assignments of benefits is

Assignment of Benefits: What It Is, and How It Can Affect your Property Insurance Claim

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What is an Assignment of Benefits?

In the context of insured property claims, an assignment of benefits (AOB) is an agreement between you and a contractor in which you give the contractor your right to insurance payments for a specific scope of work . In exchange, the contractor agrees that it will not seek payment from you for that scope of work, except for the amount of any applicable deductible. In other words, you give part of your insurance claim to your contractor, and your contractor agrees not to collect from you for part of its work.

The most important thing to know about an assignment of benefits is that it puts your contractor in control your claim , at least for their scope of work. Losing that control can significantly affect the direction and outcome of your claim, so you should fully understand the implications of an AOB (sometimes called an assignment of claims or AOC) before signing one.

How Does an Assignment of Benefits Work in Practice?

Let’s say you’re an insured homeowner, and Hurricane Ian significantly damaged your roof. Let’s also assume your homeowner’s policy covers that damage. A roofer, after inspecting your roof and reviewing your insurance policy, might conclude that your insurer is probably going to pay for a roof replacement under your insurance policy. The only problem is that it’s early in the recovery process, and your insurer hasn’t yet stated whether it will pay for the roof replacement proposed by your contractor. So if you want your roof replaced now, you would ordinarily agree to pay your roofer for the replacement, and wait in hopes that your insurer reimburses you for the work. This means that if your insurance company refuses to pay or drags out payment, you’re on the hook to your roofer for the cost of the replacement.

As an alternative to agreeing to pay your roofer for the full cost of the work, you could sign an assignment of benefits for the roof replacement. In this scenario, your roofer owns the part of your insurance claim that pertains to the roof replacement. You might have to pay your roofer for the amount of your deductible, but you probably don’t have to pay them for the rest of the cost of the work. And if your insurance company refuses to pay or drags out payment for the roof replacement, it’s your roofer, and not you, who would be on the hook for that shortfall.

So should you sign an AOB? Not necessarily. Read below to understand the pros and cons of an assignment of benefits.

Are There any Downsides to Signing an Assignment of Benefits?

Yes.

You lose control of your claim . This is the most important factor to understand when considering whether to sign an AOB. An AOB is a formal assignment of your legal rights to payment under your insurance contract. Unless you’re able to cancel the AOB, your contractor will have full control over your claim as it relates to their work.

To explain why that control could matter, let’s go back to the roof replacement example. When you signed the AOB, the scope of work you agreed on was to replace the roof. But you’re not a roofing expert, so you don’t know whether the costs charged or the materials used by the roofer in its statement of work are industry appropriate or not. In most cases, they probably are appropriate, and there’s no problem. But if they’re not – if, for instance, the roofer’s prices are unreasonably high – then the insurer may not approve coverage for the replacement. At that point, the roofer could lower its prices so the insurer approves the work, but it doesn’t have to, because it controls the claim . Instead it could hold up work and threaten to sue your insurer unless it approves the work at the originally proposed price. Now the entire project is insnared in litigation, leaving you in a tough spot with your insurer for your other claims and, most importantly, with an old leaky roof.

Misunderstanding the Scope of Work. Another issue that can arise is that you don’t understand the scope of the assignment of benefits. Contractor estimates and scopes of work are often highly technical documents that can be long on detail but short on clarity. Contractors are experts at reading and writing them. You are not. That difference matters because the extent of your assignment of benefits is based on that technical, difficult-to-understand scope of work. This can lead to situations where your understanding of what you’re authorizing the contractor to do is very different from what you’ve actually authorized in the AOB agreement.

In many cases, it’s not necessary . Many contractors will work with you and your insurer to provide a detailed estimate of their work, and will not begin that work until your insurer has approved coverage for it. This arrangement significantly reduces the risk of you being on the hook for uninsured repairs, without creating any of the potential problems that can occur when you give away your rights to your claim.

Do I have to sign an Assignment of Benefits?

No. You are absolutely not required to sign an AOB if you do not want to.

Are There any Benefits to Signing an Assignment of Benefits?

Potentially, but only if you’ve fully vetted your contractor and your claim involves complicated and technical construction issues that you don’t want to deal with.

First, you must do your homework to fully vet your contractor! Do not just take their word for it or be duped by slick ads. Read reviews, understand their certificate of insurance, know where they’re located, and, if possible, ask for and talk to references. If you’ve determined that the contractor is highly competent at the work they do, is fully insured, and has a good reputation with customers, then that reduces the risk that they’ll abuse their rights to your claim.

Second, if your claim involves complicated reconstruction issues, a reputable contractor may be well equipped to handle the claim and move it forward. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of handling a complicated claim like this, and you know you have a good contractor, one way to get rid of that hassle is an AOB.

Another way to get rid of the hassle is to try Claimly, the all-in-one claims handling tool that get you results but keeps you in control of your claim.

Can my insurance policy restrict the use of AOBs?

Yes, it’s possible that your Florida insurance policy restricts the use of AOBs, but only if all of the following criteria are met:

When you selected your coverage, your insurer offered you a different policy with the same coverage, only it did not restrict the right to sign an AOB.
Your insurer made the restricted policy available at a lower cost than the unrestricted policy.
If the policy completely prohibits AOBs, then it was made available at a lower cost than any policy partially prohibiting AOBs.
The policy includes on its face the following notice in 18-point uppercase and boldfaced type:

THIS POLICY DOES NOT ALLOW THE UNRESTRICTED ASSIGNMENT OF POST-LOSS INSURANCE BENEFITS. BY SELECTING THIS POLICY, YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO FREELY ASSIGN OR TRANSFER THE POST-LOSS PROPERTY INSURANCE BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER THIS POLICY TO A THIRD PARTY OR TO OTHERWISE FREELY ENTER INTO AN ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT AS THE TERM IS DEFINED IN SECTION 627.7153 OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES.

627.7153.

Pro Tip : If you have an electronic copy of your complete insurance policy (not just the declaration page), then search for “policy does not allow the unrestricted assignment” or another phrase from the required language above to see if your policy restricts an AOB. If your policy doesn’t contain this required language, it probably doesn’t restrict AOBs.

Do I have any rights or protections concerning Assignments of Benefits?

Yes, you do. Florida recently enacted laws that protect consumers when dealing with an AOB.

Protections in the AOB Contract

To be enforceable, a Assignments of Benefits must meet all of the following requirements:

Be in writing and executed by and between you and the contractor.
Contain a provision that allows you to cancel the assignment agreement without a penalty or fee by submitting a written notice of cancellation signed by the you to the assignee:
at least 30 days after the date work on the property is scheduled to commence if the assignee has not substantially performed, or
at least 30 days after the execution of the agreement if the agreement does not contain a commencement date and the assignee has not begun substantial work on the property.
Contain a provision requiring the assignee to provide a copy of the executed assignment agreement to the insurer within 3 business days after the date on which the assignment agreement is executed or the date on which work begins, whichever is earlier.
Contain a written, itemized, per-unit cost estimate of the services to be performed by the assignee .
Relate only to work to be performed by the assignee for services to protect, repair, restore, or replace a dwelling or structure or to mitigate against further damage to such property.
Contain the following notice in 18-point uppercase and boldfaced type:

YOU ARE AGREEING TO GIVE UP CERTAIN RIGHTS YOU HAVE UNDER YOUR INSURANCE POLICY TO A THIRD PARTY, WHICH MAY RESULT IN LITIGATION AGAINST YOUR INSURER. PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS DOCUMENT BEFORE SIGNING IT. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CANCEL THIS AGREEMENT WITHOUT PENALTY WITHIN 14 DAYS AFTER THE DATE THIS AGREEMENT IS EXECUTED, AT LEAST 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE WORK ON THE PROPERTY IS SCHEDULED TO COMMENCE IF THE ASSIGNEE HAS NOT SUBSTANTIALLY PERFORMED, OR AT LEAST 30 DAYS AFTER THE EXECUTION OF THE AGREEMENT IF THE AGREEMENT DOES NOT CONTAIN A COMMENCEMENT DATE AND THE ASSIGNEE HAS NOT BEGUN SUBSTANTIAL WORK ON THE PROPERTY. HOWEVER, YOU ARE OBLIGATED FOR PAYMENT OF ANY CONTRACTED WORK PERFORMED BEFORE THE AGREEMENT IS RESCINDED. THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT CHANGE YOUR OBLIGATION TO PERFORM THE DUTIES REQUIRED UNDER YOUR PROPERTY INSURANCE POLICY.

Contain a provision requiring the assignee to indemnify and hold harmless the assignor from all liabilities, damages, losses, and costs, including, but not limited to, attorney fees.

Contractor Duties

Under Florida law, a contractor (or anyone else) receiving rights to a claim under an AOB:

Must provide you with accurate and up-to-date revised estimates of the scope of work to be performed as supplemental or additional repairs are required.
Must perform the work in accordance with accepted industry standards.
May not seek payment from you exceeding the applicable deductible under the policy unless asked the contractor to perform additional work at the your own expense.
Must, as a condition precedent to filing suit under the policy, and, if required by the insurer, submit to examinations under oath and recorded statements conducted by the insurer or the insurer’s representative that are reasonably necessary, based on the scope of the work and the complexity of the claim, which examinations and recorded statements must be limited to matters related to the services provided, the cost of the services, and the assignment agreement.
Must, as a condition precedent to filing suit under the policy, and, if required by the insurer, participate in appraisal or other alternative dispute resolution methods in accordance with the terms of the policy.
If the contractor is making emergency repairs, the assignment of benefits cannot exceed the greater of $3,000 or 1% of your Coverage A limit.

Assignment of benefits

Assignment of benefits is an agreement that gives your claims benefits to someone else.

What is an assignment of benefits?

An assignment of benefits (or AOB for short) is an agreement that gives your claims benefits, and in some instances complete control of your claim, to someone else. It’s usually used so that a contractor can "stand in your shoes" and file a claim, make decisions about repairs, and collect insurance payments from your insurance company directly for covered repairs. In some states, the contractor will even file a lawsuit against your insurer as your assignee.

Why do homeowners agree to an assignment of benefits?

Homeowners may sign an assignment of benefits form because they think it’s more convenient and efficient than dealing with the claims process firsthand.

Once a contractor has been assigned your benefits, they tell the insurance company what work they believe is required and negotiate the claim. For example, say you have a water leak in the house. You call a home restoration company to stop the water flow, clean up the mess, and restore your home to its former glory. The restoration company may ask for an assignment of benefits so it can deal directly with the insurance company without your input. That may sound like a relief at first glance – someone else can deal with all that!

But signing away your rights in the claims process may not be worth the risk.

Assignment of benefits in Florida: a case of rampant fraud

Because the assignment of benefits takes control out of the homeowner’s hands, insurance fraud is a major concern. Some contractors may take advantage of the situation and inflate repair needs and costs or bill for work that was never completed. They may also hire attorneys to sue the insurance company if it does not pay the full amount of their estimate or denies claims.

These lawsuits became a huge problem in Florida – by 2018, there were 135,000 AOB lawsuits , a 70 percent increase in 15 years. On the whole, the FBI estimates fraudulent claims account for nearly $6 billion of the $80 billion appropriated for post-hurricane reconstruction.

Florida eventually passed a bill in 2019 to curb the abuse of the assignment of benefits.

