Jefferson City, Mo. - Nearly 4,000 Missourians received insurance coverage for treatment for autism in 2011, according to a new report from the Missouri Department of Insurance. A new law, signed by Gov. Nixon, requiring health insurance companies to cover specific autism treatments took effect Jan. 1, 2011. The department's report, released today, says 3,805 Missourians filed claims for autism-related treatment during the law's first year.

Using data supplied by health insurance companies, the report says total insurance claims for autism-related treatments were $4.3 million in 2011. That figure accounts for 0.1 percent of total claims paid by health insurers during the year.

"This report shows good news on two fronts," said John M. Huff, director of the Department of Insurance. "First, it shows that the new law has already helped thousands of Missourians. Second, it shows the autism mandate should have minimal impact on health care costs and insurance premiums."

While the claims data suggest minimal impact on premiums, Missouri law does not require health insurance companies to submit their rates to the Department of Insurance.

Other noteworthy findings of the department's report:

• 1.3 million Missourians are covered by a health plan that must offer coverage for autism therapy, specifically applied behavior analysis.
• All policyholders in the large- and small-group markets now have insurance coverage for autism treatments.
• Only one-third of policyholders in the individual market have coverage. The law allows insurers in the individual market to offer autism coverage as an extra, with an added cost.
• Nearly 150 licenses have been issued for behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts, who are required to be licensed under the new law.
• The average monthly cost of treatment for individuals diagnosed with autism was $143 in 2011. 

Benefits to increase in 2012

The law requires health insurance companies to cover $40,000 for autism treatment, to be adjusted yearly by the director of the Department of Insurance using the Consumer Price Index. Director Huff on Jan. 31 signed an order increasing the maximum benefit to $41,263 for 2012.

The Department of Insurance has extensive resources for families and health care providers on its website. Consumers and providers with complaints or questions can call the department's Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or file a complaint at insurance.mo.gov.

Jefferson City, Mo. - Because of actions by the state Department of Insurance, Missouri consumers received an additional $21 million from their insurance companies, far exceeding the department's previous record of $14.6 million set in 2009.

"This record $21 million for Missouri consumers is a reminder that we can help if they reach an impasse with their insurance company," said John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance.  "Missourians all across our state did lots of heavy lifting with the unprecedented natural disasters in 2011, and our department was no different."

Significant recoveries were returned to consumers related to the tornadoes in Joplin ($4.5 million), St. Louis ($640,000) and Sedalia ($250,000).

Statewide, the department handled more than 3,800 formal complaints and assisted more than 8,500 additional consumers in writing and another 21,000 over the telephone.

The most common categories of complaints received from consumers statewide were:

Some notable accomplishments from the past three months:

• A Joplin resident was offered $22,000 for his home and other structures for damages following the May 22 tornado. After the homeowner filed a complaint with the department, the insurance company agreed to meet with an engineer and contractor of the homeowner's choice. The home was declared a total loss, which resulted in a payment of $98,000 to the homeowner.
• A Chillicothe woman was having trouble getting a death benefit from her husband's life insurance policy seven months after a claim had been filed. After filing a complaint with the department, the beneficiary received a claim payment of more than $250,000.
• Parents of a newborn child from Boonville were having trouble adding their child to their health insurance plan. After filing a complaint with the department, the family's health insurance company paid nearly $18,400 in claims that covered the child from birth to a subsequent surgery.
• A St. Louis woman contacted the department alleging signatures were forged on a recently purchased annuity contract. The department required the insurance company's fraud investigation unit to fully review the inconsistencies of the signatures. After investigating the issue, the company issued a full refund of more than $630,000.

The department's Market Conduct Section managed nearly 150 examinations and investigations in 2011, returning $1.77 million to consumers who were underpaid on claims or whose premiums were too high. Those enforcement efforts also resulted in $465,000 in fines from insurance companies.

In market conduct exams and investigations, the department reviews insurance company documents detailing the treatment of policyholders, from the rates the companies charge to the way they handle claims to other responsibilities under state law. Exams can result in refunds for consumers, fines, changes in business practices or other remedies.

