Following several years of acquiring various insurance brands, American Family Insurance is consolidating all its claims departments into one — resulting in an undisclosed number of cut positions.
The American Family group of companies — which includes The General, Homesite, Main Street America Group and CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance — spans the country, and the companies currently handle their own claims with their own employees.
The consolidation will merge all of the claims departments to make the claims process for customers more nimble, spokeswoman Erin Johansen said.
"It’s going to allow us to be more consistent across claims," Johansen said. Employees will now be able to process claims from any region or company within the American Family group.
The consolidation did result in voluntary buyouts where some employees with the various claims departments received severance pay and extended health insurance plans, Johansen said. She would not say how many employees took the buyout, but the group of companies still has about 4,200 claims workers.