Reserve Notes After New Invoices Arrive Mid-Claim
Why open claim applications need a reserve adequacy pass when fresh invoices land months after the first booking.
Case reserves age poorly when invoices keep arriving. A reserve adequacy review — narrower than a full financial audit of insurance claims applications — focuses on whether the booked figure still matches the file.
The ninety-day drift pattern
In motor bodily injury and property repair files, we often see a first reserve set from an early estimate, then silence until a hospital bill or contractor revision appears. If handlers update the diary but not the reserve, the book looks calmer than it is.
Evidence before movement
We never recommend increasing a reserve on rumour of further treatment. The new invoice, clinic statement, or revised estimate must sit in the pack. Where evidence is missing, our schedule marks the file as documentation-blocked.
Duplicate invoices after floods
Seasonal flood books are prone to reissued contractor invoices with new dates but old line items. During reserve passes we match invoice numbers and totals so the reserve does not absorb the same cost twice.
What committees receive
A short table: file reference, booked reserve, recommended reserve, reason. That format fits into a claims committee pack without a long narrative for every row.