602-491-2588

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a few questions about how OCS works, what we do, and how we help your business? If you’re thinking it, chances are others have as well. For this reason we’ve compiled our most frequently asked questions into one easy guide! If you have a question you don’t see answered here, please feel free to contact our team, we’d be glad to help.

What OCS does / doesn't do.

No. We don’t work on old, past-due receivables. However, we’ll process any invoices that haven’t already been sent to the carrier, even if the job occurred prior to signing up with us.

No. We don’t prepare invoices for you, but we can refer you to a well-qualified estimator if you need help writing invoices. As a part of our service, our attorneys will review your current invoicing practices and make recommendations that you (or an estimator) can implement to improve your billing prior to getting started with us.

Currently, we only focus on insurance invoices for emergency services such as water mitigation, asbestos abatement, pack outs, mold remediation and fire demo and cleaning. That being said, we may add reconstruction billing to our service offering in the future – be on the lookout!

It depends. If your franchisor restricts your business with regards to pricing, scope or negotiating with insurance carriers, then we probably can’t help. But, if you have more autonomy, we can explore our options of working together.

Yes, we can. That said, a lot of commercial jobs come through TPAs or important carrier relationships, so it may depend on how you get those leads.

No. TPAs, and the contracts they sign with carriers heavily constrict your ability – and ours – to get you paid faster and increase collections.

What’s your experience doing this?

Since starting in 2016, we’ve processed ~40,000 invoices with $200+ million in claim value collecting more than $170m on behalf of our contractors.

We work with all insurance agencies and have close ties with many of them. We won’t turn away your invoices because of the carrier, even if they’re notoriously tricky to work with.

If the state(s) you operate in allows an insured to sign an assignment of benefits (AOB), then One Claim can work for you. Most states support AOBs, but reach out to see if you’re unsure.

We have a lot of happy contractors. Check out our testimonials to get a feel for what restorers think about our services and what it’s like working with us.

What are the benefits?

Almost always.

We get our contractors paid in 32 days on average – though some get paid quicker. According to C&R, most (~80%) contractors wait 30+ days to get paid while almost 60% have receivables outstanding for more than 45 days! If you’re like most contractors, we’ll get you paid faster than the industry average.

Yes – for the most part.

You’ll still need someone to create the invoice, compile the claim documents and submit them to our Contractor Portal. You’ll also need someone to cash the checks we send to you and record them in your book of record (e.g., Quickbooks).

Most likely.

We’ll look at a few recent insurance invoices to see if there’s an opportunity for us to add value to them. For most of our contractors, we’re able to increase collections more than enough to offset our fee – it’s pretty awesome!

We have a lot of happy contractors. Check out our testimonials to get a feel for what restorers think about our services and what it’s like working with us.

How to get started?

It’s easy and there are no upfront costs or major implementations.

  • Schedule an introductory call – we’ll want to hear more about your business and ask a few questions.
  • Our attorneys will review your contract/work authorization and some basic invoice data (e.g., a few recent insurance invoices) so we can figure out how we can add value for you.
  • We’ll put an offer together. If you agree to it, we’ll have you sign a billing agreement and we’ll begin the onboarding process.

It helps us figure out how we can get you paid faster and increase your collections. It also allows us to understand your business better. Without a review of this information, it can be difficult for us to come up with an offer that we’re certain will work. This process also helps our contractors have a better understanding of their starting ground with OCS and helps set some expectations.

We have attorneys that are experienced in restoration contract law. They’ll read through your documents and suggest ways to make them stronger. In most cases, we recommend you adopt a work authorization that our attorneys developed to be more enforceable in discussions with carriers.

For the most part, yes – it makes the billing process much easier for everyone involved. Call us to talk through alternatives as we’re also experienced with Direction to Pay agreements.

It’s pretty simple – just two steps:

  1. Sign a billing agreement and share your customer service and billing preferences with us so we can get you into our systems.
  2. Make the modifications to your work authorization and invoicing processes if you so choose.

Finally, you’ll start submitting your invoices and claim documents through our Contractor Portal, including ‘backlogged’ invoices from old jobs that haven’t been submitted to the carrier yet  – we’ll take it from there.

We don’t get paid until you do – OCS’s fee is a percentage of what we collect for you. Our fee varies depending on a few things, but in most cases, we can increase your collections to more than offset our fee. Please contact us to schedule a no-obligation consultation if you’re interested.

How does invoice submission work?

During onboarding, you’ll create a login to our Contractor Portal. There you will upload your invoice, documentation, and some basic information about the claim for each job. You can also email us, but know that it may slow down our internal processes. 

