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No, the Insurance Reserve Fund does not provide cyber insurance. Instead, the state has issued a statewide term contract with HUB International, as a broker for Cyber Insurance.

Any South Carolina Public Procurement Unit — all Using Governmental Units [UGU] —must use this broker to assess and advise data breach or cyber liability insurance needs, including breach event response and other available services. The broker will advise on how to structure a program; will obtain detailed proposals, including price quotes, from insurers for Cyber insurance, and present the proposals to the Using Governmental Unit [UGU] for acceptance or rejection.

This is the link to the page on the DPS website https://procurement.sc.gov/contracts/search?v=20862-9919-0-0

⮟ What is Prepaid Legal Defense Costs Coverage?

Prepaid Legal Defense Costs Coverage is coverage provided under the Supplementary Payments portion of the Tort Liability Insurance Policy. This coverage is designed to reimburse an insured for payments it has made for legal expenses incurred while defending a lawsuit which was brought against it. Prepaid Legal Defense Costs Coverage is not available on lawsuits that are being defended pursuant to Tort, Auto, or Medical Professional Insurance Policies issued by the IRF. Examples of lawsuits not defended or covered by the policies which an insured my defend and seek reimbursement of legal defense costs include lawsuits for breach of contract, injunctive relief, and return of property.

Fifteen Thousand Dollars of this coverage is included with your Tort Liability Policy at no additional charge. Additional limits of coverage are available, up to $1,000,000 for an additional premium.

⮟ What should my agency do in preparation for and immediately following a severe storm or hurricane?

Please review your coverage and make any needed adjustments at each renewal cycle. During this review, make sure you have adequate insurance to repair damaged buildings or replace those that may be destroyed in a storm. The insured value on the policy must be at least 80% of the replacement cost to avoid any co-insurance penalty that could apply. As a reminder, flood claims are paid on an Actual Cash Value basis. If you have any questions about your values, please contact your field agent and make any needed adjustments in advance.

Whenever a watch or warning has been declared for any part of South Carolina, the Insurance Reserve Fund will suspend writing all new business or increasing amounts of coverage on a state-wide basis. The IRF may suspend binding authority in other circumstances in advance of the posting of any watch or warning at its discretion.

In the event your property sustains damage, make temporary repairs to "dry in" damaged buildings as quickly as possible. This will reduce subsequent water damage and speed the recovery process. Please retain documentation of these costs and any other invoices from vendors to document your loss to the IRF and possibly FEMA.

Detailed documentation is the key to a smooth claims process. You should consider how you are going to document your claim now. (Since electrical service will be interrupted by a hurricane, the initial documentation will have to be on paper, not computers). Make sure to have your declaration pages printed and in a binder for use as your computer may not be accessible.

DO NOT DELAY reporting your claim because you are waiting to collect all damage claim information before reporting to the IRF. The IRF wants to set up your claim as quickly as possible to assign an adjuster to work with you. Additional damaged segments can always be added to your claim as they are discovered.

The days immediately after a storm are chaotic, and reporting claims may not be possible. Once communications are restored, please report claims as soon as possible in one of the following ways:

E-Mail to: newclaims@irf.sc.gov
Facsimile to Catastrophe Claims: 803-737-0042
Telephone: 803-737-0020 (agents will assist you).
Regardless of how you report a claim, please have the following information:
- Policy Number
- Segment Number (building number)
- Description of damage

*Please use the attached property claim reporting form. This form is also available at www.irf.sc.gov.

⮟ How do I report a Tort Claim and what information do I need to send?

As soon as possible, send all pertinent information via e-mail (newclaims@irf.sc.gov), fax (803-737- 0042), or mail, attention Claims Director. If you email the claim information, you should receive an automatic acknowledgement email. If you do not, the claim was not received by the IRF. The sooner we receive this information, the sooner we can begin our investigation.
Generally, if a Tort Claim Form has not been completed (CL-03 in the WORKSHEETS section), we need to know the date of loss, the name, address, and telephone number of the person making the claim, the circumstances regarding the loss (i.e. a slip and fall or vehicle hit pothole), and the damages being claimed.
If possible, photograph the loss location.

Once the claim has been reported to the IRF, an adjuster will be assigned the loss and will make contact with you.

⮟ What do I do if I have a Property Claim?

Give immediate written notice to us. A property claims form (CL-02) can be obtained in the WORKSHEETS section. Send claims via e-mail (newclaims@irf.sc.gov), via fax (803-737-0042), or mail to the Fund to the attention of the Claims Director.
If possible, photograph the damage.
If you have a vandalism or theft claim, obtain a police report and provide that to us.
If a fire loss has occurred, obtain a fire report.
Protect the property from further damage.
Separate the damaged property from undamaged property and make an inventory of the damaged property.
Once the claim has been reported to us, an adjuster will be assigned the loss and will contact you.

⮟ What steps are necessary to receive payment from the IRF or the State of South Carolina?

The State of South Carolina is ending the use of paper checks. All vendors and payees are required to have a vendor record established with the State of SC Division of Procurement Services. Please refer to the following website: https://www.procurement.sc.gov/doing-biz/registration. Once on the site, select “Vendor Registration Guide (Step-by-Step Instructions)” to have the instructions available while you are registering. You may start the vendor registration by selecting “New Vendor Registration”.

Once you have completed your vendor registration you will receive an email from the Comptroller General’s office confirming your registration. After reviewing the information, please forward that email along with your FEIN and IRF claim number to Admin@irf.sc.gov.

It is possible for the Insurance Reserve Fund to assist you with registration; however, the process requires additional documentation and will take longer than self-registration as it is a manual process.

⮟ Can I change my password?

Yes. Access to the secured side of the IRF’s website is limited to the insured entity’s director, or designee who most often is either the agency’s claims or underwriting contact. The insured entity is responsible for its secured website credentials and whether and with whom they may share. If you have shared your password with others sharing those credentials for access to the IRF website, please notify them that the password has been changed. Otherwise, they will not be able to log-in.

⮟ What do I do if I forget my password?

Because access to the secured side of the IRF’s website is limited to the insured entity’s director or designee, the IRF requires an interactive dialogue to validate permission to access the website. Please submit an email to your Underwriting field agent requesting reset of your agency’s credentials. Once reviewed and verified by IRF, new credentials will only be provided to the agency director, underwriting or claims contact via a telephone call.

Submit A Question

Please submit any questions you may have that are not covered by the information provided on this page by clicking here.

This link is for general questions only and cannot be used to report a claim, make a Freedom of Information Act Request, increase values on policies, add coverage to policies, or alter coverage.

Insurance Reserve Fund
PO BOX 11066 | Columbia, SC 29211
MAIN: 803.737.0020 | FAX: 803.737.3832

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