Glossary /Terminology
Claim
Master record or folder.
Assign
The act of directing an activity to a user or organization.
Assignment
A claim task or activity.
Single-User Independent Adjuster (AKA SUIA or 1099)
An insurance professional who evaluates and manages claims independently. They are not directly employed by an insurance company, adjusting firm, or managed repair network. Instead, they operate as independent contractors (often 1099), taking assignments on their own behalf and managing the entire claims process themselves.
Adjusting Firms
These firms employ claims adjusters who visit the damage site, gather information, review policy coverage, and provide a recommendation for settlement to the insurer.
Intermediaries
Intermediaries coordinate between insurance companies and vendors, ensuring smooth communication and operations. Intermediaries can including adjusting firms, third-party administrators (TPAs), franchises, managed repair networks (MRPs).
Service Provider:
An individual company that provides a service either directly to the carrier OR to an intermediary. Examples include restoration contractors, temporary housing firms, engineering firms,
Claim Supply Chain
Vendors contributing to the processing of different steps in the life cycle of a claim originating from a property insurance carrier, such as adjusting firms, independent adjusters (IAs), contractors, service providers, or intermediaries.
Fee Types:
Claim Creation and Assignment Fee
A Claim Creation and Assignment fee is a transactional fee charged to the company that originates the claim ONLY when ALL of the criteria below are met.
- A new claim is created then assigned to another company
- The receiving company accepts the assignment.
This ensures the originating company covers the cost of initiating collaboration.
Assignment Accepted Fees
An Assignment Accepted fee is charged to the company that accepts the assignment when:
- They receive an assignment from another company and;
- Accept the assignment.
Even if no estimate is subsequently created, accepting the assignment triggers this fee to the acceptor.
We’re Here to Help
We know pricing changes can raise questions. Our team is here to make this transition as smooth and transparent as possible for your vendor networks.
Access the Pricing Overview for additional Cotality Claims Workspace and Estimate pricing information. For more information, contact your Cotality Account Manager or email us at support.claims@cotality.com.