The goal of the Insurance Commissioner’s Consumer Services Division is to protect, advocate for and inform consumers of their rights and options when it comes to insurance. Please feel free to contact the Consumer Services Division with general questions you have about insurance or if you have problems or complaints by email , or call 1-800-282-8611 in Delaware or (302) 674-7310.
WHAT WE CAN DO:
- Forward a copy of your complaint to the insurance company, if appropriate;
- Obtain information or explanations on your behalf from the insurance company or their representatives. This may involve written and verbal contact with such companies or persons;
- Review in detail the information obtained from the company for compliance with statutes, regulations and their own policy contracts;
- In general, explain the language, provisions and coverages of your insurance policy;
- Suggest to you actions or procedures that you may take which could aid in resolving your insurance problem;
- If it is determined that the actions of an insurance company are in violation of a statute, regulation or policy that the Administration enforces, we may take corrective action against that company.
- Assist with filing appeals relating to medical claims
- Assist with open enrollment questions for both fully insured and self-funded policies issued in Delaware. **Marketplace enrollment issues are handled through the Federally Facilitated Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596.
- Inquire as to the appropriateness of Workers’ Compensation rate filings and audits (see “Other Jurisdictions”, below, for Workers Comp claims).
WHAT WE CANNOT DO:
- Assume the role as your legal representative, in or out of court;
- Intervene in a pending lawsuit on your behalf;
- Intervene in matters when an insurance policy (contract) was issued and delivered to the policyholder in another state (outside of Delaware);
- Recommend or suggest doing business with specific insurance agents/brokers or companies
Insurance Assistance via Other Jurisdictions:
Information and Services for Insurance Consumers in Delaware
The Affordable Care Act is the comprehensive federal health care reform law enacted in March 2010 (sometimes known as ACA, PPACA, or Obamacare).
An annuity is a contract in which an insurance company makes a series of income payments at regular intervals in return for a premium or premiums you have paid.
Delaware approved discount medical plan organizations.
If complaints to the Insurance Commissioner’s Office about an auto, homeowner or health insurance policy do not provide suitable solution to your issue, you may take part in a formal process called arbitration.
Under Regulation 608, the Insurance Commissioner’s Office has required all automobile insurance companies doing business in Delaware to provide a phone number and email address for consumers to use for claims information and complaints about claims.
This page contains documents and press releases relating to the regulation of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware.
Blue Cross Blue Shield (Highmark) Archive Webpage
Staff members from the Insurance Commissioner’s Office are often out in the community at events or neighborhood locations – providing information and guidance on insurance to Delaware consumers.
Calendar – DMAB (Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau)
Staff members from the DMAB Division of the Insurance Commissioner’s Office are often out in the community at events or neighborhood locations, providing information and guidance on insurance matters to Delaware’s Medicare recipients.
Compare rates for auto and homeowners insurance.
The Consumer Alerts archive is a collection of insurance-related news alerts that may affect Delaware citizens.
Credit life insurance pays in the event of the debtor’s death. Credit accident & health (or disability) insurance cover loan payments due while the debtor is ill or disabled.
A list of companies that offer approved defensive driving courses in Delaware.
Links and information related to Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace.
Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB) provides counseling and assistance on questions and problems related to Medicare, Medicaid, Medigap, long-term care insurance and other types of health insurance.
An annual guide that features up-to-date price comparisons for Medigap policies, private insurance designed to supplement your Medicare coverage.
Disaster Preparedness Tips for Homeowners and Renters.
Some discount health care cards may provide valuable, money-saving benefits for people without health insurance. But unscrupulous marketers offer discount health cards claiming they are health insurance when, in fact, they are not insurance.
This page contains a link to current Department of Insurance employment opportunities.
This page contains information about actions the Delaware Department of Insurance has either taken under its authority to regulate the insurance companies (or was a party to a settlement with other states) that are domiciled and/or do business in Delaware.
This page contains links to our guides and publications in Spanish. Esta página contiene vinculos a nuestros guías y publicaciones en español.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
Links to frequently asked questions for some areas dealt with by the Department of Insurance.
File a complaint or request assistance with a problem involving an insurance company or agent.
Standard homeowners insurance policies and standard business insurance policies do not provide protection against floods. Flood insurance is federally regulated.
The Fraud Prevention Bureau works to foster a cooperative approach in the detection, investigation and prosecution of insurance fraud. To report suspected insurance fraud, please see this webpage.
List of the major guides published by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to help citizens stay informed with matters relating to Life, Senior/Elder, Home, Civic Associations, Automobile, Health, Small Business and Workplace Safety insurance.
State law and regulations provide Delaware’s Insurance Commissioner with the authority to review and approve health insurance rates. To meet this important obligation, the DOI conducts a thorough and comprehensive review of all proposed rates submitted to the Department by health insurance companies.
Webpages and information related to health insurance.
Protecting Your Personal Data
Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) about IHCAP
Did you know that your major medical health insurance policy should cover certain childhood services?