Consumers with complaints or questions about their insurance claims or policy provisions can call the Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or file a complaint at insurance.mo.gov.

Jefferson City, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Insurance has appointed two veteran insurance regulators to division director positions:

Matt Barton, Consumer Affairs Division - Barton has worked at the Department of Insurance since 2005, serving as public information officer, manager of the Licensing Section and as a regulatory projects manager, where he led successful implementation of technology to make numerous areas of the agency more effective and efficient.

Barton's division, Consumer Affairs, is responsible for handling consumer complaints against insurance companies and agents. Thanks to the division's efforts, consumers who filed complaints against their insurance companies have received more than $40 million in additional payments since 2009.

In his role as the department's regulatory project manager, Barton also had leadership roles on committees through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). He previously chaired the State-Based-Systems product steering committee and currently serves on the Producer Licensing Working Group and the International Regulatory Cooperation Working Group.

Before coming to the Department of Insurance, Barton managed securities licensing in the Missouri Secretary of State's office. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Lincoln University in Jefferson City.

Angela Nelson, Market Regulation Division - Nelson has worked at the department since 2002, and for the past two and a half years directed the Consumer Affairs Division. As division director, she led the department's recovery efforts on behalf of victims of the May 22 Joplin tornado. Her division's efforts helped secure an additional $3 million in claims payments for consumers who filed complaints related to the tornado. Statewide recoveries for Missouri consumers in 2011 currently stand at $18 million, a record amount for Missouri.

Prior to joining the Department of Insurance, Nelson was a licensed insurance agent with a State Farm agency in Holts Summit, Mo.

In addition to an extensive insurance background, Nelson graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree and an MBA from William Woods University. She currently serves as Chair of the NAIC Transparency and Readability of Consumer Information Working Group. She also serves on the:

• Operation Efficiencies Working Group
• Consumer Information Subgroup
• Limited Medical Benefit Plan Working Group
• Medigap PPACA Subgroup
• Earthquake Study Group
• Risk Retention Working Group
• NAIC/IAIABC Joint Working Group

Nelson takes over the Market Regulation Division, which:

• Examines the records of insurance companies suspected of violating Missouri insurance laws, through Market Conduct exams.;
• Reviews insurance policies and rates for compliance with Missouri insurance laws; and
• Tracks industry trends and generates annual reports on topics including medical malpractice insurance, consumer complaints and market share data for various lines of insurance, under the direction of a full-time statistician.

"Both Angela Nelson and Matt Barton have served as invaluable members of our department's leadership team," said John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance. "As veteran insurance regulators, they will provide outstanding direction for these two divisions, which are key to ensuring consumers are treated fairly and encouraging a competitive insurance marketplace in Missouri."

Jefferson City, Mo. - A Barton County judge has approved a proposal to allow Missouri Farm Bureau to assume operations of three insolvent insurance companies. Operated by the Barton County Mutual Group, the three small companies became insolvent after paying claims from the May 22 Joplin tornado. The judge has approved a proposal by the Missouri Department of Insurance, which:

• Allows the three companies to merge into one company managed by Farm Bureau;
• Allows Farm Bureau to invest approximately $14 million in surplus notes to restore the company's surplus to a positive level, with the notes being backed by the Missouri Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association;
• Allows the new company the financial capacity to ensure all policyholder claims are paid and policyholder coverage to continue; and
• Requires the new company to buy an amount of reinsurance deemed adequate by the department to meet future claims obligations.

The three companies had premium sales of $29 million in 2010, but reported claims of $48 million related to the Joplin tornado. The judge ordered the three companies into receivership on Dec. 1, placing them under the management of the Department of Insurance. Once the plan is implemented according to the judge's order, the department's control will be lifted.

"This is a win for all involved," said John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance. "Policyholders' claims will be paid and Missouri taxpayers will not have to foot the bill. I commend Farm Bureau and Guaranty Association for partnering with us in this innovative agreement."

"We are pleased the Department of Insurance and now a Missouri Circuit Judge recognize the financial strength and management expertise of Missouri Farm Bureau to stabilize these three insurance companies and protect their policy holders," said Blake Hurst, president of Missouri Farm Bureau.  "The Joplin tornado was a devastating event that resulted in property losses that were too much for these companies to handle.  We will work to ensure that policyholder claims are paid and all policyholders' coverage is continued."

