Dear Agent,

The Texas Department of Insurance has extended the deadline for TWIA policyholders to request appraisal on their Harvey claim. The new deadline is 180 days from the day a policyholder received their most recent Notice of Claim Acceptance (in full or in part) letter. Note: Some commercial policies have a 150-day deadline. For more details, please refer to www.twia.org/extensionletter. We will mail this letter to policyholders with closed Harvey claims early next week. 

If a policyholder is within their claim’s 180-day deadline, requesting appraisal preserves their right to dispute their Harvey claim payment amount. 

The act of requesting appraisal provides our policyholders with options. They will incur out-of-pocket costs going through the appraisal process. To avoid out-of-pocket costs, TWIA can temporarily suspend the process (at their written request) and work with them to resolve the dispute at no cost. 

Before TWIA can consider making an additional payment on a Harvey claim, a policyholder must request appraisal. After their appraisal deadline expires, they cannot request additional payments on the accepted claim.  

How does a policyholder request appraisal?
Requesting appraisal is easy. A policyholder can fill out the attached form and send it to claims@twia.org or mail it to PO Box 99090, Austin, TX 78709 (Attention Appraisal Request). They may also call TWIA at 800-788-8247. 

What happens during the appraisal process?
Appraisal is the formal process for disputing the amount that TWIA paid on the accepted part of a claim. During the appraisal process, the policyholder and TWIA each select a competent and independent appraiser to determine the amount of the loss. If the appraisers cannot agree on the amount of loss, they can select an independent umpire to make the final ruling. The policyholder will split the cost of the appraisal with TWIA. 

Please share this information with your clients and fellow agents. If you have any questions or concerns, please visit our new website or contact TWIA claims at 800-788-8247.