Ultimately, AOB fraud hurts homeowners the most. It increases homeowners insurance rates across the board, and you may be stuck with incomplete work and no recourse.

What responsibilities does the AOB contractor have?

Once you sign an AOB, a contractor has full power to make all decisions about the claim without consulting you. The assignment of benefits gives contractors the ability to:

File the insurance claim .
Work directly with insurance claims adjusters.
Make repair decisions.
Complete repairs.
Directly bill the insurance carrier for all work completed.
Sue your insurance company regarding your claim.

Sometimes the assignment of benefits limits the scope of the work the contractor was hired for. For example, say your home has a leaky pipe. You may hire a plumber to fix the leak, a remediation company to dry the walls and carpet, and a general contractor to replace the bathroom cabinets. Each of the three contractors may have a respective assignment of benefits for their part of the job.

How assignment of benefits impact homeowners

Under some circumstances, an assignment of benefits agreement could work out for homeowners who don’t want to handle their insurance claim. If the contractor is reputable, performs the work, and knows what information the insurance company needs, it can be a big help.

For example:

The claims adjuster will work directly with the contractor.
The contractor would handle remediation and repairs.
The contractor would bill the insurance company, not the homeowner.

AOB arrangements only work for covered damage in need of repair. If you must replace belongings or appliances, you’d still need to work directly with your insurer and payments would go to you.

Protecting yourself in an assignment of benefits agreement

Don’t sign an assignment of benefits agreement right off the bat. Before you hire any contractor:

Get multiple quotes.
Check references, licenses, and their insurance.
Get written estimates for potential work.
Get a guarantee to back the workmanship.
Make sure you get to approve the completed work.
Request copies of all paperwork sent to your insurance company.
Require that the contractor show you the documents you are actually signing.

You might be tempted to hire the first contractor you find, but you save yourself headaches if you do some due diligence before signing an assignment of benefits. Great contractors use this to expedite repairs and spare you some work. Take a beat to find that great contractor.

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Assignment of benefits: what you need to know.

August 17, 2022
Steven Schwartzapfel

Insurance can be useful, but dealing with the back-and-forth between insurance companies and contractors, medical specialists, and others can be a time-consuming and ultimately unpleasant experience. You want your medical bills to be paid without having to act as a middleman between your healthcare provider and your insurer.

However, there’s a way you can streamline this process. With an assignment of benefits, you can designate your healthcare provider or any other insurance payout recipient as the go-to party for insurance claims. While this can be convenient, there are certain risks to keep in mind as well.

Below, we’ll explore what an assignment of insurance benefits is (as well as other forms of remediation), how it works, and when you should employ it. For more information, or to learn whether you may have a claim against an insurer, contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers now at 1-516-342-2200 .

What Is an Assignment of Benefits?

An assignment of benefits (AOB) is a legal process through which an insured individual or party signs paperwork that designates another party like a contractor, company, or healthcare provider as their insurance claimant .

Suppose you’re injured in a car accident and need to file a claim with your health insurance company for medical bills and related costs. However, you also need plenty of time to recover. The thought of constantly negotiating between your insurance company, your healthcare provider, and anyone else seems draining and unwelcome.

With an assignment of benefits, you can designate your healthcare provider as your insurance claimant. Then, your healthcare provider can request insurance payouts from your healthcare insurance provider directly.

Through this system, the health insurance provider directly pays your physician or hospital rather than paying you. This means you don’t have to pay your healthcare provider. It’s a streamlined, straightforward way to make sure insurance money gets where it needs to go. It also saves you time and prevents you from having to think about insurance payments unless absolutely necessary.

What Does an Assignment of Benefits Mean?

An AOB means that you designate another party as your insurance claimant. In the above example, that’s your healthcare provider, which could be a physician, hospital, or other organization.

With the assignment of insurance coverage, that healthcare provider can then make a claim for insurance payments directly to your insurance company. The insurance company then pays your healthcare provider directly, and you’re removed as the middleman.

As a bonus, this system sometimes cuts down on your overall costs by eliminating certain service fees. Since there’s only one transaction — the transaction between your healthcare provider and your health insurer — there’s only one set of service fees to contend with. You don’t have to deal with two sets of service fees from first receiving money from your insurance provider, then sending that money to your healthcare provider.

Ultimately, the point of an assignment of benefits is to make things easier for you, your insurer, and anyone else involved in the process.

What Types of Insurance Qualify for an Assignment of Benefits?

Most types of commonly held insurance can work with an assignment of benefits. These insurance types include car insurance, healthcare insurance, homeowners insurance, property insurance, and more.

Note that not all insurance companies allow you to use an assignment of benefits. For an assignment of benefits to work, the potential insurance claimant and the insurance company in question must each sign the paperwork and agree to the arrangement. This prevents fraud (to some extent) and ensures that every party goes into the arrangement with clear expectations.

If your insurance company does not accept assignments of benefits, you’ll have to take care of insurance payments the traditional way. There are many reasons why an insurance company may not accept an assignment of benefits.

To speak with a Schwartzapfel Lawyers expert about this directly, call 1-516-342-2200 for a free consultation today. It will be our privilege to assist you with all your legal questions, needs, and recovery efforts.

Who Uses Assignments of Benefits?

Many providers, services, and contractors use assignments of benefits. It’s often in their interests to accept an assignment of benefits since they can get paid for their work more quickly and make critical decisions without having to consult the insurance policyholder first.

Imagine a circumstance in which a homeowner wants a contractor to add a new room to their property. The contractor knows that the scale of the project could increase or shrink depending on the specifics of the job, the weather, and other factors.

If the homeowner uses an assignment of benefits to give the contractor rights to make insurance claims for the project, that contractor can then:

Bill the insurer directly for their work. This is beneficial since it ensures that the contractor’s employees get paid promptly and they can purchase the supplies they need.
Make important decisions to ensure that the project completes on time. For example, a contract can authorize another insurance claim for extra supplies without consulting with the homeowner beforehand, saving time and potentially money in the process.

Practically any company or organization that receives payments from insurance companies may choose to take advantage of an assignment of benefits with you. Example companies and providers include:

Ambulance services
Drug and biological companies
Lab diagnostic services
Hospitals and medical centers like clinics
Certified medical professionals such as nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, clinical psychologists, and others
Ambulatory surgical center services
Permanent repair and improvement contractors like carpenters, plumbers, roofers, restoration companies, and others
Auto repair shops and mechanic organizations

Advantages of Using an Assignment of Benefits

An assignment of benefits can be an advantageous contract to employ, especially if you believe that you’ll need to pay a contractor, healthcare provider, and/or other organization via insurance payouts regularly for the near future.

These benefits include but are not limited to:

Save time for yourself. Again, imagine a circumstance in which you are hospitalized and have to pay your healthcare provider through your health insurance payouts. If you use an assignment of benefits, you don’t have to make the payments personally or oversee the insurance payouts. Instead, you can focus on resting and recovering.
Possibly save yourself money in the long run. As noted above, an assignment of benefits can help you circumvent some service fees by limiting the number of transactions or money transfers required to ensure everyone is paid on time.
Increased peace of mind. Many people don’t like having to constantly think about insurance payouts, contacting their insurance company, or negotiating between insurers and contractors/providers. With an assignment of benefits, you can let your insurance company and a contractor or provider work things out between them, though this can lead to applications later down the road.

Because of these benefits, many recovering individuals, car accident victims, homeowners, and others utilize AOB agreements from time to time.

Risks of Using an Assignment of Benefits

Worth mentioning, too, is that an assignment of benefits does carry certain risks you should be aware of before presenting this contract to your insurance company or a contractor or provider. Remember, an assignment of benefits is a legally binding contract unless it is otherwise dissolved (which is technically possible).

The risks of using an assignment of benefits include:

You give billing control to your healthcare provider, contractor, or another party. This allows them to bill your insurance company for charges that you might not find necessary. For example, a home improvement contractor might bill a homeowner’s insurance company for an unnecessary material or improvement. The homeowner only finds out after the fact and after all the money has been paid, resulting in a higher premium for their insurance policy or more fees than they expected.
You allow a contractor or service provider to sue your insurance company if the insurer does not want to pay for a certain service or bill. This can happen if the insurance company and contractor or service provider disagree on one or another billable item. Then, you may be dragged into litigation or arbitration you did not agree to in the first place.
You may lose track of what your insurance company pays for various services . As such, you could be surprised if your health insurance or other insurance premiums and deductibles increase suddenly.

Given these disadvantages, it’s still wise to keep track of insurance payments even if you choose to use an assignment of benefits. For example, you might request that your insurance company keep you up to date on all billable items a contractor or service provider charges for the duration of your treatment or project.

For more on this and related topic, call Schwartzapfel Lawyers now at 1-516-342-2200 .

How To Make Sure an Assignment of Benefits Is Safe

Even though AOBs do carry potential disadvantages, there are ways to make sure that your chosen contract is safe and legally airtight. First, it’s generally a wise idea to contact knowledgeable legal representatives so they can look over your paperwork and ensure that any given assignment of benefits doesn’t contain any loopholes that could be exploited by a service provider or contractor.

The right lawyer can also make sure that an assignment of benefits is legally binding for your insurance provider. To make sure an assignment of benefits is safe, you should perform the following steps:

Always check for reviews and references before hiring a contractor or service provider, especially if you plan to use an AOB ahead of time. For example, you should stay away if a contractor has a reputation for abusing insurance claims.
Always get several estimates for work, repairs, or bills. Then, you can compare the estimated bills and see whether one contractor or service provider is likely to be honest about their charges.
Get all estimates, payment schedules, and project schedules in writing so you can refer back to them later on.
Don’t let a service provider or contractor pressure you into hiring them for any reason . If they seem overly excited about getting started, they could be trying to rush things along or get you to sign an AOB so that they can start issuing charges to your insurance company.
Read your assignment of benefits contract fully. Make sure that there aren’t any legal loopholes that a contractor or service provider can take advantage of. An experienced lawyer can help you draft and sign a beneficial AOB contract.

Can You Sue a Party for Abusing an Assignment of Benefits?

Sometimes. If you believe your assignment of benefits is being abused by a contractor or service provider, you may be able to sue them for breaching your contract or even AOB fraud. However, successfully suing for insurance fraud of any kind is often difficult.

Also, you should remember that a contractor or service provider can sue your insurance company if the insurance carrier decides not to pay them. For example, if your insurer decides that a service provider is engaging in billing scams and no longer wishes to make payouts, this could put you in legal hot water.

If you’re not sure whether you have grounds for a lawsuit, contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers today at 1-516-342-2200 . At no charge, we’ll examine the details of your case and provide you with a consultation. Don’t wait. Call now!

Assignment of Benefits FAQs

Which states allow assignments of benefits.

Every state allows you to offer an assignment of benefits to a contractor and/or insurance company. That means, whether you live in New York, Florida, Arizona, California, or some other state, you can rest assured that AOBs are viable tools to streamline the insurance payout process.

Can You Revoke an Assignment of Benefits?

Yes. There may come a time when you need to revoke an assignment of benefits. This may be because you no longer want the provider or contractor to have control over your insurance claims, or because you want to switch providers/contractors.