Missouri Farm Bureau operates the state's seventh largest homeowners insurance company, with premium sales of $39 million in 2010, and the state's ninth largest auto insurer, with premium sales of $60 million.

The three insolvent companies are Barton Mutual Insurance Co., Gateway Mutual Insurance Co. and Cape Mutual Insurance Co., which have about 41,000 policyholders with homeowners and fire policies. They are licensed as extended Missouri mutuals, also known as county mutuals or farm mutuals. In general, county mutuals are small companies serving rural policyholders. There are about 90 of them in Missouri.

Huff says policyholders must continue making premium payments to keep their insurance coverage intact. Payments should continue to be sent to the Barton County Mutual Group's office in Liberal.

Consumers or insurance agents with questions about any of the three companies in receivership should contact the Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or visit insurance.mo.gov.

Jefferson City, Mo. - A Barton County judge has placed a group of three small insurance companies into receivership, after claims from the Joplin tornado left the group insolvent. A Barton County judge has named John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance, receiver of the three companies, Barton Mutual Insurance Co., Gateway Mutual Insurance Co. and Cape Mutual Insurance Co. The three companies are managed as the Barton Mutual Group.

Huff says policyholders must continue making their premium payments to keep their insurance coverage intact. Payments should continue to be sent to the Barton Mutual Group's offices.

The three companies are licensed as extended Missouri mutuals, also known as county mutuals or farm mutuals. In general, they are small companies serving rural policyholders. There are about 90 county mutuals in Missouri.

"As a group, these companies had their risk concentrated in a small geographic area, mainly surrounding Joplin," said Huff. "The once-in-a-lifetime event that was the Joplin tornado resulted in insured property losses that were simply too much for these companies to bear."

The companies had about 41,000 policyholders, primarily with homeowners and fire insurance, and premium sales of nearly $29 million in 2010. The companies' 875 claims from the Joplin tornado totaled approximately $48 million.

Huff says there are significant outstanding claims that the companies would be unable to pay, but the department has submitted a plan to the judge for rehabilitating the companies and ensuring that claims are paid. Under the proposal:

• The three Barton Group companies will merge together into one company and Missouri Farm Bureau Services Inc. will enter into an agreement to manage the future operations;
• The Missouri Farm Bureau companies will invest approximately $14 million in surplus notes to restore the surplus to a positive level with the notes being backed by the Missouri Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association;
• The new company will then have the capacity to ensure all policyholder claims are paid and all policyholders' coverage will continue and will obtain an amount of reinsurance deemed adequate by the department to ensure that it can meet future claims obligations; and
• Once the plan is implemented, the department's control will be lifted.

Consumers or insurance agents with questions about any of the three companies in receivership should contact the Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390.

Jefferson City, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Insurance is reminding Missourians with questions about Medicare prescription drug plans that they have one week to enroll or make changes to their coverage. The 2011 open enrollment period ends on Dec. 7, which is earlier than in previous years.

To help consumers answer those questions, the department offers a free counseling program, which can be accessed by phone or in person. The program, Community Leaders Assisting the Insured of Missouri (CLAIM), has already helped more than 6,500 Missourians since open enrollment began on Oct. 15. The CLAIM program, funded by Medicare and the Department of Insurance, offers free, expert assistance to Missourians on Medicare or their loved ones.

CLAIM has also hosted more than 100 open enrollment events across Missouri this year. Among the consumers helped at these events:

• A Kansas City woman, after talking with a CLAIM counselor, discovered she was paying for two separate Medicare policies, and one of them was unnecessary. In addition, she determined she was eligible for the Extra Help program and the Medicare Savings Program. By canceling the unnecessary policy and qualifying for the assistance programs, the woman will save $441 per month.
• A St. Louis woman came in with four insurance plans. A counselor pointed out that she was significantly over-insured. The woman ended up canceling all four policies and switching to more suitable plans. She will save $211 per month.
• A St. Louis retiree was paying $1,200 per month for health coverage through his former employer. Consulting with a CLAIM counselor showed that he and his wife would be better off buying a combination of Medicare plans, which they decided to do, saving $600 per month.

