MADISON, Wis. — TruStage said it has restored additional claims, customer service and billing capabilities following the cyberattack that disrupted its systems in mid-July, but the company cautioned that some services remain unavailable or dependent on manual and interim processes.
In an Aug. 1 update to credit union partners, TruStage acknowledged that recovery from the cyberattack has not been seamless and said it is working to provide more specific information about restored services, remaining limitations and what credit unions should tell members.
“We know recovery has not been a seamless experience for your credit union, your employees or your members,” TruStage said. “While progress continues, some services still rely on interim processes as we restore additional capabilities and improve the overall experience.”
TruStage had previously announced that the outage is the result of an employee downloading a malicious file.
Claims Contact Center Reopens
One of the most significant changes is the reopening of TruStage’s Claims Contact Center, which is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central at 800-356-2644.
According to TruStage, members and credit unions can now use the center to:
- Report a new claim by going to trustage.com/startclaim or calling 800.356.2644
- Provide information related to an existing claim.
- Confirm receipt of claims submitted after the outage.
- Receive guidance on the claims process and next steps.
The restored service covers life, accidental death and dismemberment, lending and business protection products, as well as certain annuity First Notice of Loss support.
TruStage said it also continues to expand its claims-processing capabilities.
Most life and AD&D claims that were pending before the outage are expected to be paid by the end of the following week, according to the company. Remaining claims will require additional documentation.
Claims involving credit insurance, debt protection and guaranteed asset protection, or GAP, products also are being accepted and processed. TruStage said it has begun reviewing GAP claims submitted after July 11.
Members needing to file claims can do so online or through the Claims Contact Center. TruStage cautioned members not to submit duplicate claims if they have already filed.
Member Service Capabilities Expanded
TruStage said its servicing contact centers also remain open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Monday through Friday, with temporary Saturday support from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central.
According to the company, representatives can now:
- Answer many basic policy questions.
- Direct members to service forms and other continuity processes.
- Explain available servicing options and next steps for common policy and contract requests.
- Escalate concerns and complaints.
TruStage said requests submitted during the outage will be honored based on the date they were originally received. For update, it said members should be directed here.
Recurring Payments Resume for Some
The company also has resumed recurring automated clearing house payments and certain recurring credit card payments for eligible life and AD&D customers using payment information already on file.
TruStage said protections remain in place for members/customers affected by the disruption, and that credit unions can inform members:
- They will not lose coverage because they were unable to make a payment during the outage.
- Grace-period accommodations and other coverage protections remain in effect.
- One-time payments by telephone remain unavailable.
- Some who normally receive paper billing statements may not yet receive new statements.
Members who need to make payments can use currently available payment methods or mail payments according to instructions provided by TruStage.
The company also warned credit unions and their members about potential scams exploiting the disruption. TruStage said it is not currently sending delinquency notices, recommending replacement policies from other companies or requesting payments through unsolicited communications.
Some Services Remain Limited
Despite the restoration of some functions, TruStage said significant limitations remain as it continues recovering systems affected by the cyberattack.
Among them:
- TruStage cannot yet provide specific timelines for when individual claims will be reviewed and settled.
- Policy changes, beneficiary changes, ownership changes, cancellations and some disbursement requests may require manual or offline processing.
- Member/customer service representatives may have limited access to account information and may be unable to confirm the status of individual transactions, requests, payments or policy updates.
- One-time telephone payments and certain paper billing functions remain unavailable.
- Some transactions may take longer than normal because they require additional review or are being handled manually.
- Some services continue to operate through interim processes while TruStage restores longer-term servicing and operational capabilities.
TruStage said the latest communication was intended to provide credit unions with more practical guidance as systems return to service.
The company said it plans to continue updating credit union partners as additional capabilities become available.