Three major steps:

First, we create and submit a claim packet to the carrier. The packet includes a cover letter from One Claim describing our justifications for the invoice and documentation.

Second, a claim advocate will proactively reach out to the adjuster on a regular basis to justify your invoice and ultimately accelerate it through the carrier’s billing process.

Lastly, we direct the carrier to cut a check and will stay on top of that payment until it gets to you.

Yes. Upon retrieval, we’ll let you know if something is missing or can be improved before submitting to the carrier. It will still be important for you to maintain a degree of quality control on your invoicing process.

How does justification work?

Our claim advocates have varying backgrounds, but most have been trained and are experienced in the justification process for insurance claims and/or working in a home services field. That said, these backgrounds aren’t a prerequisite and when a claim advocate lacks relevant experience, we make sure they learn what is needed to succeed in the role.

We have an extensive training program that an advocate must complete before they can assist in the claims process. This training covers many topics that cover laws surrounding work authorizations, assignments of benefits, variations in disaster mitigation practices, and how to communicate with different types of adjusters. It’s a thorough, time-tested, and proven training program.

This varies widely depending on several things – the carrier, type of job, size of claim, who is assigned to adjust the claim, etc. You should expect that your invoice is touched by a claim advocate every three days, at least. This cadence allows for constant communication between the adjuster and claim advocate. Especially when you take into consideration the research required on both sides to justify specific parts of an invoice.

It depends on the size of the contractor or complexity of their work. As a rule, the majority of your invoices will be handled by a small team of advocates. In some cases, we may flow invoices to a certain carrier through an advocate who has a deep relationship with the adjuster on the other side.

No. Each invoice is only ever assigned to one claim advocate and that advocate will see it through the carrier’s entire billing process. As a rule, we will assign the majority of your invoices to a small team of advocates.

This will be contractor specific as there are many paths to take when a claim is denied. During our onboarding process, you’ll have the chance to hear a few options and define a path you’d like to take. In any case, denied claims seem to be rare as we’ve tried to build relationships with major carriers to help avoid that outcome.

We’ve developed procedures to avoid arbitration or litigation. However, sometimes it’s still necessary. We don’t initiate arbitration or litigation on our own, but we’ll support you if that’s a path you’d like to take.

This is somewhat rare given our focus on mitigation work – less than 10% of carrier checks we’ve seen include the mortgage company. That said, we have a team designated just for this. We work hand-in-hand with the homeowner through the mortgage endorsement process or obtain permission to process the endorsement through their mortgage company on their behalf.

Though rare, there’ll be times when we may need to communicate with the homeowner. When we do, we maintain the highest level of orientation to customer service.

No. We’ll deal with adjusters and carriers on your behalf. Leave that to us – after all, that’s one of the reasons you would consider working with us in the first place! However, there may be times when it’s beneficial for you to meet with the adjuster at the job location if requested.

We send a claims report to each of our contractors on a weekly basis or as requested. These reports allow you to see where each claim is in the carrier’s claims process. Coming soon is a portal and integration that will provide you with live updates and visibility.

How does it work (payment)?

Oftentimes the carrier will make more than one payment. Typically, the first is for an undisputed amount and the remaining payments are for disputed amounts that we’re able to justify on your behalf. In all cases, we will track each payment until it gets to your mailbox.

We direct the carrier to send the checks to our office. Sometimes they may send them to you, and rarely will they mistakenly send them to the homeowner. In those cases, we’ll reach out to the homeowner and have them direct those checks to us. We’ll also work with the carrier to resolve the mistake.

We prefer the carrier sends us the checks so we can take out the fee and issue you a new check for the net amount. This transparency eliminates any additional billing to our contractors and streamlines the process. That said, we can also direct the carrier’s check to you and then send a monthly invoice for our fee – it’s up to you.

Connor Trahan

Account Executive

Hi there! I’m Connor, the Account Executive for One Claim. My goal is to guide our contractors through the sales process, ensuring you’re equipped with all the information you need to make your decision and hit the ground running once aboard. We view ourselves as an extension of your business and I strive to make the process an enlightening and consultative one.
My career has primarily been focused in software sales over a few different industries but the last few years were spent helping general contractors solve similar problems to what we’re doing here at OCS! Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, cooking and boating during the summer months.

Nicole Liesenfelt

Director, Human Resources

Hello! I’m Nicole, and I’m here to champion for our employees, recruit for new talent, and impact culture at One Claim Solution. I find satisfaction in supporting a memorable employee experience and bring innovation, problem solving, and strategic view to the process. Nothing is more important than our people, and a healthy culture is my top priority! I have had the pleasure of building my career in various sectors, specializing in small to medium size firms focused on high-growth. My experience is centered around driving and implementing change, leading high-performing teams, and driving process improvements. I am excited to make an impact at One Claim. Outside of work, my family and I enjoy getting outdoors as much as possible to explore beautiful Colorado!