"With just one week left, consumers should be aware of last-minute ruses by scam artists trying to steal personal information or sell them worthless coverage," said John M. Huff, director of the Department of Insurance. "That's why we strongly encourage using the expert counselors at the CLAIM program, who can help consumers review their options and make an informed decision."

Consumers can call CLAIM at 800-390-3330 with questions or to set up an appointment. They can also visit missouriclaim.org.

Jefferson City, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Insurance says some insurance companies are putting unreasonable timelines on Joplin homeowners trying to rebuild after the May 22 tornado. Six months after the storm, the department issued a bulletin to the industry saying many home and business owners can't be expected to rebuild within the time limits required by some homeowners and commercial insurance policies.

In the bulletin, John M. Huff, director of the Department of Insurance, cites the unprecedented scale of the Joplin tornado, which delayed many consumers from accessing their property and led to a temporary building moratorium. He also describes the widespread devastation that has left the Joplin area with a shortage of contractors and materials. Huff says this has made it impossible for many property owners to rebuild within six months, which some insurance policies require before paying full benefits.

Bulletin 11-06 says that while some insurance companies have already extended their time limitations, others have not. And the application of some policies' shorter time limitations could result in an unfair settlement, which is illegal under Missouri law. The bulletin issued by Huff on Tuesday says insurance companies attempting to enforce deadlines of less than one year may face legal action by the department.

"The insurance industry has done a commendable job responding to the tornado, having paid more than a billion dollars in claims so far," said Huff. "At the same time, Missouri law requires insurers to provide prompt, fair and equitable settlements to their policyholders, and rigid deadlines may violate that law."

Insurance companies have paid more than $1.1 billion in homeowners, auto and commercial property claims related to the Joplin tornado. Huff expects that number to approach $2 billion by the time all claims are settled. Policyholders have filed nearly 18,000 insurance claims.

Consumers or insurers with questions can call the Department of Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or contact the department online at insurance.mo.gov. 

Jefferson City, Mo. - A judge has placed a small, Dexter-based life insurance company into rehabilitation and turned it over to the Missouri Department of Insurance. Department Director John M. Huff was named receiver of Watkins Life and Benefit Association, which allows the department to take over operations of the company. Because of its financial condition, the company's board of directors consented to the rehabilitation order.

With about 2,000 policyholders, Watkins is licensed to do business only in Missouri. With premium sales of just $45,000 in 2010, Watkins is one of the smallest of Missouri's approximately 400 licensed life insurance companies. With the company in rehabilitation, the department's priority will be to process existing claims and uphold commitments to policyholders.

Huff says policyholders of the company should continue to pay their premiums, also referred to as assessments, to keep their coverage intact. These payments should be mailed to:

Receivership Supervisor
Room 530
PO Box 690
Jefferson City, MO 65101

The department's website has more information about the receivership.

"This small company was formed sixty years ago mainly to provide insurance coverage for funeral contracts," said Huff. "Unlike most life insurance companies, Watkins is an assessment plan formed by a mechanism that is no longer allowed under Missouri law."

Rehabilitation is a legal step taken by the court to protect policyholders by preserving a company's assets. The department as the rehabilitator assumes management of the company, attempts to correct existing problems, continues operations, maintains policyholder accounting and develops a plan of rehabilitation or petitions the court for liquidation. 

Those with questions can call the Missouri Department of Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or contact the department online at insurance.mo.gov. 

Jefferson City, Mo. - John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance, has been  elected chair of the Midwest Zone of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners during the NAIC's fall meeting. In this position, Huff will serve on the NAIC's Executive Committee, the leadership body for the national association.

"State insurance commissioners and their departments are the experts in regulation of our nation's insurance sector, and I'm honored to serve in this leadership position for NAIC," said Huff. "NAIC is an endless source of support and expertise for insurance departments as we fulfill our mission of protecting consumers and overseeing healthy, competitive insurance markets."

Huff was elected chair by his fellow insurance regulators from the Midwest Zone, which consists of the insurance departments of Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, North and South Dakota, Michigan and Ohio.