To revoke an assignment of benefits agreement, you must notify the assignee (i.e., the new insurance claimant). A legally solid assignment of benefits contract should also include terms and rules for this decision. Once more, it’s usually a wise idea to have an experienced lawyer look over an assignment of benefits contract to make sure you don’t miss these by accident.

Contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers Today

An assignment of benefits is an invaluable tool when you need to streamline the insurance claims process. For example, you can designate your healthcare provider as your primary claimant with an assignment of benefits, allowing them to charge your insurance company directly for healthcare costs.

However, there are also risks associated with an assignment of benefits. If you believe a contractor or healthcare provider is charging your insurance company unfairly, you may need legal representatives. Schwartzapfel Lawyers can help.

As knowledgeable New York attorneys who are well-versed in New York insurance law, we’re ready to assist with any and all litigation needs. For a free case evaluation and consultation, contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers today at 1-516-342-2200 !

Schwartzapfel Lawyers, P.C. | Fighting For You™™

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What is an assignment of benefits?

The last time you sought medical care, you likely made an appointment with your provider, got the treatment you needed, paid your copay or deductible, and that was it. No paperwork, no waiting to be reimbursed; your doctor received payment from your insurance company and you both went on with your lives.

This is how most people receive health care in the U.S. This system, known as assignment of benefits or AOB, is now being used with other types of insurance, including auto and homeowners coverage .

What is an assignment of benefits?

An AOB is a legal agreement that allows your insurance company to directly pay a third party for services performed on your behalf. In the case of health care, it could be your doctor or another medical professional providing care. With a homeowners, renters, or auto insurance claim, the third party could be a contractor, auto repair shop, or other facility.

Assignment of benefits is legal, thanks to a concept known as freedom of contract, which says two parties may make a private agreement, including the forfeiture of certain rights, and the government may not interfere. There are exceptions, making freedom of contract something less than an absolute right. For example, the contract may not violate the law or contain unfair terms.

Not all doctors or contractors utilize AOBs. Therefore, it’s a good idea to make sure the doctor or service provider and you are on the same page when it comes to AOBs before treatment or work begins.

How an AOB works

The function of an AOB agreement varies depending on the type of insurance policy involved, the healthcare provider, contractor, or service provider, and increasingly, state law. Although an AOB is normal in health insurance, other applications of assignment of benefits have now included the auto and homeowners insurance industry.

Because AOBs are common in health care, you probably don’t think twice about signing a piece of paper that says “assignment of benefits” across the top. But once you sign it, you’re likely turning over your right to deal with your insurance company regarding service from that provider. Why would you do this?

According to Dr. David Berg of Redirect Health , the reason is simple: “Without an AOB in place, the patient themselves would be responsible for paying the cost of their service and would then file a claim with their insurance company for reimbursement.”

With homeowners or auto insurance, the same rules apply. Once you sign the AOB, you are effectively out of the picture. The contractor who reroofs your house or the mechanic who rebuilds your engine works with your insurance company by filing a claim on your behalf and receiving their money without your help or involvement.

“Each state has its own rules, regulations, and permissions regarding AOBs,” says Gregg Barrett, founder and CEO of WaterStreet , a cloud-based P&C insurance administration platform. “Some states require a strict written breakdown of work to be done, while others allow assignment of only parts of claims.”

Within the guidelines of the specific insurance rules for AOBs in your state, the general steps include:

You and your contractor draw up an AOB clause as part of the contract.
The contract stipulates the exact work that will be completed and all necessary details.
The contractor sends the completed AOB to the insurance company where an adjuster reviews, asks questions, and resolves any discrepancies.
The contractor’s name (or that of an agreed-upon party) is listed to go on the settlement check.

After work is complete and signed off, the insurer will issue the check and the claim will be considered settled.

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Example of an assignment of benefits

If you’re dealing with insurance, how would an AOB factor in? Let’s take an example. “Say you have a water leak in the house,” says Angel Conlin, chief insurance officer at Kin Insurance . “You call a home restoration company to stop the water flow, clean up the mess, and restore your home to its former glory. The restoration company may ask for an assignment of benefits so it can deal directly with the insurance company without your input.”

In this case, by eliminating the homeowner, whose interests are already represented by an experienced insurance adjustor, the AOB reduces redundancy, saves time and money, and allows the restoration process to proceed with much greater efficiency.

When would you need to use an assignment of benefits?

An AOB can simplify complicated and costly insurance transactions and allow you to turn these transactions over to trusted experts, thereby avoiding time-consuming negotiations.

An AOB also frees you from paying the entire bill upfront and seeking reimbursement from your insurance company after work has been completed or services rendered. Since you are not required to sign an assignment of benefits, failure to sign will result in you paying the entire medical bill and filing for reimbursement. The three most common uses of AOBs are with health insurance, car insurance, and homeowners insurance.

Assignment of benefits for health insurance

As discussed, AOBs in health insurance are commonplace. If you have health insurance, you’ve probably signed AOBs for years. Each provider (doctor) or practice requires a separate AOB. From your point of view, the big advantages of an AOB are that you receive medical care, your doctor and insurance company work out the details and, in the event of a disagreement, those two entities deal with each other.

Assignment of benefits for car owners

If your car is damaged in an accident and needs extensive repair, the benefits of an AOB can quickly add up. Not only will you have your automobile repaired with minimal upfront costs to you, inconvenience will be almost nonexistent. You drop your car off (or have it towed), wait to be called, told the repair is finished, and pick it up. Similar to a health care AOB, disagreements are worked out between the provider and insurer. You are usually not involved.

Assignment of benefits for homeowners

When your home or belongings are damaged or destroyed, your primary concern is to “return to normal.” You want to do this with the least amount of hassle. An AOB allows you to transfer your rights to a third party, usually a contractor, freeing you to deal with the crisis at hand.

When you sign an AOB, your contractor can begin immediately working on damage repair, shoring up against additional deterioration, and coordinating with various subcontractors without waiting for clearance or communication with you.

The fraud factor

No legal agreement, including an AOB, is free from the possibility of abuse or fraud. Built-in safeguards are essential to ensure the benefits you assign to a third party are as protected as possible.

In terms of what can and does go wrong, the answer is: plenty. According to the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMICs), examples of AOB fraud include inflated invoices or charges for work that hasn’t been done. Another common tactic is to sue the insurance company, without the policyholder’s knowledge or consent, something that can ultimately result in the policyholder being stuck with the bill and higher insurance premiums due to losses experienced by the insurer.

State legislatures have tried to protect consumers from AOB fraud and some progress has been made. Florida, for example, passed legislation in 2019 that gives consumers the right to rescind a fraudulent contract and requires that AOB contracts include an itemized description of the work to be done. Other states, including North Dakota, Kansas, and Iowa have all signed NAMIC-backed legislation into law to protect consumers from AOB fraud.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), offers advice for consumers to help avoid AOB fraud and abuse:

File a claim with your insurer before you hire a contractor. This ensures you know what repairs need to be made.
Don’t pay in full upfront. Legitimate contractors do not require it.
Get three estimates before selecting a contractor.
Get a full written contract and read it carefully before signing.
Don’t be pressured into signing an AOB. You are not required to sign an AOB.

Pros and cons of an assignment of benefits

The advantages and disadvantages of an AOB agreement depend largely on the amount and type of protection your state’s insurance laws provide.

An AOB frees you from paying for services and waiting for reimbursement from your insurer
Some people appreciate not needing to negotiate with their insurer
You are not required to sign an AOB.
Signing an AOB could make you the victim of a scam without knowing it until your insurer refuses to pay
An AOB doesn’t free you from the ultimate responsibility to pay for services rendered, which could drag you into expensive litigation if things go south
Any AOB you do sign is legally binding

The takeaway

An AOB, as the health insurance example shows, can simplify complicated and costly insurance transactions and help consumers avoid time-consuming negotiations. And it can save upfront costs while letting experts work out the details.

It can also introduce a nightmare scenario laced with fraud requiring years of costly litigation. Universal state-level legislation with safeguards is required to avoid the latter. Until that is in place, your best bet is to work closely with your insurer when signing an AOB. Look for suspicious or inflated charges when negotiating with contractors, providers, and other servicers.

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EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE : The advice, opinions, or rankings contained in this article are solely those of the Fortune Recommends ™ editorial team. This content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of our affiliate partners or other third parties.

Assignment of benefits

Assignment of benefits is a legal agreement where a patient authorizes their healthcare provider to receive direct payment from the insurance company for services rendered.

Boost patient experience and your bottom line by automating patient cost estimates, payer underpayment detection, and contract optimization in one place.

What is Assignment of Benefits?

Assignment of benefits (AOB) is a crucial concept in the healthcare revenue cycle management (RCM) process. It refers to the legal transfer of the patient's rights to receive insurance benefits directly to the healthcare provider. In simpler terms, it allows healthcare providers to receive payment directly from the insurance company, rather than the patient being responsible for paying the provider and then seeking reimbursement from their insurance company.

Understanding Assignment of Benefits

When a patient seeks medical services, they typically have health insurance coverage that helps them pay for the cost of their healthcare. In most cases, the patient is responsible for paying a portion of the bill, known as the copayment or deductible, while the insurance company covers the remaining amount. However, in situations where the patient has assigned their benefits to the healthcare provider, the provider can directly bill the insurance company for the services rendered.

The assignment of benefits is a legal agreement between the patient and the healthcare provider. By signing this agreement, the patient authorizes the healthcare provider to receive payment directly from the insurance company on their behalf. This ensures that the provider receives timely payment for the services provided, reducing the financial burden on the patient.

Difference between Assignment of Benefits and Power of Attorney

While the assignment of benefits may seem similar to a power of attorney (POA) in some respects, they are distinct legal concepts. A power of attorney grants someone the authority to make decisions and act on behalf of another person, including financial matters. On the other hand, an assignment of benefits only transfers the right to receive insurance benefits directly to the healthcare provider.

In healthcare, a power of attorney is typically used in situations where a patient is unable to make decisions about their medical care. It allows a designated individual, known as the healthcare proxy, to make decisions on behalf of the patient. In contrast, an assignment of benefits is used to streamline the payment process between the healthcare provider and the insurance company.

Examples of Assignment of Benefits

To better understand how assignment of benefits works, let's consider a few examples:

Sarah visits her primary care physician for a routine check-up. She has health insurance coverage through her employer. Before the appointment, Sarah signs an assignment of benefits form, authorizing her physician to receive payment directly from her insurance company. After the visit, the physician submits the claim to the insurance company, and they reimburse the physician directly for the covered services.

John undergoes a surgical procedure at a hospital. He has health insurance coverage through a private insurer. Prior to the surgery, John signs an assignment of benefits form, allowing the hospital to receive payment directly from his insurance company. The hospital submits the claim to the insurance company, and they reimburse the hospital for the covered services. John is responsible for paying any copayments or deductibles directly to the hospital.

Mary visits a specialist for a specific medical condition. She has health insurance coverage through a government program. Mary signs an assignment of benefits form, granting the specialist the right to receive payment directly from the government program. The specialist submits the claim to the program, and they reimburse the specialist for the covered services. Mary is responsible for any applicable copayments or deductibles.

In each of these examples, the assignment of benefits allows the healthcare provider to receive payment directly from the insurance company, simplifying the billing and reimbursement process for both the provider and the patient.

