Friday Q & A
Is using an insurance company website portal a good idea? In my opinion, “No”. I’ve been told that insurers have placed tracking software in the program that follows your computer wherever you go. On the other hand, there are certain things that can...
Sunday Q & A
What do I do when my doctor starts complaining about filling out my disability forms? More and more treating physicians are preferring to “sit on the fence” just short of certifying disability. Or, they just don’t want to bother with the paperwork...
It’s All In Your Head
One of the newer elaborated categories in the DSM-V (2005) is called “somatic symptom disorder.” According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), somatic symptom disorder (SSD) involves one or more...
How To Include Peer Statements In The Record
First, I would like to set some ground rules for such letters since writing the wrong thing is worse than saying the wrong thing. Please pay attention to what I’ve listed below before you attempt to obtain “peer statements” for your file. The letters...
Fee Reduction To December 31st
I’m sure most of us have been watching the deterioration of our economy making it harder and harder to make ends meet. At the same time, insureds and claimants are also watching the aggressive “risk management” insurers are now inflicting...
Is Appealing A Claim Worth it?
Here we are at the end of the 3rd Qtr.and I’ve been receiving more calls than usual about claim denials. This means people are asking for attorney referrals and my advice regarding filing an appeal. I’ve been saying for years now that it is unwise to file...
What Do I Do Now?
In the last few months readers read several posts from me describing the awful claims situations they may find themselves in. If you don’t remember, please review my posts for the last month or so. The question I’m guessing many people have is, “OK...
Unum’s Banker’s Hours
Unum Group has now established closing time as 3 p.m. since no calls will be returned after that time. I was told by one of Unum’s claims handlers that no communication would take place after that time. These short hours may suggest that Unum is understaffed and...
Outrageous Lawyer’ Fees – Don’t Do It!
Most of the attorneys I know, and keep on my referral list, know that I do not support a referral to them unless their fees are reasonable. That is, until recently. With the advent today of more and more claim denials, insureds (not clients necessarily) are asking for...
What Do I Do?
I don’t know where people have gotten the idea that I don’t do Short-Term Disability claims. My state license is for Life & Health Consultant. Therefore, I am a Consultant, in business for those with Group STD and LTD claims, and Individual Disability...
Unum Group – The Company That Stacks The Deck
It has now been over 20 years since a 48-State Commission publicly slapped UnumProvident’s hands for engaging in Unfair Claims Practices. A fine of $15M and a directive to reassess 250,000 claims failed to change the direction of a company that should have met...
The “Objective Evidence” Scam – Important
Yet another ruse used by disability insurers is the scam that alleges that “objective evidence” is required as proof of disability. To begin, let me say that there is no disability Plan or contract on this planet I am aware of that requires...
The Insurance “What Changed?” Defense – Extremely Important
One of the most ridiculous and seemingly unfair tactics of insurance companies is to ask insureds:”Since you have been working with restrictions and limitations in the past, what changed?” The allegation has been used and documented for 25 years with...
Unum Is Out Of Control With Denials
I heard about another Unum denial today and I am so sorry to hear of all the denials that are taking place to garner Unum’s 3rd Quarter profitability. This really brings me back to pre-Multi-State Settlement days and the harm this company caused to thousands of...
Neurology, Unum Group, And Migraine Claims
Lately, the scuttlebutt among legal and consulting circles is that Unum is out of control – again. Personally, I don’t think it’s just Unum, I am of the opinion that all insurers have left the realm of file review sanity. Still, reports of Unum...
Reliance Standard’s Falsehood Agenda
Like most business dealings there are rules which dictate “fair and honest dealings between parties. Although some might think the disability insurance industry doesn’t have any rules, that’s simply not true. ERISA reviews are held to standards of...
Living With A Disability Claim – “I Just Can’t Do This Anymore!”
There is a growing number of insureds and claimants who recently shared with me their frustrations with the disability claims review process after a period of time and working through the system. The requirement of having to submit frequent medical updates, fill out...
Pain – An Ongoing Problem That Hurts
Pain. Although most of us endure the occasional aches and pains of tension headaches, bumps, thumps, bruises, strains and sprains, there are many others who suffer daily chronic pain, which cannot be lessened with over-the-counter remedies such as Tylenol or Advil....
SSDI And Private Disability Insurance Two Different Things
It never ceases to amaze me what insurance companies can come up with to coerce claimants to give up their SSDI files. And, unfortunately, claimants believe what they are told, and do as they are commanded, sometimes to their own demise. First of all, let me say that...
End of 3rd Qtr. Profitability – 30 September
Most of my readers here know that I usually remind everyone of insurance “profitability” time periods to be aware of, but some may not realize why I do that, or what it means. September 30 is the end of the third Quarter, and insurers have been targeting...