Also at the fall meeting, Huff was elected vice chair of the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission. The commission is a partnership among state insurance regulators that reviews certain types of insurance policies, ensuring they meet certain standards before they are sold to consumers. Insurance policies that can be filed with the compact include annuities, life, long-term care and disability insurance.

Gov. Jay Nixon signed House Bill 577 in 2009, which made Missouri a member of the compact. Operating since 2006, the compact now has 41 member states representing two-thirds of the premium volume nationwide.

Huff's other leadership positions with the NAIC include:

• NAIC's representative on the U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Council
• Chair of the Market Information Systems Task Force
• Member of the Market Regulation and Consumer Affairs (D) Committee
• Member of the International Insurance Relations (EX) Leadership Group
• Member of the International Insurance Relations (G) Committee
• Co-chair of the Group Solvency Issues Working Group, part of the NAIC's Solvency Modernization Initiative

The Missouri Department of Insurance is a member of NAIC, as are the corresponding departments of 49 other states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories.

The NAIC  is the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization created and 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 review, and coordinate their regulatory oversight. NAIC staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally. NAIC members, together with the central resources of the NAIC, form the national system of state-based insurance regulation in the U.S.

Jefferson City, Mo. - The nation's largest advocacy group for autism has rewarded the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration for its implementation of the state's new autism insurance law. The sixth annual Autism Law Summit was sponsored by Autism Speaks, which presented the award to the department for exceptional efforts on behalf of individuals with autism.

In 2010, Gov. Jay Nixon signed the law that requires health insurance companies to cover applied behavior analysis therapy, the most effective known treatment for children with autism. Under Gov. Nixon's leadership, DIFP has continued to work with insurers, treatment providers, parents and other stakeholders to ensure the new law serves its intended purposes.

Before the law took effect on Jan. 1, DIFP published a comprehensive guide to the new law on its website, which includes an FAQ and specific information for parents and health care providers as they file insurance claims for applied behavior analysis therapy.

"Their dedication to education of the autism community and successful implementation of the Missouri autism insurance reform law is extraordinary," said Lorri Unumb, Autism Speaks vice president for state government affairs. "The department's website serves as a model for other state departments of insurance to emulate. Autism Speaks is grateful for their leadership in this area."

The new law also created DIFP's Behavior Analyst Advisory Board, which licenses autism treatment providers. The board now has 120 professionals licensed in Missouri.

DIFP is hosting an Autism Provider Summit on Dec. 2 in Jefferson City. The one-day training program will educate autism treatment providers on billing for insurance claims, navigating the insurance world and getting their staffs properly licensed and credentialed.

Consumers and health care providers with questions about the new autism insurance law can contact the department's Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or visit insurance.mo.gov.

Photo: Missouri DIFP team members Melissa Palmer, left, and Angela Nelson, right, accept the award from Lorri Unumb, Autism Speaks' vice president for state government affairs.

Jefferson City, Mo.

The counselors are from the CLAIM program, funded by Medicare and the Department of Insurance. CLAIM exists solely to provide free, unbiased counseling for Missourians with Medicare. Recipients are in the process of selecting new Medicare plans for the coming year during the annual open enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 until Dec. 7.

"This event is a valuable public service for Medicare recipients, who face an extensive array of options when it comes to enrolling in health insurance plans," said Huff. "Our expert CLAIM counselors prove time and again that Medicare enrollment doesn't have to be a stressful time. They can narrow down the options and help consumers make an informed decision in a short amount of time."

Huff encourages all Medicare recipients to take advantage of CLAIM counselors and review their options every year, even if they're happy with their insurance plans. He says rates and drug formularies change frequently, and shopping around can mean big savings.

CLAIM counselors will also be at the Goldschmidt Cancer Center, 1432 Southwest Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are also welcome.

The Jefferson City sessions are two of more than 100 open enrollment events being offered by CLAIM across Missouri this year. For a full list, to make an appointment, or to set up one-on-one counseling, consumers can contact the CLAIM program at 800-390-3330 or visit missouriclaim.org.

