SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (Dec. 9, 2014) – The leading trade publication in the restoration industry – Cleaning & Restoration – released a question and answer segment featuring CodeBlue President Paul Gross as an industry thought leader. Cleaning & Restoration is the official publication of the Restoration Industry Association (RIA).
The article was written by industry G. Pete Consigli, CR, WLS, who one of RIA’s leading industry advisors. He has more than 35 years of experience in the restoration industry and an expert.
The entire article is featured here, but the portions of the CodeBlue founder’s comments are as follows:
What are the top three challenges facing TPAs today?
PG: Finding and qualifying the best contractors, which is similar to herding cats; ensuring the terms of a policy are adhered to; and qualifying and implementing new and emerging technologies.
What are the biggest misconceptions about TPAs?
PG: TPAs are hired by carriers to cut costs.
You rely on your contractors to scope a loss. How do you determine which standards the contractor needs to follow if there are multiple documents comprising the industry standard of care? How much flexibility do you give your contractors to deviate from an industry standard?
PG: CodeBlue asks network contractors to follow the IICRC S500 standard for water mitigation.
How do you rate contractors and track their performance?
PG: CodeBlue uses an NPS rating system to track contactors and the performance of their employees. Objective measurements are used to determine the best-performing contractors in specific geographic regions.
How do you handle situations involving mortgage companies that take insurance funds and apply them to a mortgage that is in arrears?
PG: Normally, this is a non-issue with water mitigation claims.
Does your network use a variety of pricing platforms or do you require your companies to use a specific one? If the latter, does it allow for independent pricing or adjustments as market circumstances dictate?
PG: Symbility and Xactimate.
How is the role of the TPA chang¬ing? Where do you see it going in the next five to 10 years?
PG: For the property restoration sector, the expanding role of the TPA in the future is not a question of if, but rather when. History demonstrates this in the glass replacement and auto repair insurance market sectors—the question is how quickly contactors and vendors can embrace the TPA model!
Do smaller companies in your network have to complete a job before they are paid, or do you have a process in place that allows them to draw funds throughout the process?
PG: CodeBlue contractors are ranked on competency against other competitors. Since we spe¬cialize in water mitigation, no draws are issued. We pay claims electronically on completion in seven days once all appropriate paperwork is submitted.