Lessons We’ve Learned from Handling 100,000+ Restoration Claims

OCS & a contractor shake hands after discussing restoration claims billing At One Claim Solution, restoration insurance billing is our core focus. We’ve processed hundreds of thousands of claims. Handling a high volume of invoices has given us unique insight into restoration claims billing. We’ve learned what works and what doesn’t work. From that experience, here are the biggest lessons we’ve learned and how you can use them to strengthen your restoration business.

If You Did the Work, You Should Bill for It

One of the most common mistakes we see is contractors leaving valid line items off their invoices because they expecting pushback from the restoration adjuster. We can understand this impulse. After all, nobody wants to deal with long, drawn-out debates over a service call or an air scrubber. Nobody wants to be accused of fraud for performing services they know are necessary.

But if you preemptively leave charges off your restoration invoices when you expect to get pushback on them, you’re leaving money on the table. “If you do it, you should bill for it,” OCS Co-Founder Jeremy Traasdahl says. “Because it’s most likely reasonable to be done. And if it’s not, then the carrier has no obligation to pay it. But don’t remove it just because you’re afraid of the pushback.” Instead, you need the right documentation and the right strategy to help justify what’s on your invoice.

Detailed Billing Analytics are a Game Changer for Restoration Claims Billing

At One Claim, we’ve worked with a wide range of restoration contractors. Many of them do not have detailed analytics on their restoration claims billing. Gathering analytics information may take extra time, but you can’t fix what you don’t know. When OCS launched our Contractor Portal tool, which gives our contractors access to a wide range of analytical information, so many of our contractors told us how much of a game-changer that analytics information was for them. Regardless of what tracking strategy you use, you should be tracking patterns in your restoration claims billing. With that info in hand, you’ll be ready to proactively improve your billing strategies.

It Pays to Pay Attention to Carrier Trends

Restoration claims billing can be filled with a lot of uncertainty. Unlike many industries, the total at the bottom of your invoice isn’t necessarily the total that will end up being paid by the insurance provider. Sometimes, which charges get approved and which get denied can feel random, especially when you’re in the thick of it, handling restoration claims billing day to day.

But in reality, there are patterns to how different carriers and even adjusters operate. Because we handle such a large volume of restoration claims at One Claim Solution, we are often able to spot patterns sooner and more easily. This helps us tailor our restoration claims billing strategy to each carrier and adjuster. This tailored approach is, in part, why our contractors have better claim success after partnering with us. But even companies that handle restoration claims billing internally can benefit from tailoring their strategy on the trends they see with carriers.

Every Restoration Contractor Needs to Know Their Rights

We’ve learned that fear can cost contractors real money. Fear that an adjuster will push back on a charge, fear that their cash flow isn’t strong enough to support an extended claim negotiation, fear that their customer relationships will be harmed by insurance strategies–it all adds up. Sometimes the best comfort is to know your rights. Knowing IICRC guidelines, OSHA rules, insurer tactics, and laws can give you the power to fight back without fear.

Most Homeowners Don’t Understand the Claims Process

Dealing with water damage or other property losses is challenging enough for homeowners. Dealing with insurance claims on top of that only makes the situation more overwhelming and stressful. We’ve learned that preemptive communication and the right paperwork, in particular an Assignment of Benefits, go a long way. Don’t assume that homeowners understand the restoration claims process. Instead, explain it to them and what you are doing as their contractor to make the claims process a success. This helps prevent challenging dynamics that can arise between restoration contractors and their customers in the event that a claims payment is sent to the homeowner or there is conflict with an insurer.

Take Advantage of One Claim’s Restoration Claims Billing Experience

At One Claim Solution, we’ve spent years building a restoration claims billing process that helps restoration contractors get paid more and get paid faster. We’ve learned a lot of lessons that have helped us better serve our customers. You can benefit from what we’ve learned, too. When you outsource restoration claims billing to One Claim, you get to take advantage of our claims billing and adjuster communication services. Reach out today to see if outsourcing your restoration claims billing to OCS is the right choice for your company.