Assignment of benefits is a fundamental concept in healthcare revenue cycle management. It enables healthcare providers to receive payment directly from the insurance company, reducing the financial burden on patients and streamlining the billing process. By understanding the assignment of benefits, patients can make informed decisions about their healthcare and ensure that their providers receive timely payment for the services rendered.

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Related terms, summary of benefits and coverage (sbc).

Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) is a standardized document that provides clear and concise information about health insurance plan benefits and costs.

Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS)

Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS) is a payment system used by Medicare to determine reimbursement rates for physician services rendered to Medicare beneficiaries.

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Assignment of Benefits for Contractors: Pros & Cons of Accepting an AOB

22 articles

Insurance , Restoration , Slow Payment

An illustrated assignment of benefits form in front of a damaged house

When a property owner files an insurance claim to cover a restoration or roofing project, the owner typically deals directly with the insurance company. They may not have the funds available to pay the contractor out of pocket, so they’re counting on that insurance check to cover the construction costs.

But insurance companies often drag their feet, and payments can take even longer than normal. Contractors often wish they could simply deal with the insurance company directly through an assignment of benefits. In some circumstances, an AOB can be an effective tool that helps contractors collect payment faster — but is it worth it?

In this article, we’ll explain what an assignment of benefits is, and how the process works. More importantly, we’ll look at the pros and cons for restoration and roofing contractors to help you decide if an AOB is worth it .

What is an assignment of benefits?

An assignment of benefits , or AOB, is an agreement to transfer insurance claim rights to a third party. It gives the assignee authority to file and negotiate a claim directly with the insurance company, without involvement from the property owner.

An AOB also allows the insurer to pay the contractor directly instead of funneling funds through the customer. AOBs take the homeowner out of the claims equation.

Here’s an example: A property owner’s roof is damaged in a hurricane. The owner contacts a restoration company to repair the damage, and signs an AOB to transfer their insurance rights to the contractor. The contractor, now the assignee, negotiates the claim directly with the insurance company. The insurer will pay the claim by issuing a check for the repairs directly to the restoration contractor.

Setting up an AOB

A property owner and contractor can set up an assignment of benefits in two steps:

The owner and the contractor sign an AOB agreement
The contractor sends the AOB to the insurance company

Keep in mind that many states have their own laws about what the agreement can or should include .

For example, Florida’s assignment of benefits law contains relatively strict requirements when it comes to an assignment of benefits:

The AOB agreements need to be in writing. The agreement must contain a bolded disclosure notifying the customer that they are relinquishing certain rights under the homeowners policy. You can’t charge administrative fees or penalties if a homeowner decides to cancel the AOB.
The AOB must include an itemized, per-unit breakdown of the work you plan to do. The services can only involve how you plan to make repairs or restore the home’s damage or protect the property from any further harm. A copy must be provided to the insurance company.
A homeowner can rescind an AOB agreement within 14 days of signing, or within 30 days if no work has begun and no start date was listed for the work. If a start date is listed, the 30-day rule still applies if substantial progress has not been made on the job.

Before signing an AOB agreement, make sure you understand the property owner’s insurance policy, and whether the project is likely to be covered.

Learn more: Navigating an insurance claim on a restoration project

Pros & cons for contractors

It’s smart to do a cost-benefit analysis on the practice of accepting AOBs. Listing pros and cons can help you make a logical assessment before deciding either way.

Pro: Hiring a public adjuster

An insurance carrier’s claims adjuster will inspect property damage and arrive at a dollar figure calculated to cover the cost of repairs. Often, you might feel this adjuster may have overlooked some details that should factor into the estimate.

If you encounter pushback from the insurer under these circumstances, a licensed, public adjuster may be warranted. These appraisers work for the homeowner, whose best interests you now represent as a result of the AOB. A public adjuster could help win the battle to complete the repairs properly.

Pro: More control over payment

You may sink a considerable amount of time into preparing an estimate for a customer. You may even get green-lighted to order materials and get started. Once the ball starts rolling, you wouldn’t want a customer to back out on the deal.

Klark Brown , Co-founder of The Alliance of Independent Restorers, concedes this might be one of the very situations in which an AOB construction agreement might help a contractor. “An AOB helps make sure the homeowner doesn’t take the insurance money and run,” says Brown.

Pro: Build a better relationship with the homeowner

A homeowner suffers a substantial loss and it’s easy to understand why push and pull with an insurance company might be the last thing they want to undertake. They may desire to have another party act on their behalf.

As an AOB recipient, the claims ball is now in your court. By taking some of the weight off a customer’s shoulders during a difficult period, it could help build good faith and further the relationship you strive to build with that client.

Learn more : 8 Ways for Contractors to Build Trust With a Homeowner

Con: It confuses payment responsibilities

Even if you accept an AOB, the property owner still generally bears responsibility for making payment. If the insurance company is dragging their feet, a restoration contractor can still likely file a mechanics lien on the property .

A homeowner may think that by signing away their right to an insurance claim, they are also signing away their responsibility to pay for the restoration work. This typically isn’t true, and this expectation could set you up for a more contentious dispute down the line if there is a problem with the insurance claim.

Con: Tighter margins

Insurance companies will want repairs made at the lowest cost possible. Just like you, carriers run a business and need to cut costs while boosting revenue.

While some restoration contractors work directly with insurers and could get a steady stream of work from them, Brown emphasizes that you may be sacrificing your own margins. “Expect to accept work for less money than you’d charge independently,” he adds.

The takeaway here suggests that any contractor accepting an AOB could subject themselves to the same bare-boned profit margins.

Con: More administrative work

Among others, creating additional administrative busywork is another reason Brown recommends that you steer clear of accepting AOBs. You’re committing additional resources while agreeing to work for less money.

“Administrative costs are a burden,” Brown states. Insurers may reduce and/or delay payments to help their own bottom lines. “Insurers will play the float with reserves and claims funds,” he added. So, AOBs can be detrimental to your business if you’re spending more while chasing payments.

Con: Increase in average collection period

Every contractor should use some financial metrics to help gauge the health of the business . The average collection period for receivables measures the average time it takes you to get paid on your open accounts.

Insurance companies aren’t known for paying claims quickly. If you do restoration work without accepting an AOB, you can often take action with the homeowner to get paid faster. When you’re depending on an insurance company to make your payment, rather than the owner, collection times will likely increase.

The literal and figurative bottom line is: If accepting assignment of benefits agreements increases the time it takes to get paid and costs you more in operational expense, these are both situations you want to avoid.

Learn more: How to calculate your collection effectiveness

AOBs and mechanics liens

A mechanics lien is hands down a contractor’s most effective tool to ensure they get paid for their work. Many types of restoration services are protected under lien laws in most states. But what happens to lien rights when a contractor accepts an assignment of benefits?

An AOB generally won’t affect a contractor’s ability to file a mechanics lien on the property if they don’t receive payment. The homeowner is typically still responsible to pay for the improvements. This is especially true if the contract involves work that wasn’t covered by the insurance policy.

However, make sure you know the laws in the state where your project is located. For example, Florida’s assignment of benefits law, perhaps the most restrictive in the country, appears to prohibit an AOB assignee from filing a lien.

Florida AOB agreements are required to include language that waives the contractor’s rights to collect payment from the owner. The required statement takes it even further, stating that neither the contractor or any of their subs can file a mechanics lien on the owner’s property.

On his website , Florida’s CFO says: “The third-party assignee and its subcontractors may not collect, or attempt to collect money from you, maintain any action of law against you, file a lien against your property or report you to a credit reporting agency.”

That sounds like a contractor assignee can’t file a lien if they aren’t paid . But, according to construction lawyer Alex Benarroche , it’s not so cut-and-dry.

“Florida’s AOB law has yet to be tested in court, and it’s possible that the no-lien provision would be invalid,” says Benarroche. “This is because Florida also prohibits no-lien clauses in a contract. It is not legal for a contractor to waive their right to file a lien via an agreement prior to performance.”

Learn more about no-lien clauses and their enforceability state-by-state

Remember that every state treats AOBs differently, and conflicting laws can create additional risk. It’s important to consult with a construction lawyer in the project’s state before accepting an assignment of benefits.

Best practices for contractors

At the end of the day, there are advantages and disadvantages to accepting an assignment of benefits. While it’s possible in some circumstances that an AOB could help a contractor get paid faster, there are lots of other payment tools that are more effective and require less administrative costs. An AOB should never be the first option on the table .

If you do decide to become an assignee to the property owner’s claim benefits, make sure you do your homework beforehand and adopt some best practices to effectively manage the assignment of benefits process. You’ll need to keep on top of the administrative details involved in drafting AOBs and schedule work in a timely manner to stay in compliance with the conditions of the agreement.

Make sure you understand all the nuances of how insurance works when there’s a claim . You need to understand the owner’s policy and what it covers. Home insurance policy forms are basically standardized for easy comparisons in each state, so what you see with one company is what you get with all carriers.

Since you’re now the point of contact for the insurance company, expect more phone calls and emails from both clients and the insurer . You’ll need to have a strategy to efficiently handle ramped-up communications since the frequency will increase. Keep homeowners and claims reps in the loop so you can build customer relationships and hopefully get paid faster by the insurer for your work.

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Assignment Of Benefits

What does assignment of benefits mean.

Assignment of benefits (AOB) is the official way an insured person asks their insurance company to pay a professional or facility for services rendered.

Insuranceopedia Explains Assignment Of Benefits

Assignment of benefits is a document that directs payment to a third party at the insured’s request. It becomes legitimate once both the insured party and their insurer have signed the AOB form. AOB is used in a number of insurance contexts, such as paying physicians or clinics through health insurance or paying contractors for repairs through a homeowner’s insurance policy.

Usually, AOBs are issued when the third party pursues it in the hopes that payment from the insurance company will be more certain and delivered more quickly than it would be from the insured.

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Rental value insurance, change of occupation provision, force-placed insurance, guaranteed asset protection insurance, insurance to value, loss report, no benefit to bailee provision, guaranteed renewable contract, related terms, certificate of coverage, third party, medical payments insurance, related articles, how to lower your health insurance rates, 10 tips for choosing the right health insurance policy, 10 things you need to know about health insurance in the united states, the ultimate guide to auto insurance, insurance self-service portal: the future of customer experience, blockchain’s impact on transforming the insurance landscape, trending articles.

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What is an assignment of benefits.

This is how most people receive health care in the U.S. This system, known as assignment of benefits or AOB, is now being used with other types of insurance, including auto and homeowners coverage .

How an AOB works

Because AOBs are common in health care, you probably don’t think twice about signing a piece of paper that says "assignment of benefits" across the top. But once you sign it, you’re likely turning over your right to deal with your insurance company regarding service from that provider. Why would you do this?

According to Dr. David Berg of Redirect Health, the reason is simple: “Without an AOB in place, the patient themselves would be responsible for paying the cost of their service and would then file a claim with their insurance company for reimbursement.”

Within the guidelines of the specific insurance rules for AOBs in your state, the general steps include:

You and your contractor draw up an AOB clause as part of the contract.

The contract stipulates the exact work that will be completed and all necessary details.

The contractor sends the completed AOB to the insurance company where an adjuster reviews, asks questions, and resolves any discrepancies.

The contractor’s name (or that of an agreed-upon party) is listed to go on the settlement check.

