Commissioner Causey announces $89 million saved or recovered for North Carolinians in 2022

RALEIGH — Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey announces that the North Carolina Department of Insurance saved or recovered nearly $89 million for North Carolinians in 2022.

Last year, the Department:

• Helped North Carolinians obtain $52.5 million in claims from life insurance policies that had been lost.
• Helped policyholders facing hurdles with their insurance companies receive $23.3 million after DOI’s consumer experts intervened.
• Recovered $7.7 million in fraudulent expenditures. Insurance fraud costs Americans $308.6 billion annually, according to a recent study conducted for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Consumers can report suspected insurance fraud by calling the Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840 or by going to

www.ncdoi.gov

• .
• Helped North Carolina’s senior citizens save $4.4 million on their Medicare premiums and prescription drug copayments through the Department’s Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP).
• Helped North Carolinians originally denied necessary medical procedures or prescription drugs receive $950,000 through the SmartNC program. SmartNC helps patients with appeals and sets up independent external reviews for such procedures and medications.

“I am so proud of the work we do for consumers each year through our various offices and programs,” Commissioner Causey said. “Putting North Carolinians first is our No. 1 goal at the department, and we look forward to continue to serve citizens in this same manner in 2023.”

Anyone with questions about insurance, pending claims, healthcare billing or suspected fraud, can call (855) 408-1212 or email commissioner@ncdoi.gov.