To file a Franklin Madison claim form, call the administrator’s service line at 1-855-343-8069 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central) or go to fmservice.com and click “Request Claims Assistance” from the homepage. There is no single universal form to download. The packet you need depends on which insurance product your bank or credit union enrolled you in, so identifying your coverage is the first real step.
Getting the Right Form
Franklin Madison administers supplemental insurance sold through banks, credit unions, and membership organizations, and each product line uses its own claim packet. Because of that, the company does not post a single public download. Call 1-855-343-8069 and tell the representative what type of claim you need to file. They will send the correct form and tell you which supporting documents to gather.
You can also start online. The “Request Claims Assistance” link on fmservice.com sits on the homepage before the login screen, so you don’t need an existing account to use it.1Franklin Madison. Log In to Your Account Some partner credit unions route claim inquiries through franklin-madison.com/contact-us/.
Identifying Your Coverage
Filing the wrong form for your product slows everything down, so confirm what you actually have before you start. The main product lines Franklin Madison administers include:
- Hospital Accident Insurance, which pays benefits after an accident-related hospital stay.
- Recuperative Care Plan, which pays a daily cash benefit during recovery in a medical facility.
- Accident Expense Coverage, which reimburses out-of-pocket costs from an accidental injury.
- Critical Illness and Injury Insurance, which pays a lump sum after diagnosis of a covered condition or qualifying injury.
- Life Insurance and AD&D, which pays death benefits or benefits for specific physical losses caused by an accident.
Franklin Madison also administers a Property and Casualty suite for some institutions.2Franklin Madison. Accident and Illness Insurance Suite
To find your product name and policy number, check your monthly bank or credit union statement. The premium deduction usually shows a program name or plan code. Your original enrollment packet has a certificate of insurance inside it that lists your coverage type, benefit limits, exclusions, and policy number. That policy number is the primary identifier Franklin Madison uses to locate your account, and you will need it on the form.
Documents to Gather Before You Start
Every claim, regardless of type, asks for your full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, current mailing address, phone number, and policy number. What you attach on top of that depends on the claim.
For a death benefit claim under life insurance or AD&D:
- A certified death certificate. Most insurers require at least one original certified copy, not a photocopy.
- An autopsy or coroner’s report when the cause of death is accidental or under investigation.
- A police report when the death involved a vehicle accident, workplace incident, or any event where law enforcement responded.
- Proof of beneficiary status, such as a copy of the certificate of insurance naming you, or other documentation of your relationship to the insured.
For accident or illness claims (hospital accident, recuperative care, accident expense, critical illness):
- An attending physician’s statement, which is a form your doctor completes describing diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
- Itemized hospital or medical bills with procedure codes and dates of service, not just summary totals.
- Proof of hospital admission and discharge dates. Daily benefit calculations for hospital accident and recuperative care claims depend on these.
- A police or incident report when the injury resulted from a car accident or other documented event.
Assemble the full packet before you fill out anything. Incomplete submissions are the most common reason claims stall. Franklin Madison will send a request for whatever is missing, and your file sits idle until you respond.
Filling Out the Form
Every Franklin Madison claim form has sections for claimant information, policy details, a description of the event, and an authorization for the administrator to verify records with medical providers, employers, or law enforcement. A few things tend to trip people up.
Match your dates, locations, and event descriptions to your supporting documents exactly. If the police report says March 12 and you write March 13 on the form, that inconsistency flags the file for follow-up. Stick to what the documents say and don’t editorialize.
Sign the medical authorization. That section lets Franklin Madison contact your doctors and hospitals directly to verify records. If it’s blank or unsigned, verification can’t happen and the claim stalls.
Sign and date every signature line. If the claimant is deceased or incapacitated, a legal representative signs, meaning an executor, power of attorney, or court-appointed guardian. An unsigned form is returned automatically during intake.
Submitting the Packet
Franklin Madison’s claims operations are based in Franklin, Tennessee. The specific mailing address is printed on the form itself or given to you when you request the packet. If you’re sending sensitive originals like a certified death certificate, use certified mail with return receipt so you have proof of delivery.
Once the packet arrives, an initial review confirms that required fields are filled and basic documentation is present. According to one partner credit union’s FAQ, claims are processed within five business days of the administrator receiving complete documentation at its Franklin, Tennessee office, after which the claim is forwarded to the underwriter for a benefits determination.3Hughes Federal Credit Union. Accidental Death and Dismemberment – How Long Will It Take to Process My Claim The underwriting review itself varies with complexity. Clean, well-documented claims move faster than those needing follow-up verification.
If Franklin Madison sends a request for additional records or a medical release during the review, respond quickly. Files that go silent can be moved to inactive status, and reopening one means restarting the process.
Approved claims are paid by mailed check or electronic transfer to the bank account on file, depending on policy terms and what the financial institution supports. If your mailing address or bank account has changed since enrollment, update it before the claim is finalized so the payment actually reaches you.
If Your Claim Is Denied
A denial letter cites the specific policy provisions or exclusions behind the decision. Read it carefully. Common reasons include events falling under an exclusion (such as injuries involving alcohol or drug use), the loss not meeting the policy’s definition of a covered event, missing documentation, or a policy that lapsed for unpaid premiums.
Appeal rights depend on how the coverage was set up. If your policy was offered through your employer or another group plan governed by federal law, the Department of Labor’s regulations apply, and those plans must provide a grievance and appeals process for participants seeking benefits.4U.S. Department of Labor. ERISA Federal regulations give claimants at least 180 days from the date on the denial letter to file an internal appeal.5eCFR. 29 CFR 2560.503-1 – Claims Procedure Miss that window and the case is effectively closed regardless of circumstances.
Once you file, the insurer generally has 45 days to issue a decision, with one possible 45-day extension under special circumstances.5eCFR. 29 CFR 2560.503-1 – Claims Procedure Use the appeal window to strengthen your evidence: additional medical records, a more detailed physician’s statement, or anything that directly addresses the reason for denial. Federal courts reviewing a later lawsuit generally limit their review to what was already in the administrative file, so the appeal stage is your main chance to build the record.
Not every Franklin Madison policy falls under federal group rules. If your coverage was enrolled individually through a direct-mail offer from your bank, state insurance regulations govern the appeal process instead, and timelines vary. The denial letter should tell you which set of rules applies to your case.