After work is complete and signed off, the insurer will issue the check and the claim will be considered settled.

Example of an assignment of benefits

When would you need to use an assignment of benefits?

An AOB can simplify complicated and costly insurance transactions and allow you to turn these transactions over to trusted experts, thereby avoiding time-consuming negotiations.

Assignment of benefits for health insurance

Assignment of benefits for car owners

Assignment of benefits for homeowners

The fraud factor

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), offers advice for consumers to help avoid AOB fraud and abuse:

File a claim with your insurer before you hire a contractor. This ensures you know what repairs need to be made.

Don’t pay in full upfront. Legitimate contractors do not require it.

Get three estimates before selecting a contractor.

Get a full written contract and read it carefully before signing.

Don’t be pressured into signing an AOB. You are not required to sign an AOB.

Pros and cons of an assignment of benefits

The advantages and disadvantages of an AOB agreement depend largely on the amount and type of protection your state’s insurance laws provide.

Pros of assignment of benefits

With proper safeguards in place to reduce opportunities for fraud, AOBs have the ability to streamline and simplify the insurance claims process.

An AOB frees you from paying for services and waiting for reimbursement from your insurer.

Some people appreciate not needing to negotiate with their insurer.

You are not required to sign an AOB.

Cons of assignment of benefits

As with most contracts, AOBs are a double-edged sword. Be aware of potential traps and ask questions if you are unsure.

Signing an AOB could make you the victim of a scam without knowing it until your insurer refuses to pay.

An AOB doesn’t free you from the ultimate responsibility to pay for services rendered, which could drag you into expensive litigation if things go south.

Any AOB you do sign is legally binding.

The takeaway

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Search NAIC

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Consumer Insight

Sept. 13, 2023

Assignment of Benefits: Consumer Beware

You've just survived a severe storm, or a tornado and you've experienced some extensive damage to your home that requires repairs, including the roof. Your contractor is now asking for your permission to speak with your insurance company using an Assignment of Benefits. Before you sign, read the fine print. Otherwise, you may inadvertently sign over your benefits and any extra money you’re owed as part of your claim settlement.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) offers information to help you better understand insurance, your risk and what to do in the event you need repairs after significant storm damage.

Be cautious about signing an Assignment of Benefits. An Assignment of Benefits, or an AOB, is an agreement signed by a policyholder that allows a third party—such as a water extraction company, a roofer or a plumber—to act on behalf of the insured and seek direct payment from the insurance company. An AOB can be a useful tool for getting repairs done, as it allows the repair company to deal directly with your insurance company when negotiating repairs and issuing payment directly to the repair company. However, an AOB is a legal contract, so you need to understand what rights you are signing away and you need to be sure the repair company is trustworthy.

With an Assignment of Benefits, the third party, like a roofing company or plumber, files your claim, makes the repair decision and collects insurance payments without your involvement.
Once you have signed an AOB, the insurer only communicates with the third party and the other party can sue your insurer and you can lose your right to mediation.
It's possible the third party may demand a higher claim payment than the insurer offers and then sue the insurer when it denies your claim.
You are not required to sign an AOB to have repairs completed. You can file a claim directly with your insurance company, which allows you to maintain control of the rights and benefits provided by your policy in resolving the claim.

Be on alert for fraud. Home repair fraud is common after a natural disaster. Contractors often come into disaster-struck regions looking to make quick money by taking advantage of victims.

It is a good idea to do business with local or trusted companies. Ask friends and family for references.
Your insurer may also have recommendations or a list of preferred contractors.
Always get more than one bid on work projects. Your adjuster may want to review estimates before you make repairs.

Immediately after the disaster, have an accurate account of the damage for your insurance company when you file a claim.

Before removing any debris or belongings, document all losses.
Take photos or video and make a list of the damages and lost items.
Save damaged items if possible so your insurer can inspect them, some insurance companies may have this as a requirement in their policy.

Most insurance companies have a time requirement for reporting a claim, so contact your agent or company as soon as possible. Your state insurance department can help you find contact information for your insurance company, if you cannot find it.

Insurance company officials can help you determine what damages are covered, start your claim and even issue a check to start the recovery process.
When reporting losses, you will need insurance information, current contact information and a home inventory or list of damaged and lost property . If you do not have a list, the adjuster will give you some time to make one. Ask the adjuster how much time you have to submit this inventory list. The NAIC Post Disaster Claims Guide has details on what you can do if you do not have a home inventory list.

After you report damage to your insurance company, they will send a claims adjuster to assess the damage at no cost to you . An adjuster from your insurance company will walk through and around your home to inspect damaged items and temporary repairs you may have made.

A public adjuster is different from an adjuster from your insurance company and has no ties to the insurance company.
They estimate the damage to your home and property, review your insurance coverage, and negotiate a settlement of the insurance claim for you.
Many states require public adjusters to be licensed. Some states prohibit public adjusters from negotiating insurance claims for you. In those states, only a licensed attorney can represent you.
You have to pay a public adjuster.
The NAIC Post Disaster Claims Guide has information on the different types of adjusters.

Once the adjuster has completed an assessment, they will provide documentation of the loss to your insurer to determine your claims settlement. When it comes to getting paid, you may receive more than one check. If the damage is severe or you are displaced from your home, the first check may be an emergency advance. Other payments may be for the contents of your home, other personal property, and structural damages. Please note that if there is a mortgage on your home, the payment for structural damage may be payable to you and your mortgage lender. Lenders may put that money into an escrow account and pay for repairs as the work is completed.

More information. States have rules governing how insurance companies handle claims. If you think that your insurer is not responding in a timely manner or completing a reasonable investigation of your claim, contact your state insurance department .

About the National Association of Insurance Commissioners

As part of our state-based system of insurance regulation in the United States, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) provides expertise, data, and analysis for insurance commissioners to effectively regulate the industry and protect consumers. The U.S. standard-setting organization is governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Through the NAIC, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer reviews, and coordinate regulatory oversight. NAIC staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally.

Assignment of benefits: A growing concern

By Kevin Poll

Evaluating claims properly and determining the appropriate amount of a loss are crucial for insurance companies, especially when trying to offer competitive premiums to customers and maintain profitable financial results.

Factors that affect profitability

In the business of insurance, many factors—some that can’t be controlled—affect financial profitability. Predictive analytics and more refined modeling are helping insurers reduce uncertainty, but even the best of models have their limitations.

Further, many variables can’t be predicted but could have significant financial impact on the bottom line. One of those variables—the potential for the benefits of an insurance policy being assigned post-loss to predatory adjusters—has been a hot topic, particularly in those states where laws and regulations currently prevent insurance companies from being able to mitigate the problem.

What is assignment of benefits?

Typically, an insurance policy has a loss payment provision that advises the policyholder that any payment for a first-party loss will be paid directly to the insured unless another party is legally entitled to collect payment. However, a common practice by consumers after a loss is to have the contractor that will be making the repairs to the damaged property work directly with the insurance company for payment.

Some insurance providers have simplified this process by developing a network of trusted contractors that are allowed to inspect claims on their behalf. This creates a consumer-friendly environment where the insured, for the most part, is removed from the claims settlement process. However, consumers generally are free to make other choices, so if they decide on a contractor not in that network, the insurer most likely will work with the entity selected by the insured.

When a contractor, who is not in an insurance provider’s network, is chosen, the insured has two options: either receive payment from the insurance company and then work directly with the contractor or allow the contractor to work directly with the insurance company regarding repairs and payment. Insurance companies would likely prefer the first option because they can then more closely monitor the claims process. While the second option may be less desirable to the insurance company, certain states, like Florida, have laws in place that actually prevent the carrier from disallowing it.

What are the concerns with assignment of benefits?

Transferring the benefits of a policy to a third party, such as a contractor, does create a better customer experience; however, insurers generally lose a bit of control managing the claims process when working directly with the third party.

Several states (especially Florida as discussed below) have seen an influx in predatory public adjusters and contractors that seek out consumers who may potentially have a loss covered by their homeowners policy. These adjusters (that may also serve as the contractor making the repairs to the home) will have the consumer sign a transfer of benefits to them almost immediately after suffering the loss, and then they will work directly with the insurance company to complete the claims process.

One issue that arises (and often the consumer is unaware of this) is that the adjuster/contractor could be inflating the actual cost of the claim by reporting damage that may not actually have occurred. Additionally, the claim may not be reported to the insurance company until the repairs have already been completed so the insurance company has not had an opportunity to inspect the damage. Such tactics can result in additional profits for the adjuster/contractor, which translates to inflated severity and rising premiums for the consumer.

This issue may be particularly problematic in Florida, where insurance carriers may not be aware of potential losses until they’re served with a lawsuit for expenses incurred by the contractor that completed the repairs. In fact, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR) released results from a study it conducted showing that the number of lawsuits attributed to assignment of benefits (AOB) increased from 408 in 2000 to more than 28,000 in 2016. Further, the average severity for claims where there is an AOB is about 85 percent more than those claims without an AOB.

How has this issue escalated?

Several factors have contributed to the growing problem of assignment of benefits in Florida; however, a combination of case law and legislation, which has made it difficult for insurance companies to mitigate claim costs and potential fraud, may be the most impactful.

In the 1917 landmark case of West Florida Grocery Co. v. Teutonia Fire Ins. Co., 77 So. 209, 210-, the state Supreme Court rendered a decision holding that the insured was able to assign the benefits of the policy following a loss directly to a third party without the written consent of the insurance provider. The precedent established by this 100-year-old case continues to make it very difficult for an insurance company to prohibit the assignment of benefits in Florida.

In addition to this case, Florida Statute §627.428 governing payment of attorneys’ fees related to insurance practices requires that insurance companies pay legal fees to third parties successfully suing to obtain payment for their services even if the ruling from the court places the amount of the claim only $1 above the insurance company’s offer in settlement. As a result, this statute incentivizes contractors to sue insurance companies for reimbursement, because the likelihood that they’ll have to pay their own legal fees for the case is very slim.

As reported by The Sun Sentinel earlier this year, consumers in southern Florida could expect to see rate increases averaging 5-15% as a result of claims abuse. Additionally, if it can be assumed that a significant number of the lawsuits complied in the FLOIR study referenced above were initiated by public adjusters and contractors seeking to be unjustly compensated, it could be suggested that this predatory behavior is factoring into these rate increases.

Despite this potential correlation, the legislature has yet to make changes to existing laws. While some members of Florida’s legislature favor the existing legislation, others are advocating for consumers and supporting legislation that would eliminate the abuse. Although remedial legislation did fail in 2017, some members have said they’re hopeful to get legislation passed in 2018.

How is ISO responding?

ISO has been reviewing policy language to determine the best course of action for responding to the growing crisis, especially in Florida. While prohibiting assignment of benefits post-loss altogether is not allowed by state law, several policy provisions can be modified to introduce parameters on how the benefits of the policy can be assigned to a third party. ISO is finalizing these changes and hopes to file in the first quarter of 2018 so that member companies can address this concern with or without any future changes to Florida law.

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Insurance claims , medical revenue recovery, what should an assignment of benefits form include.

An assignment of benefits form (AOB) is a crucial document in the healthcare world. It is an agreement by which a patient transfers the rights or benefits under their insurance policy to a third-party – in this case, the medical professional who provides services. This way, the medical provider can file a claim and collect insurance payments. In the context of personal injury protection coverage, an AOB is a critical step in the reimbursement process.

