I called Unum today and its voice mail included a notice informing callers that not all COVID-19 claims will be paid. Why would Unum put a notice like that on its menu service?
Obviously, the company is trying to discourage people from filing COVID-19 claims, which actually could cause chaos at Unum.
For example, what if you were tested for COVID-19 and the results were positive but you had no symptoms? Your employer is locked down, you’ve tested positive, but aren’t sick. Does that qualify you for disability? I’d say it does. What if you are sick with COVID-19 and have been asked to stay at home? Yep….disability claim. What if your employer (such as a restaurant) goes out of business are you still covered by LTD coverage. Uh, no you’re not.
There are so many different scenarios that I would think Unum, and all other insurers, would want to encourage questions, not turn people away from filing claims. But, wait for it……..can Unum actually not accept COVID-19 claims, or turn people away from filing? Of course not.
What’s the big deal here? In my opinion, Unum is over run administratively and wants to discourage new COVID-19 claims. Still, a phone menu item is a real seedy way of delivering that message. Leave it up to Unum to be so tacky.
