Claims Specialist

Sammons Financial Group Inc.; West Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Competitive pay

ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)

401(k) enrollment

Fridays off

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Professional development

Volunteer time off

Matching gifts

Ownership culture

Job summary

Sammons Financial Group Inc. is seeking a Claims Specialist to review and finalize settlements on policy benefits, ensuring compliance with policy provisions and regulations. The role requires coordinating with agents, policyholders, beneficiaries, and attorneys to gather required documents and confirm coverage.

The successful candidate will maintain service levels, communicate clearly, and support continuous improvement in claims processing with strong attention to detail.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent in related field.
• Strong written and verbal communication with internal and external partners.
• Experience in insurance or claims processing is a plus.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Proficient in MS Office and data entry systems.

Responsibilities

• Request and review claims requirements to determine coverage and finalize settlements.
• Follow up on outstanding claim requirements with agents, policyholders, beneficiaries and attorneys.
• Ensure settlements meet service levels and quality standards.
• Gather medical records, legal documents and other items to determine coverage.
• Communicate with customers via written and telephone channels to answer questions.

Skills

Communication skills

Customer service

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

What You Can Expect In This Role

Request and review claims requirements in order to determine coverage and finalize settlement of policy/contract benefits as they are payable in accordance with policy provisions, state and federal legislation and company stated compliance and business requirements. Responsible to complete the follow up on outstanding claim requirements with Agents, Policy Holders, Beneficiaries and Attorneys using professional verbal and written communication skills. Adhere to various legislation or settlement agreement requirements related to the handling of Claims.

What You'll Do In This Role

• Request and follow up for all outstanding claim requirements needed in finalizing the settlement of policy/contract benefits as they are payable.
• Determine all requirements are met to company, state and regulatory standards before completing the payment of policy/contract benefits payable.
• Ensure that all policy/contract settlements are completed within the Service Level and Quality Standard Agreements.
• Review and complete the review of data to meet all service level requirements in audits and settlement agreements.
• Request and gather medical records, legal documents, duplicate policies, etc. to assist in review for determining coverage in accordance with the policy/contract and rider provisions.
• Apply department standards to elevate complex claim or benefit related requests to the Manager and/or Legal Department.
• Correspond in writing and communicate via telephone to assist internal and external customers with questions. Phone call handling for all Claims related calls in a professional and customer centric manner. Calls must be handled according to company policy and procedure and Service Level and Quality Standard Agreements.
• Review and complete all Benefit processing requests as needed according to Service Level and Quality Standard Agreements.
• Support the initial notification process as needed by researching and reviewing the policy/contract data file and using industry standard tools to determine coverage under the policy provisions and to whom the policy benefits are payable.
• Correspond in writing and communicate via telephone to assist agents, beneficiaries, attorneys, and contract/policy owners.
• Participate in and complete all monthly balancing of department accounts as needed including suspense accounts utilizing the open items suspense reports and reconciliations.
• Follow all procedures to ensure all controls are being maintained properly.
• Follow up on pending claim files every 30 days in writing, or per state regulations.
• Correspond in writing and communicate via telephone to assist internal and external customers with questions regarding various audits, NCOIL legislation and Settlement Agreements.
• Acquire and maintain a working knowledge of company products as they pertain to the Claims Department. This includes staying familiar with the most up to date changes to procedures as well as completing any required training courses as assigned.
• Acquire and maintain basic system, tax, procedural and compliance knowledge as it pertains to the Claims Department.
• Assist with projects that enhance productivity and system integrity as needed.
• Track and provide customer feedback via the ACT Log by listening to the voice of the customer.
• Provide feedback and opinions to your Manager that will assist in improving service and efficiencies within the department.
• Model Core values daily and display the values within your work, how you interact with others employees.
• Drive to meet/exceed all performance goals including KPIs (key performance indicators), SLAs (service level agreements) and other communicated standards.
• Proactively participate in daily huddle board discussions offering ideas, insights and support.
• Actively participate in problem solving sessions (standard work, root cause problem solving, etc.) as requested by your manager.
• Take ownership of implementing standard work and other changes into your daily work processes.
• Continuously strive to create a positive customer experience throughout all customer interactions, request processing/handling, and problem-solving efforts.
• All other duties as assigned by manager in an effort to support all Claims Department process, procedure and responsibilities.
• Commitment to embrace Sammons Financial Group Companies shared values (Accountability, Connection, Openness, Respect and Integrity).
• As stated within the Company Attendance and Punctuality policy, regular attendance is required and expected in order to meet the business service levels and workflow demands.
• Other duties as assigned.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's Degree Preferred
• 2-4 years' Insurance or Annuity/Life Claim experience Preferred
• Must have the ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with agents, policyholders, beneficiaries and other staff members.
• Must have knowledge of and ability to maneuver through multiple information screens
• Previous customer service experience preferred
• Must have strong organizational skills
• Ability to work efficiently and independently or in a team environment
• Able to adapt to frequent change, including daily transition of work duties, between tasks and lines of business.
• An appreciation for detail and problem solving skills
• Computer skills, PC, Microsoft Office
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Other Requirements

• Criminal background check required.
• FINRA regulations require fingerprinting for this position. Management reserves the right to determine and approve incumbent suitability for this position.

Salary Range Information

USD $37,650.00 - USD $70,595.00 /Yr. Range includes data points from multiple labor markets. Specific range is dependent on the labor market where the incumbent will be hired to perform the position. Starting salary is dependent on candidate qualifications and experience. For a narrower salary range specific to your labor market, please inquire.

What you can expect when you join Sammons Financial Group

• Comprehensive health coverage for you and your family, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA & FSA options, and term life insurance.
• Competitive compensation with a performance-based incentive program tied to clear goals and individual and/or company success.
• Invest in your future with our 100% company-funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), plus automatic enrollment in our 401(k).
• Work–life balance that means something. Friday afternoons off year-round, generous paid time off, and paid holidays.
• Commit to your growth with paid development time, tuition reimbursement, and professional development opportunities across industry, individual, and leadership programs.
• Make an impact beyond the workplace through volunteer time off, and our company nonprofit matching gift program, supporting the causes that matter most to you.
• An ownership culture that inspires; join a connected, values-driven workplace where employees take accountability, support one another, and are empowered to do their best work—together shaping our future shared success.

Work Authorization/Sponsorship

At this time, we’re not considering candidates that need any type of immigration sponsorship now or in the future or those needing work authorization for this role (This includes, but is not limited to students on F1-OPT, F1-CPT, J-1, etc.).

Sammons Financial Group Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

ADA

Sammons Financial Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of the employment process. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application or hiring process, including navigating our website or applying for a position, please contact [e-mail] or call 800-728-2987.

E-Verify

Sammons Financial Group participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

Policy for External Search Firms and Agencies

Sammons Financial Group maintains an internal Talent Acquisition function and does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from search firms, staffing agencies, or other third-party recruiting vendors. Please review our Recruitment Agency Policy for additional information here.