InsureU is an excellent source for unbiased insurance information from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
The Insurance Commissioner’s Office, in partnership with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), offers an online verification service for members of the public and the insurance industry to check the license status of insurance agents and producers in Delaware.
Long-term care is a general term that includes a wide range of services that address the health, medical, personal care, and social needs of people with chronic or prolonged illnesses, disabilities, and cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The Delaware Department of Insurance is home to the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB) which provides assistance with Medicare-related questions to Medicare recipients of all ages.
The Department provides a missing (lost) policy search service to Delaware residents and their families to help them identify Delaware in force individual life insurance policies on the life of a deceased family member or Delaware individual annuity contracts where the deceased family member is an annuitant.
A e-newsletter for Delawareans from the Department of Insurance. This e-newsletter dedicated to consumer protection and keeping you informed about important insurance matters.
Press releases from the Delaware Department of Insurance
Newsroom Archives
This page contains links to current and past Department of Insurance Public Meetings, Information Sessions and Hearings.
To view all QHPs (Qualified Health Plans) and non-QHPs proposed rate increases. You will be linked to https://ratereview.healthcare.gov.
The Rates/Forms Division is responsible for reviewing and regulating insurance contracts and rate filings.
SERFF: Public Access
Insurance company filings are now available to the public through the NAIC’s System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing (SERFF) interface. There is no fee for using this method.
Information about health insurance for small businesses/employers.
Insurance companies that sell insurance for properties near the beach, mobile homes, manufactured home motorcycles, and RVs. Click here to view the PDF.
Link to the State of Delaware’s Public Meeting Calendar.
Useful information on what to do before, during and after a storm.
A list of the most commonly used health insurance terms.
The Delaware Insurance Commissioner’s Office, in coordination with the Delaware Compensation Rating Bureau, offers Delaware employers an opportunity to lower workers’ compensation insurance premiums by participating in the Delaware Workplace Safety Program.
Businesses may earn discounts up to 19 percent by providing and maintaining a safe place to work. Since the program’s inception in 1989, employers have saved millions of dollars in premiums, and more importantly, have enhanced the safety and health of their employees.
Insurance Guides and Information for Consumers
| Annuities |
An annuity is a contract in which an insurance company makes a series of income payments at regular intervals in return for a premium or premiums you have paid. |
| Auto |
Call it “Everything you ever wanted to know about auto insurance but were afraid to ask.” This is a simple and concise guide to purchasing insurance for cars, trucks and motorcycles. |
| Auto Insurance Company Contact Information |
Under Regulation 608, the Insurance Commissioner’s Office has required all automobile insurance companies doing business in Delaware to provide a phone number and email address for consumers to use for claims information and complaints about claims. |
| Community Associations |
Delaware’s communities are served by numerous homeowner groups. These community associations have responsibiity – and liability – in the decisions they make. This guide answers some of the most commonly asked questions. |
| Covered Childhood Services |
Poster of Preventive Services Covered Under the Affordable Care Act and State Mandates. |
| Credit Insurance |
The most commonly sold credit insurance is referred to as credit life or credit accident and health (or disability) insurance. |
| Flood |
Standard homeowners insurance policies and standard business insurance policies do not provide protection against floods. It is a hard lesson that has been learned by some in Delaware in the past. |
| GRID |
Global Receivership Insurance Database for information on companies in receive. (This online verification service is provided by the NAIC. You will be redirected to the NAIC website.) |
| Health |
Dealing with health insurance and health insurance companies can be complicated and very confusing – this guide explains the basics and helps you to understand your options. |
| Home |
This guide contains helpful information for new homeowners and longtime owners as well. |
| Life |
This guide explains some of the basics of life insurance, including the two main kinds of life insurance and how they work. It also includes a discussion of annuities. |
| Long-Term Care Insurance |
Long-term care is a general term that includes a wide range of services that address the health, medical, personal care, and social needs of people with chronic or prolonged illnesses, disabilities, and cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. |
| Medicare Supplement Insurance Shopper’s Guide |
An annual guide that features up-to-date price comparisons for Medigap policies, private insurance designed to supplement your Medicare coverage. |
| Military Personnel |
The Insurance Commissioner’s Office has produced the information below as a guide to specific insurance issues faced by men and women serving in the armed forces. |
| People with Disabilities |
People with disabilities have specific needs when it comes to insurance issues. The Insurance Commissioner’s Office, working with representatives of Delaware’s disabilities community, provide this information. |
| Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) |
If you put less than 20% down when purchasing a house, many lenders require you to buy Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) to cover the remainder of the 20% and guarantee your loan. |
| Small Employer Health Insurance |
Information if you are looking for coverage because your insurance company is withdrawing from the health insurance market in Delaware, or because it is time for renewal and you are interested in making a change. |
| Small Employer Guide |
Includes some questions and answers for small employers interested in finding insurance coverge for their business. |
