Compliance is at the forefront of the claims community's mind. Achronic state of regulatory flux can leave adjusters especiallyconfused. What can claims professionals do to alleviate some of thestress while achieving their educational goals? Here, we talk toJeff Cook, director of sales and marketing at Xeneros, to explorepotential solutions.

What challenges do claims ­professionals face to ­staycurrent with certifications and licensing?
The shortanswer is that they are extremely busy with their profession day today. In order to be effective, claims professionals must staycurrent on an array of topics, educational requirements,regulations and handling protocols. The ever-evolving insurancelandscape, industry certifications, special designations, andsoftware are simply a few of the challenges and responsibilitiesthey contend with on a regular basis.

The majority of state licenses are on a two year cycle; mix intothat state regulations for maintaining (or obtaining) a licensechange cycle to cycle and it would be a daunting proposition foranyone.

What effect do state-specific requirements have onadjusters and other claims professionals?
I wouldhave to say that not only is it intimidating and cumbersome, but itis also confusing. One state requires fingerprints, and another onedoesn't. Which states require bonds? Which states reciprocate withwhich? There is little consistency across the states to get anadjusting license. Then when you factor in emergency/catastropheadjusting licenses, it can get overwhelming. The whole process canbe really intimidating especially because you don't do it day inand day out.

Do independents and staff adjusters grapple withdifferent sets of issues?
The biggest differencebetween staff adjusters and independents is that the former arerequired by far fewer states to personally hold licenses. Anotherdifference is that carriers typically have staff dedicated tolicensure as part of their compliance departments. Independentadjusting firms, on the other hand, may lack the scale to meritfull-time dedicated resources. This means that licenses may not getthe attention they warrant.

What are some common problems along theway?
Some of the most common "hiccups" are simply nothaving the forms filled out correctly. Another big issue is theadjusters being unaware of what they have to do andwhen. 

Are adjusters proactive enough?
As wasmentioned earlier, adjusters are busy handling claims so very feware proactive to the necessary degree. In nearly all cases, theyare reacting (and typically with timelines that are much shorterthan is necessary.)

How can adjusters and managers address these issueswhile streamlining the process? How does Xeneroshelp?
Adjusters can start with being aware of whatthey need to do and when. They should review the requirements forall licenses and note if and how many CEs are required. It is alsoimperative to check on any recently instated regulations for eachstate. One of the most effective ways adjusters can be successfulis to act early.

Xeneros lives in this arena day in and day out, so we staycurrent. We complete all of the necessary requirements to keep ourclients compliant. We handle this entire process from cradle tograve, completing everything we can aside from tasks for which theperson is absolutely essential, such as fingerprints or testing.Our compliance experts understand how to navigate the licensureprocess across all U.S. states. This breadth of knowledge makeslicense management easier for adjusters by allowing them to stayfocused on working on claims. Secondarily, we offer a tool so agiven company can manage this task themselves.