Top photo: August Dudenhoeffer, left, speaks with Insurance Director John M. Huff during a CLAIM open enrollment event. With them are CLAIM manager Jim Day, second from left, and volunteer counselor Dennis Gillis, right.

Bottom photo: CLAIM coordinator Judy Keseman, right, helps a consumer research her Medicare plan options.

Jefferson City, Mo. - "My mother had a life insurance policy, but I don't have a copy - I don't even know the name of the insurance company."

It's a common situation for consumers who contact the Missouri Department of Insurance and senior centers across the state. And for the first time, consumers have a way to contact licensed life insurance companies in Missouri to find information on deceased loved ones.

The Department of Insurance has created the Life Policy Locator service that will help consumers find lost life insurance policies or annuity contracts purchased in Missouri. The department will collect information from consumers, then send it electronically each month to licensed life insurance companies in Missouri.

"This program is technology at its best - we are helping connect consumers with life insurance and annuity benefits that they are entitled to receive," said Missouri Insurance Director John M. Huff. "Hard-copy mailings to Missouri's life insurance industry each month would be unaffordable and unmanageable. This project is possible only because of our online technology that connects us to major life insurers."

People who believe they are beneficiaries, as well as executors and legal representatives can file a search request form with the Department of Insurance. Completed forms should be notarized and include a copy of the original death certificate before being mailed to the department.

Requests will be forwarded to Missouri-licensed life insurance companies each month. Insurance companies will then contact the beneficiary if a policy is located.

If the person making the request is not legally entitled to information about the life insurance policy or annuity, the insurance company will not make contact with that person. However, the company will begin a search for the beneficiaries named on the policy.

Consumers and insurance companies with questions about the Life Policy Locator can contact the department's Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or visit insurance.mo.gov.

Jefferson City, Mo. - With open enrollment for the Medicare prescription drug plan a month earlier than in previous years, the Missouri Department of Insurance is reminding consumers that it offers a free service to help them choose the Medicare plan that best fits their needs.

The CLAIM program, funded by the department and Medicare, offers free, expert advice to Missourians on Medicare or their loved ones. Consumers can ask questions by phone or arrange one-on-one counseling by calling 800-390-3330 or visiting missouriclaim.org

Open enrollment, which began Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, is a good time for Missourians to review their current plans, make certain changes or choose other plans that best suit their needs. The first day of open enrollment for Medicare Advantage and Medicare drug plans is one month earlier than its traditional start of Nov. 15.

"The CLAIM program is an ideal option for Missourians who are searching for the right plan for them when it comes to Medicare coverage," said John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance. "The program has highly trained counselors who help consumers with what can be difficult and often complex decisions."

CLAIM will be hosting free events throughout Missouri during the open enrollment period. Consumers are invited to attend and get their Medicare questions answered by skilled counselors. A list of events is available by calling CLAIM or visiting missouriclaim.org.

CLAIM can also help consumers determine whether they qualify for federal or state help in paying for prescription drugs on a limited income. Medicare offers the Extra Help program, and the state offers the MoRx program.

Huff also wants to remind seniors, health care providers and others to be cautious of unscrupulous salespeople during the open enrollment period. Huff, along with a Medicare official, sent out a letter last month to home health workers across the state asking them to report insurance agents and other salespeople who violate Medicare solicitation rules.

The letter also provided a list of acceptable and forbidden sales practices for agents selling Medicare.

Consumers have contacted the department with 988 complaints and inquiries about Joplin tornado claims. Insurance companies serving the Joplin area have paid more than $1 billion in claims, according to data the companies have sent to the Department of Insurance. The department held a Recovery Roundup on Sept. 24 in Joplin to assist consumers with outstanding claims 120 days after the tornado.

"Our recoveries are up $3.4 million over this time last year, which is a reflection of the numerous severe storms of 2011," said John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance. "$10 million in nine months is a reminder to consumers that they can have success by contacting our department when they reach an impasse with their insurance companies."

The department received 9,500 written inquiries and complaints - compared to 5,800 at this time last year - and helped more than 15,000 consumers by phone. The most common categories of complaints received from consumers statewide:

Consumers with complaints or questions about their insurance claim or policy provisions can call the Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or file a complaint at insurance.mo.gov.