Elizabeth McGlone

Demand Generation Manager

Great to meet you! I’m Elizabeth, and I’m the one behind all the emails and advertisements you’ve been seeing. As the Demand Generation Manager at One Claim Solution, my mission is to connect with contractors like you who need our services. I’m passionate about having an impact on others and I bring a wealth of experience in demand generation and marketing strategy to create moments of delight, curiosity, and education for you.

Prior to One Claim Solution, I had the privilege of building marketing departments from the ground up at companies in a variety of industries, including IT consulting, first protection, and healthcare. Personally, I love being outdoors, playing Dungeons and Dragons and board games, singing, and traveling.

Alisha Yartzoff

Director of Contractor Success

Welcome! I’m Alisha, and I’m here to champion your success as the Director of Contractor Success at One Claim. With a passion for helping contractors thrive, I bring a wealth of experience in onboarding, customer service, and account management to ensure your journey with us is nothing short of exceptional.

Prior to joining One Claim, I had the privilege of scaling SMB and Enterprise Customer Success teams at fast-growing SaaS startups. With over six years of experience at companies like Mavenlink, Teamwork, and ServiceTitan, I honed my expertise in building high-performing teams and fostering proactive, consultative relationships. This background has equipped me with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by businesses like yours, and I’m dedicated to helping you overcome them.

Eric Terry

CTO

Hi there, my name is Eric! I am the Chief Technology Officer here at OCS, spearheading our technical strategy. I have a background in computer science, graduating cum laude from BYU-Idaho with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Technology.

Before coming to One Claim, I served as the Director of Engineering at Slingshot Technology, Inc., a company later acquired by WorkWave in 2021. My professional journey has spanned both emerging startups and established corporations, with a steadfast focus on cultivating high-trust, low bureaucracy teams and innovating technology using agile methodologies.

In my free time, you can find me flying drones, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with my family.

Cam Smith

COO

Hello, my name is Cam, I’m the COO of One Claim Solution! I come from a management consulting background (Bain & Company) and hold an MBA from the University of Michigan. I have worked at a wide variety of organizations, from Fortune 500 to small-cap, in an equally wide variety of industries. I have over 15 years of experience in operations and strategic growth, and I have spent much of my career focused on developing high-performing tech-enabled service organizations through early stage and high growth phases.

Outside of work, my wife Brittny and I have four kids, ages 13 to 6. As residents of Mesa, Arizona, we love to ski and explore the national parks of the southwest!

Dan Doud

CEO

Hello, my name is Dan, and I am the CEO of One Claim Solution. I am super excited by everything we are doing at OCS to be the market leading insurance billing specialist that advocates on behalf of our restoration contractors. 

My professional experiences are predominantly corporate in nature. My career started at General Electric in finance and accounting. Immediately prior to joining OCS, I spent time as an investor at Bondcliff Partners and management consultant with Bain & Company. I also hold an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and got my BS in finance and accounting from Northeastern University.

Outside of the office, I enjoy spending time with my wife, two young children, and our family dog, Whiskey. We live in Charleston, SC and take advantage of the beautiful weather by spending as much time as possible outside at the beach or adventuring around town

Josh Ehmke

Co-Founder and General Counsel

Hi, I’m Josh! In 2016, I co-founded One Claim Solution with my partner Jeremy Traasdahl, and I serve as General Counsel of One Claim Solution. Working in the restoration industry, Jeremy and I saw contractors struggling to get paid quickly and fairly and we knew there was a need for change. We founded One Claim Solution to be this change and it’s been my privilege to see our company grow and to advocate for our clients as general counsel.

Outside of my passion for helping the restoration industry, I enjoy spending time outdoors, fly-fishing, hunting, skiing, and coaching my kids’ baseball teams. I’ve been married to my amazing wife for 20 years and we have a beautiful family of 5 children.

Jeremy Traasdahl

Co-Founder

Hey, I’m Jeremy! In 2016, I co-founded One Claim Solution with my partner Josh Ehmke. Working in the restoration industry, Josh and I saw contractors struggling to get paid quickly and fairly and we knew there was a need for change. We founded One Claim Solution to be this change and it’s been my privilege to lead our amazing team.

Prior to One Claim Solution, I started my career as an inside sales rep for Avnet, then moved to Pepsico as a district sales manager. Outside of work, I love spending time with my wife and four children, two boys and two girls!