 "Policyholders should review their homeowners or renters, health, and auto
insurance policies to make sure everything is up-to-date and properly covered
for their situation," Boron said. "Consult with your insurance agent to
determine if you need to make changes. And if you need to change, shop around to
determine the best coverage for you and your family."
Homeowners, renters insurance — This is a great time to update your home
inventory. Remember to add any new gifts to your home inventory, too. Include
details and take a photo of each item. Most basic home insurance policies have
standard limits for big-ticket items like electronics, art, jewelry or sporting
equipment. You may need special coverage, so check with your agent as soon as
possible to discuss necessary changes for your policy.
Auto insurance — State law (625 ILCS 5/7-601) requires all motor vehicle
owners to have minimum amounts of auto liability insurance. The Department of
Insurance does not regulate private passenger auto rates in Illinois, but with
more than 200 companies writing auto insurance in Illinois, the staff encourages
consumers to shop and compare. Information is on the department's website at
http://insurance.illinois.gov/
AutoInsurance/shopping_auto_ins.asp.
Auto insurance companies generally weigh the
following factors to determine auto rates:
-
Age, gender and marital status.
-
Coverage limits and deductible.
-
Credit history and driving
record.
-
Type of vehicle.
-
Use of vehicle, how far you
drive to work and annual mileage.
-
Where you live and household driving information.
[to top of second column] |
Health insurance — Many families go through an open enrollment
process for their health insurance at work or through Medicare,
which means you may have new insurance cards and paperwork coming in
the mail. Check provider lists to verify that visits to your doctors
and specialists are still covered by your policy, because in-network
or preferred provider lists can change from year to year. And read
through your documents and take note of copays for in-network and
out-of-network providers, to avoid costly surprises later.
Individuals and families who do not have health coverage may shop at
GetCoveredIllinois.gov
or call 866-311-1119.
Consumers with questions or concerns about their health, auto,
life and homeowners insurance may call the department's Consumer
Assistance Division at 866-445-5364 or visit the website at
http://insurance.illinois.gov/.
[Text from
Illinois Department of
Insurance
file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
 |
