Frequently Asked Questions FAQ Table of Contents 1) Appeals Page 2 2) Case Category Page 3 3) Claim Number Page 4 4) Firm Information Page 5 5) Payments Page 6-7 6) Shared Defense / Cost Share Page 8-9 7) Zurich Contact Information Page 10 1
Appeals How do I submit an appeal in Allegient? Please contact Allegient via the contact information section for step-by-step instructions. How many appeals can I file on an invoice? Two appeals can be filed within 60 days from the date the invoice is released in Allegient. I am unable to appeal an invoice in Allegient? Please check the date the invoice was released in Allegient. Zurich only accepts appeals within 60 days from the date the invoice is released. If the appeals timeframe has expired, no appeals can be made on that invoice. I have filed an appeal but I have not received a response? Check to ensure that the appeal has been finalized in Allegient. Go to the invoice status screen and scroll down to where appeals are shown. Is there a #1 there? If so click on the #1 which will bring you to the appeal edit screen. Is there an edit button next to the amount appealed? If so, click on the edit button which will bring you into the appeal. You must finalize the appeal in order for Zurich to see the appeal. Unfinished appeals cannot be seen by Zurich. 2
Case Category How do I select the correct case category? Check with the attorney/claim handler on the case. Questions to ask yourself are has the firm been hired for coverage or defense? If coverage, the firm should classify the case as Liability Coverage unless first-party property is involved, in which case the category should be Property Coverage. If allegations of Bad Faith exist, your case category should be Bad Faith/Extracontractual. If defense, what line of business is the claim handler from (you can obtain this from the assignment letter) and classify the case based on the claim handler s line of business. Who can help me with the correct case category? Your first resource should be the attorney who received the assignment from Zurich. If they are unfamiliar with all of Zurich s lines of business, please reach out to the claim handler. If you still need additional assistance, please contact the Legal Bill Review group via the contact information section. 3
Claim Number I have a claim number but it is not 13 digits? If you receive a claim number that is 8 digits, add enough zeros after the first three digits to make a 10 digit number and add 001 to the end. If the number is 10 digits already then all that is needed is to add 001 to the end of the existing number. Example: 9410012345001 The claim number I have is 13 digits but it is not being accepted by Allegient? Please make sure that you are entering all numbers - no spaces, dashes or periods. Also make sure that you are using the numeric zero and not the O in the alphabet. If this doesn t produce positive results, please contact the Legal Bill Review group via the contact information section. I do not have a claim number? All communications you receive from Zurich should contain a valid claim number. We have found that this type of communication is typically located in the firm s correspondence folder. If that does not produce the desired results, then obtain the name and phone number/e-mail of the Zurich claim handler and contact them directly for this information. The claim number provided is only 6 digits with a claimant number? Six digit claim numbers with a claimant number belong to Zurich Programs (formerly known as Empire Fire and Marine) and cannot be entered into the Zurich North America platform. Make sure that you are entering this particular claim in the Zurich Programs portal of Allegient. If the firm does not have access to this platform, use the contact information for Zurich to request access. 4
Firm Information Our firm has changed their address. How do we go about notifying Zurich? Please submit your address change to the claim handler, the Litigation Management Group (usz_zurich_litigation_management@zurichna.com) and the Legal Bill Review group by completing a new W-9, scanning and sending to the general mailbox listed in the contact information section. Our firm has changed their name how do we go about notifying Zurich? Make sure that the firm name change has been registered with the IRS. Only those changes registered with the IRS should be submitted to Zurich. If the firm continues to do business under the old name, Zurich does not need to be notified. If the new name is registered with the IRS, then complete a W-9, scan it, save it in.pdf format and return via e-mail to the Legal Bill Review group s mailbox listed in the contact information section. How do I change the firm s address/name in Allegient? Please go to the vendor details tab in Allegient and update the information listed. If you need assistance with this please contact Allegient via the contact information section. 5