Personal injury protection coverage , or PIP, is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages incurred after an auto accident, regardless of who is at fault. In New Jersey, drivers are required to carry PIP. Now, let’s say there’s an accident: the driver sees a medical provider for treatment, and the provider bills the patient’s carrier. There is nothing that requires that the insurance carrier to pay the provider.

This is why an assignment of benefits form is so important. It essentially removes the patient from the equation and puts the medical provider in their place as far as the insurance policy is concerned. This enables the provider to be paid directly. If you see PIP patients and want to be paid directly by the insurer (and avoid claim denials or complex legal situations later) you must get an AOB.

The AOB authorization creates a legal relationship between the provider and the insurance carrier. What should it include?

Correct Business Entity

Fill out your business name correctly: it seems simple, but this can be a stumbling block to reimbursement. If your business name is Dr. Smith’s Chiropractic Care Center, you cannot substitute Dr. Smith’s, Smith’s Chiropractic, etc. It must be Dr. Smith’s Chiropractic Care Center. If you have a FEIN number, use the name that is listed on your Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) form.

“Irrevocable”

It is important that you include this term to indicate that the patient cannot later revoke the assignment of benefits. This tells the court that the AOB is the only document determining standing , or the ability to bring a lawsuit on related matters.

Another key term: the court sees benefits as payments. It does not necessarily give you the right to bring a lawsuit. Include language such as, “assigns the rights and benefits, including the right to bring suit…”

Benefit of Not Being Billed At This Time for Services

Essentially, this means that a provider gives up the right to collect payments at the time of service in exchange for the right to bring suit against the insurance company if they are not paid in full. Likewise, the patient gives up the right to bring suit, but they do not have to pay now. The wording will look like this: “In exchange for patient assigning the rights and benefits under their PIP insurance, Dr. Smith’s Chiropractic Care Center will allow patients to receive services without collecting payments at this time.”

Patient Signature

Yes, it’s basic, but make sure the assignment of benefits form is signed and dated by the patient! This renders the AOB , for all intents and purposes, null and void. It is not an executed contract. You would have to start the entire process again, which means waiting longer to be reimbursed for the claim.

Power of Attorney Clause

Including a power of attorney clause, which supports not only “the right of collecting payment” but also the provider’s ability to take legal action on behalf of the patients, is vital. At Callagy Law, we always argue this is inherent within the no-fault statute; however, there are carriers to argue against the right to arbitration when the language is not in the AOB.

As medical providers, it is critical that you receive proper – and timely – reimbursement for services rendered. The assignment of benefits form is one of the most important pieces in this puzzle. It is essential for an attorney to prepare, or at least review, your AOB and other admission paperwork to ensure that you are able to collect pursuant to your patients’ insurance benefits in whatever ways needed.

Callagy Law can not only review these documents, but also ensure you are pursuing all recoverable bills to which you are eligible. If you have any questions, would like us to review your AOB form, or have issues collecting payment from insurance companies, please contact the Callagy Law team today .

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What is Assignment of Benefits in Medical Billing?

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An assignment of benefits is the act of signing documentation authorizing a health insurance company to pay a physician directly. In other words, the insurance company can pay claims without the direct involvement of the patient in the process. There are other situations where AOBs can be helpful, but we’ll focus on their use in relation to medical benefits.

If there isn’t an assignment of benefits agreement in place, the patient would be responsible for paying the other party directly from their own pocket, then filing a claim with their insurance provider to receive reimbursement. This could be time-consuming and costly, especially if the patient has no idea how to file a claim.

The document is typically signed by patients when they undergo medical procedures. The purpose of this form is to assign the responsibility of payment for any future medical bills that may arise after the procedure. It’s important to note that not all procedures require an AOB.

An assignment of benefits agreement might be utilized to pay a medical practitioner the patient didn’t choose, like an anesthesiologist. The patient may have picked a surgeon, but an anesthesiologist assigned on the day of the procedure might issue a separate bill. They’re, in essence, signing that anyone involved in their treatment can receive direct payment from the insurance carrier. It doesn’t have to go through the patient.

This document can also eliminate service fees surrounding processing. As a result, the patient can focus on medical treatment and recovery without being bogged down with the complexities of paying medical bills. The overall intent of an assignment of benefits agreement is to make the process more manageable for the patient, as they don’t need to haggle directly with their insurer.

List of Providers and Services

When the patient signs an AOB agreement, they give a third party right to obtain payment for services the provider performed, and medical billing services are a prime example of where they may sign an AOB agreement.

Ambulance services
Medical insurance claims
Drugs and pharmaceuticals
Diagnostic and clinical lab services
Emergency surgical center services
Dialysis supplies and equipment used in the home
Physician services for Medicare and Medicaid patients

Services of professionals other than a primary care physician, which includes:

Physician assistants
Clinical nurse specialists
Clinical social workers
Clinical psychologists
Certified registered nurse anesthetists

doctor at desk filling out forms on clipboard

Information Commonly Requested on Assignment of Benefits Form:

Signature of patient or person legally responsible
Signature of parent or legal guardian

How AOBs Affect the Medical Practitioner

A medical provider or their administrative staff may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of forms patients must fill out prior to treatment. Demanding more paperwork from patients may be seen as an added burden on the managerial staff, as well as the patient. However, getting a signed AOB is vital in preserving the interests of everyone involved.

In addition to receiving direct payment from the insurance company without needing to go through the patient, a signed assignment of benefits form will help medical providers appeal denied and underpaid claims. They can ask that payments be made directly to them rather than through the patient. This makes the process more manageable for both the doctors and the patient.

Things to Bear in Mind

The patient gives their rights and benefits to third parties under their current health plan. Depending on the wording in the AOB, their insurer may not be allowed to contact them directly about their claims. In addition, the patient may be unable to negotiate settlements or approve payments on their behalf and enable third parties to endorse checks on behalf of the patient. Finally, when the patient signs an AOB, the insurer may sue the third parties involved in the dispute.

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INSIGHT: An Ounce of Prevention—The Importance of Early Review of Assignment of Benefits and Powers of Attorney

By Anthony P. La Rocco, George P. Barbatsuly, Stacey A. Hyman, and Alyssa F. Conn

Introduction

One of the most frequently litigated issues in reimbursement cases brought by in- and out-of-network healthcare providers against insurers is provider standing, or a provider’s right to file a lawsuit to recover for services it provided to its patients. This is because the health insurance industry bases the rights and responsibilities that one party owes to another on contract law. While network contracts often dictate that insurers pay in-network providers directly for services, providers who do not participate in the networks have no independent legal right to payment from the insurer as such providers do not share a contractual relationship with the plan.

Accordingly, these providers must ensure that patients assign their rights to benefits under the health insurance plan to the non-participating provider via an assignment of benefits (“AOB”). Under a valid AOB, the provider “steps into the shoes” of the patient with respect to the contract between the patient and the insurer and may pursue the same benefits that the patient would have been able to pursue him or herself. Without a valid AOB, courts have been clear that the provider has no legal standing to sue the health insurer for payment.

Additionally, participating providers should also obtain and maintain irrevocable AOBs from their patients, despite network contractual language directing payment. Possessing a valid AOB is often a legal prerequisite to submitting a claim, even under the participation agreement, and participation status may change. Moreover, providers may not be participating with all insurers and assignments provide an alternative basis for recovery.

However, the road to recovery on claims is not as simple as merely executing an AOB: insurers frequently challenge the scope of AOBs, requiring courts to analyze them and determine whether the language sufficiently confers standing on the provider to assert a claim. The case law on assignments is, therefore, constantly evolving. The following article explores some of the common issues surrounding crafting and obtaining valid AOBs from patients as well as alternative avenues to survive a standing challenge where plans contain anti-assignment clauses.

What Kind of Language Should the Assignment of Benefits Contain?

An AOB should be “broadly specific”: It should be broad enough to cover all conceivable rights and claims the provider could bring under the plan, but specific enough in that it enumerates the rights in order to survive challenges of overbreadth. These enumerated rights should include, but are not limited to: the right to appeal, the right to request plan documents, the right to pursue claims for benefits, and the right to pursue claims for equitable relief/breaches of fiduciary duties.

The below examples provide AOB language ranked in order from least likely to confer standing to most likely.

Least Likely to Confer Standing : “I authorize insurance payments to be made to [PROVIDER] for services provided at [PROVIDER’S FACILITY].”

This AOB simply authorizes payments to be made, but does not give the provider any right to pursue payment or other remedies. Therefore, this language would likely be insufficient to confer legal standing.

Improved language : “I authorize [PROVIDER] to appeal to my insurance company on my behalf . . . . I hereby assign to [PROVIDER] all payments for medical services rendered to myself or my dependents.”

This language would, at least, give the provider the right to sue for payment under ERISA Section 502(a). However, the language is still lacking as it does not give the provider the right to pursue claims for equitable relief or for breaches of fiduciary duties.

An example of even better, (albeit not perfect) language : “I voluntarily consent to the collection and testing of my specimen, and all future testing, performed by [the Laboratories] or [their] affiliated laboratories unless I give written notice that I have revoked my consent. I authorize my insurance company to pay and mail directly to [the Laboratories] or [their] affiliated laboratories all medical benefits for payment of services rendered. I also authorize [the Laboratories] or [their] affiliated laboratories to endorse any checks received on my behalf for payment of services provided. I hereby irrevocably assign to [the Laboratories] or [their] affiliated laboratories all benefits under any policy of insurance, indemnity agreement, or any collateral source as defined by statute for services provided. This assignment includes all rights to collect benefits directly from my insurance company and all rights to proceed against my insurance company in any action, including legal suit, if for any reason my insurance company fails to make payment of benefits due. This assignment also includes all rights to recover attorney’s fees and costs for such action brought by the provider as my assignee.

The language here is “broadly specific” in that it enumerates with specificity a myriad of rights the provider seeks to have the patient assign. One federal appeals court found that similar assignment language clearly applied to claims against fully-insured health insurance plans, and at least arguably applied to self-funded plans. The court sent the case back to the trial court for further discovery on whether this language applied to self-funded plans. Health care providers can remove this uncertainty up front by having their assignment of benefit forms specifically refer to self-funded plans.

When Should the Provider Require the Assignment to Be Executed?

The best time to have a patient execute an assignment of benefits is at or before the time that services are provided. This is because it is often difficult to track down patients later when a provider must submit a large volume of claims that have gone unpaid. Ideally, these forms are executed together with other intake forms, such as consent for treatment and privacy policies/releases.

If the AOB is not obtained prior to the services, courts will still generally permit assignments that are executed after treatment, at least absent a showing of prejudice to the insurer. Furthermore, although logistical challenges may sometimes ensue where a patient is incapacitated or deceased, courts have upheld the validity of AOBs executed by spouses of such patients.

Navigating Anti-Assignment Provisions in Plans

Some patient plans contain anti-assignment language that prohibits the patient from assigning his or her benefits. This language is a challenge to a provider’s ability to establish standing. Courts are however, split on the issue. Some courts hold that an unambiguous anti-assignment clause is enforceable and can invalidate a patient’s assignment. In these cases, the courts have focused on the freedom of contracting parties.

