(Pittsburg, PA – Insurance News 360) – In 2017, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department returned $98,073,388 in stolen funds, unpaid insurance claims and refunds for premium overcharges to 33,138 customers throughout the state.

“Ensuring consumers are afforded all of the rights and protections guaranteed to them by Pennsylvania law is what we work for,” said Acting Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman. “Protecting consumers and holding businesses to the highest standards continues to be a top priority of Governor Wolf and the department.”

Since 2012, the state’s insurance department has also returned $680,518,671 to consumers after a multi-state settlement with various life insurance companies.  As a leader in this ongoing examination of life insurance companies, Pennsylvania has helped not only recover financial benefits for consumers, but also entered settlement agreements with many life insurers requiring them to reform their business practices. Some companies were making selective use of the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File (DMF), and instead of paying policy benefits upon a policyholder’s death, the companies were only terminating payment of annuity benefits. These companies have now committed to properly using the DMF to identify potentially unpaid insurance benefits and locate beneficiaries.

The Insurance Department also has made available, in conjunction with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the Life Policy Finder, which can help beneficiaries find life insurance policies that may have been lost over the years.

If you have a question about your insurance or need to file a complaint, you may contact the Insurance Department’s Bureau of Consumer Services at 1-877-881-6388 or online.

Source: Pennsylvania Insurance Department.