Can I Question My Premium Audit Without A Dispute?
How can I Question my premium audit without going through a formal dispute process?
This is a question that came in from a few of the blog readers over the last two weeks. Most Workers Compensation premium auditors are very reachable if you have questions about your audit. Calling or emailing them with a question does not violate any rules. I always recommend emailing the questions as premium auditors are very busy and are usually overloaded with audits on their schedule.
This is the main reason that we always advise our clients to ask for their Workers Comp audit workpapers that are filled out by the premium auditor. The workpapers can sometimes explain the thought process of the auditor. Filing a premium dispute is the last thing that should be done if your company simply has questions about the premium audit. There are a few premium auditors that only want premium disputes if you have a question. I do not understand why certain auditors require premium disputes. As I mentioned previously, emailed questions will usually suffice.
Emailing a question or disputing the fact that your premium audit bill just seems high may only muddy the waters as you need to be very specific in your questions. Then again, we see so many companies just writing a check when they receive a premium audit bill without even questioning the basis of how the premiums were calculated. The premium audit bill is like any other account balance. It should be reviewed thoroughly before any payments are made on the policy.
If you feel there is something wrong or are in over your head, please consult with a non-agent expert. I have posted very often that when CFO’s, Risk Managers, Owners, etc. have a gut feeling that something is wrong they are usually correct. Please do not just set the premium audit bill aside as there are time limits on making a payment or filing a dispute.
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