 "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]
 |
