auto insurance claims adjuster jobs

For the insurance professional in Florida, education is an on-going requirement. The Florida Department of Financial Services recognizes that insurance policies and the law are constantly changing and, that it is important for adjusters to keep abreast of the latest developments. For that reason, Florida claims adjusters must complete 24 hours of continuing education every two years.

Course requirements include 2 hours of Ethics, 10 hours of Law and 12 hours of Optional subjects.

Ethics is the study of values, right and wrong and decision-making as applied to the adjustment of insurance claims. Courses in Ethics include materials that refer to cases and court decisions that highlight disputes that occur between claimants and insurance companies, as well as statutes and penalties that may apply in the event a claims adjuster violates the Code of Ethics.

Courses designated as ‘Law’ generally refer to the application and changes in laws that apply to property and casualty claims. Optional courses are those which inform the student about subjects more general in nature that have application to the adjuster’s job duties, such as stress on-the-job.

Continuing Education requirements may be completed in a live classroom setting, or online. The major difference between the two formats is that online courses require a quiz, while live classes do not.

A sampling of online courses may include such courses as:

LAW

Insurance Bad Faith Online-2 hours

Medical Records and the Law Online-2 hours

Sexual Harassment and the Law-2 hours

FL Laws Governing Medical Care and Professional Liability-4 hours

ETHICS

Ethics and Adjusters-2 hours

OPTIONAL

Negotiation for Adjusters (2 credit hours)

Hurricanes a Florida Peril (2 credit hours)

Slip and Fall and Insurance Fraud (2 credit hours)

Black Boxes, Cell Phones and Auto Safety Issues (2 credit hours)

National Flood Insurance Program (4 credit hours)

When selecting an online or live provider, be sure to make sure that the company or school not only provides the correct approved courses for your license, but also includes uploading your credits into the state’s roster. You can verify the status of a provider or school with the Department of Financial Services.

Searching adjuster continuing education online will also give you an idea of the ranking or popularity of a school. Putting search terms into Google such as ‘Florida Adjuster Continuing Education’ will give you a list of available schools.

Failure to comply with continuing education requirements will result in a $250 fine, so don’t wait until the last minute to begin your work!

Students may access the online courses at:

http://www.ce.ucf.edu/ASP/insurance/

Dr. Michael Birzon is the designated instructor for both the online and live classes and he may be reached at: flainsu@mail.ucf.edu

Dr. Michael Birzon is an attorney and adjunct professor with Florida Insurance University/University of Central Florida. Dr. Birzon has litigated claims for over 30 years and is the author of the Accredited Claims Adjuster Designation approved by the State of Florida. You may contact Dr. Birzon at (407) 927-1235 or email at: flainsu@mail.ucf.edu

http://www.ce.ucf.edu/insurance