Other courts hold that an anti-assignment clause is not, in and of itself, dispositive of whether a provider has standing. Anti-assignment clauses are subject to traditional contract defenses, such as fraud, misrepresentation, and unconscionability. For example, if a clause is buried in illegible “fine print” or if it was plainly neither intended nor likely to be read by the other party, those circumstances might support an inference of fraud. Other considerations include: ambiguity in the clause, the scope of the clause, course of dealing, and waiver or estoppel arguments.

An example of anti-assignment language that is completely prohibitory would be: “The benefits of the Contract or Certificate are personal to the Subscriber and are not assignable by the Subscriber in whole or in part to a Non-Member hospital or provider, or to any other person or entity.”

Another example of language that permits assignment only with consent would be: “You may not assign your Benefits under the Plan to a non-Network provider without our consent.”

Providers may, however, still recover in circumstances where the plans contain valid anti-assignment provisions. Recently, for example, the Third Circuit, in American Orthopedic & Sports Med. v. Indep. Blue Cross Blue Shield , 2018 BL 173478 (3d Cir., No. 17-1663, 5/16/18), recognized an alternative basis under which health care providers may obtain standing to sue in federal court. Where a patient grants a valid power of attorney to a health care provider, the Third Circuit has now recognized that a health care provider may pursue a claim for reimbursement on the patient’s behalf, even if the ERISA plan contains a valid and enforceable anti-assignment clause. The court explained that, whereas a plan can limit a beneficiary’s ability to assign claims as a matter of contract law, an anti-assignment clause does not prevent the beneficiary from assigning the health care provider to act as the beneficiary’s agent, any more than it would strip the beneficiary of his or her own interest in the claim.

In sum, while there is no “one size fits all” approach, a simple direction of payment often does not survive scrutiny and will likely be challenged by insurers. Thus, prudent providers will want to work with experienced healthcare counsel to craft assignment language to encompass all of the patient’s rights under the plan and, if applicable, take advantage of the Third Circuit alternative basis for standing by including language that creates a valid power of attorney.

Anthony P. La Rocco is the Managing Partner of K&L Gates’ Newark office. He leads a national health care team involved in significant reimbursement litigation matters on behalf of health care providers against various insurance companies’ health benefits plans and their third party administrators related to under-payment and non-payment of claims for a variety of covered medical testing procedures conducted across the United States. Tony can be reached at [email protected] .

George P. Barbatsuly is a Partner in K&L Gates’ Newark office. His health care and ERISA disputes experience includes representing health care providers in disputes with payer insurance companies, health benefits plans, and third party administrators. George can be reached at [email protected] .

Stacey A. Hyman is an Associate in K&L Gates’ Newark office. She focuses her practice on commercial disputes and insurance coverage, specifically insurance reimbursement recovery. Stacey can be reached at [email protected] .

Alyssa F. Conn is an Associate in K&L Gates’ Newark office. She focuses her practice on a range of complex commercial litigation and insurance coverage disputes in federal and state courts, including healthcare and ERISA disputes. Alyssa can be reached at [email protected] .

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Assignment of benefit

Signature requirements when a patient assigns their Medicare benefit to the servicing provider as full payment for health services.

Example email

Dear Mr Jones (patient)

Details of the telehealth consultation to be claimed with Medicare:

Item number: 91822

Benefit amount: $78.05

Date and time of consultation: 01.07.2022 10:30 am

Patient name: Peter Jones

Health professional name: Jane Smith

If you (the patient) agree to the assignment of the Medicare benefit directly to the health professional (bulk bill), reply to this email including the following wording:

‘Yes, I agree to the assignment of the Medicare benefit directly to the health professional.’
your (the patient’s) name or the name of parent or guardian (where a child is the patient and unable to sign).

Regards Dr Jane Smith

Privacy note: Your personal information is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988, and is collected by Services Australia for the assessment and administration of payments and services. This information is required to process your application or claim. Your information may be used by the agency, or given to other parties where you have agreed to that, or where it is required or authorised by law (including for the purpose of research or conducting investigations). You can get more information about the way in which the agency will manage your personal information, including our privacy policy .

Read more about Assignment of benefit and signature requirements for telehealth services .

This information was printed 2 June 2024 from https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/assignment-benefit-signature-requirements-and-exemptions . It may not include all of the relevant information on this topic. Please consider any relevant site notices at https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/site-notices when using this material.

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Maryland Does Not Allow Assignment of Property Insurance Proceeds

Restoration contractors should be aware that Maryland does not allow an assignment of insurance claim benefits if the policy has an anti-assignment clause. In March, a Maryland appellate court upheld the insurance commissioner’s finding that the roofing contractor did not have a valid assignment and therefore lacked standing to bring any suit or complaint of bad faith against the insurer: 1

Although Maryland’s early precedent seems to distinguish the effect of such clauses depending upon whether the assignment is pre- or post-loss, it is clear that our modern precedent does not make such a distinction. Both Michaelson and Clay considered a post-loss assignment of insurance claims, and in both cases, the Supreme Court found those assignments invalid because of an anti-assignment clause. Michaelson and Clay are the most recent cases to consider the issue of post-loss assignments of insurance benefits and as such are the precedent we apply in this case. We find no error in the Commissioner’s reliance on these cases to reach her conclusion that the Policy’s anti-assignment clause prohibited the attempted Assignment of Claim. … we are unpersuaded by Featherfall’s arguments that a purported majority of the states follow the Restatement approach to post-loss assignments. The out-of-state cases Featherfall directs us to offer interesting discussions of the common law in other jurisdictions. They are, however, not the law in Maryland; Michaelson and Clay are. As such, there was no legal error in the Commissioner’s decision that the assignment was invalid under those cases. … We conclude that the Commissioner did not err in concluding that the attempted Assignment of Claim between the Insured and Featherfall was void pursuant to the Policy’s anti-assignment clause. In doing so, we clarify that Maryland enforces anti-assignment clauses and that such clauses prohibit assignments regardless of whether they were made before or after a loss under an insurance policy. We further conclude that the Commissioner did not err in finding that, because the purported assignment was void, Featherfall lacked standing to request a hearing before the Commissioner and to make a claim against Travelers for alleged unfair business practices.

Restoration contractors should beware that some assignment of benefits attorneys (AOB attorneys) are sending out wrong and incomplete information on a state-by-state basis about whether a particular assignment contract is valid or enforceable. We strongly suggest that if restoration contractors wish to proceed with an assignment of benefits contract, they seek an opinion from a licensed construction attorney in that particular state to ensure that courts will find the construction agreement and the assignment of insurance benefits contract valid in that state. Pay the attorney to provide an opinion and the contracts to be used. If they are not upheld, you will know where to seek relief.

Thought For The Day

A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns. —Mario Puzo (from The Godfather)

1 In re Petition of Featherfall Restoration LLC , 261 Md.App. 105, 311 A.3d 437 (Md. App. 2024) .

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Bellacor placed in assignment for benefit of creditors: What that means

Thomas Lester // Retail Editor // May 28, 2024

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Documents filed in the Hennepin (Minn.) County District Court indicate that online retailer Bellacor is in assignment for the benefit of creditors.

An assignment for the benefit of creditors is a voluntary alternative to formal bankruptcy proceedings that transfers all the assets from a debtor to a trust for liquidating and distributing its assets.

The paperwork, filed on May 8, says Bellacor is indebted to creditors and is unable to pay those debts as they become due and has been assigned to Lighthouse Management Group, Inc. to settle those debts.

Assignment property in the ABC includes all tangible and intangible assets including fixtures, goods, stock, inventory, equipment, furniture, furnishings, accounts receivable, general intangibles, bank deposits, cash, promissory notes, memo loans, trademarks, patents, cash value and proceeds of insurance policies, claims and demands belonging to the assignor, wherever the property may be located.

Under terms of the assignment, Lighthouse will “take possession of and administer and liquidate assignment property with reasonable dispatch, collect all claims and demands assigned and, to the extent as they may be collectible, pay and discharge all reasonable expenses, costs and disbursements in connection with the execution and administration of this assignment from the proceeds of the liquidations and collections.”

Notable brands listed among creditors include Capital Lighting, Visual Comfort, Hooker, Hudson Valley Lighting, Uttermost, Universal Furniture, Gabby, Crystorama, Bernhardt, Caracole, A.R.T. Furniture, Currey & Company, Regina Andrew Design, Lexington Home Brands, Progress Lighting, Surya, Mohawk, Magnussen Home Furniture, Legacy Classic, Howard Elliott and many others. Other creditors include consumers, financial firms and service providers.

While Bellacor’s website is down , Furniture Today was told that its brick-and-mortar operation, Creative Lighting , remains open and business is operating as usual.

Furniture Today has reached out to Bellacor leaders as well as a representative of Lighthouse Management Group.

What happens when a company declares bankruptcy in 2023? M&A expert weighs in
Outdoor décor company plans to close in April

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5 Myths Expats Believe About Local Employees

Snejina Michailova
Anthony Fee

The staff at foreign subsidiaries are too often overlooked as essential team members.

Corporate employees undertaking expatriate assignments rely on support from local employees. This dynamic is underappreciated and understudied. Both individuals and their employers will benefit if people understand and correct the mythology that’s grown up around the vital role local employees play.

Expatriate assignments are fraught. Performing well in them can be a steppingstone to career advancement in multinational companies. Failure can take a heavy toll on expats and their families. While various factors contribute to expats’ over- or under-performance, a secret that many are reluctant to acknowledge — or even recognize — is the role host-country national colleagues play in their international assignments.

SM Snejina Michailova is a professor of international business at the University of Auckland.
AF Anthony Fee is a senior lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney.

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Freight Analysis Framework Modernization: Overview & Feedback*

June 25, 2024 at 3:00 PM Eastern

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) is developing two new products as part of the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) commodity flow data program: a multimodal assignment and flow visualization tool and a county-level origin-destination flow database.

BTS will share updates on these products and on its plans to modernize the FAF forecasting process. Presenters will seek input from attendees to shape future product features for the benefit of freight data users across the United States.

*The webinar will cover similar concepts as what BTS presented at Transportation Review Board in January 2024. **Click here to sign up for future BTS freight data announcements.

This presentation will be moderated by Stephanie Lawrence, Director of the Office of Statistical and Economic Analysis.

To register for the webinar, please click HERE .

Presentations:

Ongoing Improvements to the FAF by Monique Stinson
FAF Multimodal Network Development and Flow Visualization Tools by Laura Dods

Snapshot of Freight flows by highway, railway, and waterway map; and the routing tool

Internship in Deep Learning – Analysis of Biological Data

Contract type : Internship agreement

Level of qualifications required : Master's or equivalent

Other valued qualifications : Certificate(s) in deep learning or in data analysis

Fonction : Internship Engineering

Level of experience : Up to 3 years

About LabSae

LabSae is a start-up backed by INRIA offering a unified computational platform for analyzing protein-protein interaction networks using computational biology and artificial intelligence. Proteins orchestrate a wide range of biological processes in living organisms, making them prime targets for many pharmaceutical interventions. LabSae provides a reliable and accurate large-scale computational analysis of protein-protein interactions that significantly improves our knowledge of proteins and therefore facilitates preclinical in-silico drug design.

