has dogged the PA industry for decades. A big source of UPPA problems involves roofers and contractors. These professionals are very important, but they are not licensed as PAs and are NOT qualified to handle an insurance claim. Some of them, however, try to convince homeowners that they can indeed fill a PA role. What’s more, some roofers and/or contractors sometimes try to claim a percentage of the claim payout. This is not legal and harms the homeowners and legitimate PAs.
Assignment of benefits – This holds similar challenges to UPPA, because you’re assigning your claim to another party.
Professional fees endorsements – In policies, the insurance companies say they’ll pay up to a certain amount for an accountant – but they refuse to pay any fees for a public adjuster. This is inequitable and leaves policyholders without the expertise they need to successfully navigate the claims process.
NAPIA – The National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) provides many valuable services that complement the state-level work, including legislative tracking, standards development for membership and ethics, and involvement with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
To learn more about MAPIA, NAPIA or recent developments affecting the PA industry, please contact us!
