Q. How will I know if my organization is still working with Equifax or has transitioned to Thomas & Company (T&C)?
A. Once the state processes your power of attorney (POA), they will start sending your claim documents to T&C instead of Equifax. When you receive an email notification that you have a claim to review in SHIELD (T&C’s platform that is replacing Equifax’s CaseBuilder), you will know that you have officially transitioned from Equifax to T&C (from CaseBuilder to SHIELD).
Q. Will I have to log into two different systems to manage my claims?
A. It is possible that you could still have a claim to finish completing within CaseBuilder by the time you receive your first SHIELD notification. However, once you complete those claims within CaseBuilder, you shouldn’t receive any more notifications. If you continue to receive claims in both portals, please let us know. This likely means that the state has missed updating the address somewhere in their system and we will need to address this with them.
Q. What training will be offered?
A. There are seven (7) live webinar trainings designed specifically for you. Your staff can attend any, and as many, of these sessions that you like. Click here to see the schedule of trainings. There are also recorded tutorials if you prefer. Click here to access the tutorials. You can also access the tutorials at any time by logging into SHIELD and clicking on “Reference Materials” located in the left menu.
Q. What do I do if I receive an unemployment claim directly from the state?
A. If you receive an unemployment claim and you are still working with Equifax, you can forward the claim to your Equifax Claims Consultant as usual. If you have started working with T&C, then you can forward any claim documents to claims@thomas-and-company.com or upload them in SHIELD.
Q. What do I do if I receive a call from a State Agency regarding an unemployment claim?
A. Our unemployment partners will handle all inquiries from the state agencies. If you are still working with Equifax, redirect the state to contact them. If you have started working with T&C, you can redirect the state to T&C or you can take down the agent’s name and number and pass the message to your Claims Consultant for handling.
Q. Will there be any changes to the unemployment billing and payment process once we move to T&C?
A. No, the billing and payment process will remain the same. T&C, through SHIELD, will handle the claims administration piece that Equifax used to handle through CaseBuilder. If a claim should result in charges to your unemployment account, the bill will still come to us for payment. If you receive a billing statement directly from the state, please forward to 501 as usual.
Q. Who should I reach out to if I need to update the contacts for my organization or request access to CaseBuilder or SHIELD?
A. As always, you can reach out to your Client Relations Specialist at 501, and we will be happy to assist and make sure all the appropriate parties are updated.
Q. Once my organization is transitioned to T&C, how will I obtain claim activity or charge reports?
A. Your reports can be found within the SHIELD platform. Just select the appropriate option in the left menu. If you need assistance, please reach out to 501. We are happy to get that information for you.
Q. Once my organization transitions to T&C, will I lose all my historical claims information?
A. No. We will be porting over 2019, 2020 and 2021 data to the new claims system.
Q. What if I receive the email with my SHIELD credentials and I don’t login within 48 hours?
A. The link to finalize your set up will no longer work. Simply contact the SHIELD support team at portal@thomas-and-company.com or call (800) 310-8546 and a new active email link will be forwarded to you.
Q. What is changing because of this transition?
A. The only process-related changes will be the online system you log into and the Claim Analyst that you work with. We also expect there to be an improvement in the overall user experience.
Q. Will I have a dedicated Claims Analyst like I did with Equifax?
A. Yes. 501 members will have exclusive access to multiple Claim Analysts and a Client Resource Manager. While you will primarily work with a single Analyst you will have access to an entire team and should always be able to reach someone for assistance.
