Unum Pushes GENEX Sign-On – Just Say “No”
According to recent information Unum is once again pushing its SSDI third party vendor, GENEX, so that it can benefit from exchanges of SSDI information without coaxing claimants to sign separate Authorizations to obtain SSDI files. Of course, GENEX is sold by Unum as...
Friday Q & A
Why am I not getting any update forms and checks on time? Insureds continue to think that insurance companies are operating under maximum efficiency when they definately are not. Not getting expected annual update forms and/or benefit checks on time is scaring quite a...
FYI About Phone Calls
Since it is recommended that insureds not speak with insurance representatives directly on the phone, I’m hearing that many people are picking up the phone because the caller ID is not the name of an insurance company, but a personal number. This is because most...
Thank You So Much!
I wanted to say a very heartfelt thank you to the person or persons who sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The card read: Linda, “We are incredibly fortunate to have you as our knowledgeable guide and tireless defender. You are simply the best at what you do....
Friday Q & A
What does 20% disability mean? All disability Plans and policies are referred to as “income replacement” meaning there must be at least a 20% income loss in order to be eligible for benefits. Looking at this another way, insureds may not earn in excess of...
DCS Objectives Involves Specific Successful Strategies
Prompted by one of the blog comments I received this week, I thought I’d take a moment to explain what the overall objectives of DCS, Inc. are and why I post the types of articles and subjects I do. First, let me say that I am aware that we are now living in a...
You Are Not In Control Of The Claims Process
One of the most hurtful aspects of disability is the knowledge that patients no longer have control over what’s happening to them. The loss of “personal power” can be devastating as insureds begin to realize they can’t control their inability...
Be Aware – Unum Grossly Misrepresents Policy Provisions
Unum Group and its claims representatives have been misrepresenting policy provisions for quite some time, particularly when it comes to the older policies where “rights and privileges” can be read into nearly every provision in bad faith. There is one...
Thank You For the Sunflower Bouquet
Would the person who sent me a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers please send me an email and let me know you sent them. Although a card was attached, there was no sender name. I want to be sure to thank you personally for the beautiful gift of flowers. I am very...
Unum Complaints With Commentary
Sherry of Spokane July 15, 2020 My husband was involved in motorcycle accident that had STD through UNUM through a company he has been working for, for 28years. He has never used this benefit unit his accident. He was out of work for 3.5 months and had to use his...
No Doc To Doc Calls Allowed!
Disability insurance companies have been in business a long time and have learned what works for profitability and what doesn’t. Let’s give them credit for the “learning curve” and resulting strategies that have produced profit time after time,...
Unum – You Really DO Need To Smarten Up!
One of the more interesting cases that was brought to my attention today involved an individual who filed a Unum behavioral STD claim and had to wait 5 weeks for a decision. The claim went smoothly until Unum reassigned the claim to a rude, argumentative, and...
Are Insurers Back To Normal? Hell No!
Most insureds I’ve had the chance to speak to are treating updates and demands from insurers for other things as if the system has entirely returned to normal. I called MetLife yesterday on behalf of a client and it took me twenty minutes to find out that my...
A Cautionary Tale – Exceeding Medical Restrictions Can Be Costly, Very Costly
Over the years I’ve written many articles about restrictions and limitations and what can happen if an insurance company observes, and records, insureds exceeding restrictions, thereby demonstrating work capacity. As always, some insureds receive what I say...
Comment Worth Front Page
I received the following comment concerning one of Unum’s Physicians. Insureds should check out the stated credentials of those reviewing their claims. Excellent comment, and thank you! After repeated research, it appears Ms. Maribelle R. Kim, DO, an UNUM...
Calls From Non-Clients
This is a reminder to non-clients who call DCS, Inc. with questions. I will try to return your call, but I no longer have the time to keep trying to call you back more than once. If you wish to speak to me, please inform my answering service of a time when you will be...
Long Term Care Resources – Problematic
At one time Long-Term Care insurance (LTC) was the fastest growing new block of business sold to the elderly. Insurers such as Unum and Mass Mutual quickly designed LTC packages that potentially bolstered profits while Group STD/LTD was in an unprofitable downslope....
Unum’s Team Approach?
An insured called me the other day to tell me he was told by a Unum representative that Unum was now using the “team approach” to manage claims and he could speak with any claim representative, possibly not the same one all the time. I’m not sure I...
Prudential’s IME And Patient Note Insanity
It came to my attention the other day that Prudential is scheduling IMEs in October. Personally, I have no idea what management is thinking since not even Prudential has a crystal ball as to what will be happening 3 months from now. It may be that management is...
What’s Up Doc?
If the physician medical documentation and reports I’ve been reading lately is typical for treating physicians these days, claimants/insureds may have a problem keeping their benefits paid in the future. Not only are physicians spending less and less time...
