Within how many working days must insurers acknowledge receipt of a claim?

• A. 5
• B. 10
• C. 20
• D. 15

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is the timeline for officially recognizing a filed claim. In New York, insurers are required to acknowledge receipt of a claim within 15 working days. “Working days” means business days, so weekends and holidays don’t count. This acknowledgment is simply a confirmation that the claim has been received and is in the system, not a resolution or payment yet. It starts the clock on the claims process and shows the insurer is taking the claim seriously and will begin the investigation and handling steps.

Why 15 days is the best fit: it reflects the regulatory standard for prompt communication after a claim is filed. Shorter timeframes, like 5 or 10 days, would imply a faster-than-standard acknowledgment, which isn’t required here. A longer period, like 20 days, wouldn’t meet the regulatory requirement for timely acknowledgment.