Payments How do I know when an invoice has been approved/released for payment? The billing personnel you identify in Allegient will receive an automatic, robot email from Allegient, notifying you that an invoice has been released for payment, along with basic invoice information. The email will also include a hyperlink that will take you directly to the released information. From there, you can determine whether any deductions were taken on the invoice. How are payments issued for invoices submitted via electronic billing (Allegient)? Invoices released in Allegient are batched together to make one single payment per month. These payments are issued on or about the 17th of each month for invoices released up until the 12th of each month. What happens if my firm has not submitted a current W-9 to Zurich? No invoices can be paid until a W-9 has been received and processed by Zurich s financial unit. If you have not submitted a current W-9, please complete one, scan it, save it in.pdf format and email it to the Legal Bill Review mailbox listed in the contact information section. How do I reconcile my paid invoices with Zurich s batch payment? Zurich provides a remittance advice with each check, which details all invoices associated with the released amount so the firm can reconcile the invoices released against Zurich s batch check. It s the firm s responsibility to reconcile their outstanding A/R. I ve received an invoice release notice prior to the 12th of the month but no payment was included on the batch check? Please check the invoice in Allegient to verify that there was an amount released on the invoice. Zero dollar invoices will still generate an invoice release e-mail. 6
Payments An invoice for over $50,000 was released on or near the 12th of the month but no payment was included for that month s batch check. Why? Invoices over $50,000 require a second tier approval by Zurich. Zurich s financial practices govern invoices released in Allegient and it could take a few extra days to obtain those approvals in order to have payments posted to your account. Please check the following month s batch check for these invoices. It is also helpful if you can submit these larger invoices as close to the beginning of the month as possible, to give them extra time to be processed through the additional approval levels. My firm s batch check has not been received. How do I check the status of this check? First, go to Allegient and verify that there have been invoices released for the month s check (invoices should be released between the 13th of the prior month and the 12th of the current month). Second, if invoices have been released during the prior 30 days, please wait 10 days for the check to reach you. If still no check is received, please email the Legal Bill Review mailbox listed in the contact section. Finally, if none of your invoices were released in the prior month, then you will not receive a check this month. How do I have a stop payment issued on a batch check? Please contact Zurich s Legal Bill Review group via the contact information section to have a stop payment issued on a check not received. 7
Shared Defense / Cost Share How do I set up a case in Allegient with a shared defense? The case should be set up as all other cases in Allegient. The actual invoicing is where the shared defense percentages are shown. Where do I obtain the shared percentage for each insurance carrier on a case? Please obtain the actual percentage for each insurance carrier from the attorney/zurich claim handler before attempting to bill. How do I bill in Allegient with a shared defense? All invoices submitted to Zurich should be submitted at 100% of actual fees and expenses. Once the bill is in the invoice submission queue in Allegient, the firm can enter the cost share in the cost share field. If you need assistance with this process, please use the contact information for Allegient to obtain further technical assistance. What if the cost share percentage changes in the middle of a quarterly billing cycle? Zurich only accepts one cost share percentage per invoice. Please invoice the existing cost share on one bill and then create a new bill with the new proposed cost share. Quarterly billing is waived in this situation. 8
Shared Defense / Cost Share When the invoice was released the shared percentage was changed by Zurich? Why? Zurich obtains the most current cost share information from the claim handler. If you feel the cost share percentage listed on the invoice was incorrect, please consult with the attorney/claim handler first to verify the current cost share percentage. If the percentage was changed, the firm may not have the most current information. My time and billing software does not accommodate multiple bill generation for different carriers? Use the contact information for Allegient to obtain further technical assistance for this issue. Can I upload numerous matters and invoices directly from by time and billing software directly into Allegient? Yes you can. Please use the contact information for Allegient to obtain further technical assistance for this issue. 9
Contact Information Zurich Legal Bill Review E-mail: usz.zurich.legal.bill.review@zurichna.com Phone: 847-605-3718 Allegient Technical Support E-mail: support@allegientsystems.com Phone: 866-645-7444 10