This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync.
The repair license is notorious. Ask anyone who has been a fixer. Or a compliance handler. Or even the regulated adjusters of their state insurance department.
There are a few things that make adjuster licensing very difficult. One of them is that there is no single agreed upon standard for repairers in the same way as there is for manufacturers. Indeed, if you grant a repair license, you find yourself bemoaning the completeness of the Manufacturer's License Model Act.
Most states, however, do not issue licenses to anyone other than a public adjuster. Or maybe they issue public modifiers and private modifiers. Some states, however, license public adjusters, private adjusters, and professional adjusters. And there are special modifiers and modifiers for students. Also, almost everyone needs a special license or protocol for emergency responders after a disaster. At the root of this complex confusion of state-by-state differences is a fundamental question: Where is the designated home state of the fixer?
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What is DHS?
A home state (DHS) license is when your repairman needs a license to be recognized for exchange licenses, but his home state does not provide the license he needs. Instead of getting a brand new license in every state they adjust claims in and having to comply with multiple state requirements for testing and continuing education, an adjuster can get a license in a state they don't live in again. then use that to get similar licenses in (other) states you don't live in. Regardless of the state in which your adjuster obtains a DHS, they will also need to meet that state's requirements for exams and continuing education in order to obtain and maintain that license.
What makes Florida attractive for DHS licenses?
Florida has a well-established reputation for issuing DHS licenses to out-of-state repairers who require a license to do business in multiple states with varying repair laws. Therefore, if we examined the rest of the US, the proportion of correctional officers in Florida may have decreased slightly.
First, a Florida maintenance license is equivalent to many, many states. In fact, Puerto Rico is the only state that deems it compatible with rehab licensing – Florida-licensed rehabbers don't have to sit for the Puerto Rico exam again. For one thing, Florida is one of 16 states that have reciprocity agreements for workers' comp.
However, just because Florida can provide a great way forward to obtain licenses doesn't mean it's always the best choice for adjusters looking to work across the U.S. Here are three good reasons not to use Florida as the DHS for your adjusters.
No.1: Your editor's state of residence provides the license they need
This may seem obvious. But if we had a nickel for how many times we've heard people complain about getting the Florida DHS to learn that their state offers the labor or independent maintenance license they need… well, we'd be sounding frustrated.
Because the general advice of most major agencies and carriers is to “find the Florida DHS,” some adjusters go in without hesitation and find that Florida DHS completely unaware of their state's offerings. Many states then deny these DHS licenses because they flag the editor's address as being in a state with employees or the independent license they require.
So, before automatically pressing your adjusters for a Florida DHS license, make sure you understand the resident adjuster licenses available in different states.
No. 2: Your state of residence provides a general license
Sometimes a teeny text change in adjuster regulation throws out hundreds of adjuster licenses, like Georgia's famous change. In fact, Georgia removed language that limited state licensure to social workers, and other states followed suit. Several states issued warnings that, after that point, any Georgia residents who had a DHS maintenance worker license from another state would not be able to renew or obtain a nonresident maintenance license from those states. Instead, Georgia residents had to surrender their DHS licenses and sit for the Georgia adjuster exam.
This difference is not a very obvious one – the change has caused quite a few headaches over the last few years, and if you weren't working in maintenance licensing at the time, you could be forgiven for not understanding this bit. However, it's still important to know that one of your repairmen may live in a state where they can get a repairman's exam even if it's not the type of repairman's license they're trying to get.
No. 3: Your planner will work in California, Hawaii, or New York
There are three states that require every correctional person to work in the state to sit a probationary period, period, regardless of the condition of the correctional officer. California, Hawaii, and New York require everyone to dance to their own tune, so if you have a planner who will be working primarily in one of those states, you may be better served by digging deeper into those regional nuances.
One reason to wave your hands carefully: Some states may delay or deny applications for non-resident licenses if you have a license from California, Hawaii, or New York as it is not a license that those states consider equivalent.
Simplifying modifier licensing no matter where your modifiers are licensed
Until states make a concerted push to stop rehab licensing, we're all stuck in the Wild West of rehab law. But it shouldn't be the point of pain and responsibility that many carriers and agencies feel it is now.
AgentSync Manage location data directly from the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and provide you with a single interface to manage your processing capabilities. Our private source bakes adjuster data such as jurisdictional restrictions line and state equivalency into the system, so you can have more confidence in the non-resident licenses and renewals you request, in addition to always having up-to-date data on where your adjusters are licensed. .
To see how AgentSync Manage can transform your agent license management, schedule a demo today.
If you want more insight into turning your repairman license into a value proposition instead of a liability, download our guide.
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