Legal office makes changes to claims process

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rodney D. Ivey
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  In accordance with recent changes made to the damaged goods claims process, Air Force members now automatically receive full replacement value protection from the moving company on damage incurred during a permanent change of station move.

All household good pick-ups will now receive full replacement value protection from the moving company or carrier.

"It isn't quite the same as getting all new stuff in every instance when your household goods are damaged by a carrier, but carriers will replace missing items with new items, pay the full cost to replace them or repair damaged items," said Lt. Col. Eric Bee, Air Force Claims Service Center.

This important benefit for Airmen comes with some changes to the process.

For instance, in most cases, claim filing is done directly with the carrier or moving company. This claim must be made within nine months of delivery. The previous deadline was two years from the incident.

A claim can still be filed with the AFCSC but Airmen will only be paid the depreciated value of damaged or lost goods. If the nine-month deadline is missed, a claim can still be filed with the AFCSC up to the two-year point. In addition, if Airmen are unhappy with what the carrier offers, they still have the option of filing with the AFCSC.

Although the timeline for filing a full replacement value claim is shorter, claims are now much easier to file. Airmen are no longer required to get estimates of repair, a very time consuming part of the old claims process. The carriers are now required to obtain the repair estimates. Carriers also don't require as much detail about the items, because they no longer have to calculate depreciation.

To give the carrier a heads up, Air Force members, and civilians being moved by the Air Force, can begin filing their claims on-line by going to https://claims.jag.af.mil and listing the damage within 70 days of delivery. Confirmation the claim forms have been received and dispatched to the carrier are then e-mailed to the originator of the claim. To finish the process, the claim forms still need to be filed with the carrier within nine months.

"The Air Force Claims Service Center is always here to help," said Colonel Bee. "We're here [around the clock] to answer questions from Airmen about their claims."

To file a claim against the Air Force under the two-year system, Airmen can still file their claims at the AFCSC Web site, https://claims.jag.af.mil. For questions, call DSN 986-8044 or toll free 877-754-1212.