We look forward to welcoming talented individuals who are passionate about leveraging new advances in deep learning and computational biology to develop algorithms for analyzing protein structures and sequences.

Main activities

Develop/utilize deep learning models for applications in computational biology, with a focus on addressing challenges related to proteins and their interactions.

Utilize data science techniques to analyze and interpret protein structures and sequences.

Collaborate with an innovative and interdisciplinary team in a dynamic environment.

Contribute to innovation through proactive problem-solving and research.

The ideal profile for us

Experience in deep learning and its packages such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Keras, along with good knowledge of data science methodologies.
Expertise in programming languages, particularly Python.
Experience working in collaborative development.
Good knowledge of computational biology.
Good level of English.

Soft skills

Effective communication skills
Teamwork abilities and collaborative mindset

Benefits package

Subsidized meals
Partial reimbursement of public transport costs
Leave: 7 weeks of annual leave + 10 extra days off due to RTT (statutory reduction in working hours) + possibility of exceptional leave (sick children, moving home, etc.)
Possibility of teleworking (after 6 months of employment) and flexible organization of working hours
Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.)
Social, cultural and sports events and activities
Access to vocational training
Social security coverage

General Information

Town/city : Paris
Inria Center : Centre Inria de Paris
Starting date : 2024-09-01
Duration of contract : 6 months
Deadline to apply : 2024-08-30

Warning : you must enter your e-mail address in order to save your application to Inria. Applications must be submitted online on the Inria website. Processing of applications sent from other channels is not guaranteed.

Instruction to apply

Defence Security : This position is likely to be situated in a restricted area (ZRR), as defined in Decree No. 2011-1425 relating to the protection of national scientific and technical potential (PPST).Authorisation to enter an area is granted by the director of the unit, following a favourable Ministerial decision, as defined in the decree of 3 July 2012 relating to the PPST. An unfavourable Ministerial decision in respect of a position situated in a ZRR would result in the cancellation of the appointment.

Recruitment Policy : As part of its diversity policy, all Inria positions are accessible to people with disabilities.

Inria Team : INCUB-PRO
Recruiter : Mohseni Behbahani Yasser / [email protected]

About Inria

Inria is the French national research institute dedicated to digital science and technology. It employs 2,600 people. Its 200 agile project teams, generally run jointly with academic partners, include more than 3,500 scientists and engineers working to meet the challenges of digital technology, often at the interface with other disciplines. The Institute also employs numerous talents in over forty different professions. 900 research support staff contribute to the preparation and development of scientific and entrepreneurial projects that have a worldwide impact.

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Assignment of Benefits
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Fillable Online Assignments of Benefits Form. PRS DAPP Program Fax

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Benefits management in projects, programmes and portfolios
YOU MUST KNOW THE TRAINING FOR YOUR ASSIGNMENT- Apostle Joshua Selman
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Interview: Empowerment Technology (how does technology help us)
Benefit Management Data Model in Public Sector Solutions

COMMENTS

Assignment of Benefits: What It Is, and How It Can Affect your ...
What is an Assignment of Benefits? In the context of insured property claims, an assignment of benefits (AOB) is an agreement between you and a contractor in which you give the contractor your right to insurance payments for a specific scope of work.In exchange, the contractor agrees that it will not seek payment from you for that scope of work, except for the amount of any applicable deductible.
Assignment of benefits explained
Assignment of benefits in Florida: a case of rampant fraud. Because the assignment of benefits takes control out of the homeowner's hands, insurance fraud is a major concern. Some contractors may take advantage of the situation and inflate repair needs and costs or bill for work that was never completed. They may also hire attorneys to sue ...
Assignment of Benefits: What You Need to Know
There are many reasons why an insurance company may not accept an assignment of benefits. To speak with a Schwartzapfel Lawyers expert about this directly, call 1-516-342-2200 for a free consultation today. It will be our privilege to assist you with all your legal questions, needs, and recovery efforts.
An assignment of benefits (AOB) can streamline the insurance process
Assignment of benefits is legal, thanks to a concept known as freedom of contract, which says two parties may make a private agreement, including the forfeiture of certain rights, and the ...
Assignment of Benefits (AOB)
Assignment of Benefits (AOB) is an agreement that transfers the insurance claims rights or benefits of the policy to a third party. An AOB gives the third party authority to file a claim, make repair decisions, and collect insurance payments without the involvement of the homeowner. AOBs are commonly used in homeowners' insurance claims by ...
Assignment of benefits
Assignment of benefits is a fundamental concept in healthcare revenue cycle management. It enables healthcare providers to receive payment directly from the insurance company, reducing the financial burden on patients and streamlining the billing process. By understanding the assignment of benefits, patients can make informed decisions about ...
Assignment of Benefits for Contractors: Pros & Cons of ...
An assignment of benefits, or AOB, is an agreement to transfer insurance claim rights to a third party. It gives the assignee authority to file and negotiate a claim directly with the insurance company, without involvement from the property owner. An AOB also allows the insurer to pay the contractor directly instead of funneling funds through ...
Assignment Of Benefits
Assignment of benefits is a document that directs payment to a third party at the insured's request. It becomes legitimate once both the insured party and their insurer have signed the AOB form. AOB is used in a number of insurance contexts, such as paying physicians or clinics through health insurance or paying contractors for repairs ...
What is an assignment of benefits?
An assignment of benefits (AOB) is a legal agreement you sign that lets a third party negotiate, bill, and receive payment from your insurance provider.
Assignment of Benefits: Consumer Beware
An Assignment of Benefits, or an AOB, is an agreement signed by a policyholder that allows a third party—such as a water extraction company, a roofer or a plumber—to act on behalf of the insured and seek direct payment from the insurance company. An AOB can be a useful tool for getting repairs done, as it allows the repair company to deal ...
All You Need to Know About Assignment of Benefits
When you visit an in-network doctor in a contract with your insurance company, the assignment of benefits (AOB) happens automatically. That hospital receives payment right from the insurance company, and the provider handles everything related to billing. But if your doctor is out-of-network, you might have to sign an AOB agreement that's ...
Assignment of benefits: A growing concern
In fact, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR) released results from a study it conducted showing that the number of lawsuits attributed to assignment of benefits (AOB) increased from 408 in 2000 to more than 28,000 in 2016. Further, the average severity for claims where there is an AOB is about 85 percent more than those claims ...
Assignment of Benefits
Assignment of benefits is not authorization to submit claims. It is important to note that the beneficiary signature requirements for submission of claims are separate and distinct from assignment of benefits requirements except where the beneficiary died before signing the request for payment for a service furnished by a supplier and the supplier accepts assignment for that service.
Medicare Assignment
The assignment of benefits is when the insured authorizes Medicare to reimburse the provider directly. In return, the provider agrees to accept the Medicare charge as the full charge for services. Non-participating providers can accept assignments on an individual claims basis. On item 27 of the CMS-1500 claim form, Medicare assignment of ...
Assignment of Benefits Resources
Assignment of Benefits. An Assignment of Benefits, or an AOB, is a document signed by a policyholder that allows a third party, such as a water extraction company, a roofer, or a plumber, to "stand in the shoes" of the insured and seek payment directly from the policyholder's insurance company.
What Should An Assignment of Benefits Form Include?
An assignment of benefits form (AOB) is a crucial document in the healthcare world. It is an agreement by which a patient transfers the rights or benefits under their insurance policy to a third-party - in this case, the medical professional who provides services. This way, the medical provider can file a claim and collect insurance payments.
Assignment and Non-assignment of Benefits
Non-assignment of Benefits. Non-assigned is the method of reimbursement a physician/supplier has when choosing to not accept assignment of benefits. Under this method, a non-participating provider is the only provider that can file a claim as non-assigned. When the provider does not accept assignment, the Medicare payment will be made directly ...
PDF ASSIGNMENT OF BENEFITS
An assignment of benefits (AOB) is a legal contract that allows you, as the policyholder to transfer your insurance rights to a third-party (assignee), such as a contractor. The assignee then has rights to the insurance claim and can stand in your shoes as the policyholder. The assignee can be paid
PDF Assignment of Benefits Guide
Assignment of Benefits. A procedure whereby a beneficiary/patient authorizes the administrator of the program to forward payment for a covered procedure directly to the treating dentist. This is done using box #37 on the ADA claim form. The below image shows the specific instructions for how to complete box #37 for use with assignment of benefits.
What is Assignment of Benefits in Medical Billing?
An assignment of benefits is the act of signing documentation authorizing a health insurance company to pay a physician directly. In other words, the insurance company can pay claims without the direct involvement of the patient in the process. There are other situations where AOBs can be helpful, but we'll focus on their use in relation to ...
INSIGHT: An Ounce of Prevention—The Importance of Early Review of
This assignment includes all rights to collect benefits directly from my insurance company and all rights to proceed against my insurance company in any action, including legal suit, if for any reason my insurance company fails to make payment of benefits due. This assignment also includes all rights to recover attorney's fees and costs for ...
Assignment of benefit
If a patient is unable to sign an assignment of benefit form, you can get a signature from any of the following:. the patient's parent; the patient's guardian; another responsible person. In the absence of a parent, guardian or responsible person, leave the 'patient signature' section blank.
Maryland Does Not Allow Assignment of Property Insurance Proceeds
Both Michaelson and Clay considered a post-loss assignment of insurance claims, and in both cases, the Supreme Court found those assignments invalid because of an anti-assignment clause. Michaelson and Clay are the most recent cases to consider the issue of post-loss assignments of insurance benefits and as such are the precedent we apply in ...
Bellacor placed in assignment for benefit of creditors: What that means
An assignment for the benefit of creditors is a voluntary alternative to formal bankruptcy proceedings that transfers all the assets from a debtor to a trust for liquidating and distributing its ...
5 Myths Expats Believe About Local Employees
Corporate employees undertaking expatriate assignments rely on support from local employees. This dynamic is underappreciated and understudied. Both individuals and their employers will benefit if ...
Freight Analysis Framework Modernization: Overview & Feedback*
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) is developing two new products as part of the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) commodity flow data program: a multimodal assignment and flow visualization tool and a county-level origin-destination flow database. BTS will share updates on these products and on its plans to modernize the FAF forecasting process.
Internship in Deep Learning
Develop/utilize deep learning models for applications in computational biology, with a focus on addressing challenges related to proteins and their interactions. Utilize data science techniques to analyze and interpret protein structures and sequences. Collaborate with an innovative and interdisciplinary team in a dynamic environment.

Assignment of Benefits: What It Is, and How It Can Affect your Property Insurance Claim

What is an Assignment of Benefits?

How Does an Assignment of Benefits Work in Practice?

Are There any Downsides to Signing an Assignment of Benefits?

Do I have to sign an Assignment of Benefits?

Are There any Benefits to Signing an Assignment of Benefits?

Can my insurance policy restrict the use of AOBs?

Do I have any rights or protections concerning Assignments of Benefits?

Protections in the AOB Contract

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Assignment of Benefits for Contractors: Pros & Cons of Accepting an AOB

What is an assignment of benefits?

Setting up an AOB

Pros & cons for contractors

Pro: Hiring a public adjuster

Pro: More control over payment

Pro: Build a better relationship with the homeowner

Con: It confuses payment responsibilities

Con: Tighter margins

Con: More administrative work

Con: Increase in average collection period

AOBs and mechanics liens

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