Complacency Does Not Equal Claim Success!
The definition of “complacency” taken from the Webster Dictionary is: ‘self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.’ “If I don’t challenge my insurance company or make waves,...
The Standard’s Questionnaires – A Cautionary Tale
I had an opportunity to review one of The Standard’s questionnaires, and like many other insurers’ forms, exceeds the limits of insurance investigation in a deceptive way. As always the wolf is hiding in sheep’s clothing in order to mislead insureds...
Treating Physicians Demanding Functional Capacities Evaluations
Part of the “new normal” for 2020, already evidenced by several claims I’ve reviewed, is the recent tendency of treating physicians refusing to complete “Functional Capacity” sections on update forms without the result of formal FCEs....
Surveillance Under Way – Be Sensible And Watchful
Several insureds have recently reported to me that they either are, or have been, investigated by insurance surveillance agents. In one instance, surveillance investigators went right up the insured’s door, knocked and demanded to be let in. This situation put...
“I’ll Take A Lawn Chair And A Beachball”
Here is another article I wrote about Unum’s history of paying claims. Unum’s history is a matter of public record now, and is nothing to be particularly proud of. All corporations provide employees with some type of incentives whether in the form of...
Insurance Companies Do Not Advocate For You
One of the issues I was made aware of in 2019 and more recently is the ongoing trend of claimants and insureds to consult claims handlers for advice on how to manage their claims. “I need to stop working” four months from now, can you explain to me what...
Unum’s Release Point – Out Of Plan One Week Timelines?
Two of the most important ERISA Group Plan provisions require claimants to submit medical and all requested information “at their own expense” and “within 30-45 days of it being requested.” This is very much a standard provision in all group...
DCS Clients – Please Read My Emails!
Just a reminder that I sent out a DCS, Inc. client email that is very important for 2020. Please open and read all of my emails, but this one in particular is very important for you to know. If you are a client and did not receive my most recent email, please let me...
Where Do We Go From Here? Take The High Road To Success!
There are now 2185 posts in 184 categories on Lindanee’s Blog. DCS, Inc. has 216 followers for the blog, and 226 for comments. On an average day 1,000 articles are read. I think it’s fair to say that nearly every topic connected with disability claims has now been...
“Where The Heck Did You Get That From? An Editorial by Linda Nee
So many insureds with disability claims are pulling Plans and policies from aging boxes in their attics and are attempting to make sense of what they say. Unfortunately, insurance policies have never been known to be “self-explanatory” and therefore there...
Ending 2019 On A Positive Note
Here we are within a week or so of a new year. I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone the best of holidays and a Merry Christmas! Although it is very hard at times to keep focused on the positive when it comes to disability claims, the truth is that...
Unum Managers Coax Others To Send Nasty Messages Through DCS Website
Today I received four nasty, personally attacking consultation messages through the website from Andrew Paladino, Mike Murphy, Gary Bryan and Jenny Feeley. I really have no idea who these people are since I haven’t worked for Unum in over 20 years and doubt very...
“What Am I Doing Wrong?” Truthfully? OK, Here It Is!
There are literally thousands of disabled insureds who wake up each morning with stress pains in the pit of their stomachs. The uncomfortableness continues the entire day, reaching a crescendo in late afternoon until the insured either picks up the phone to reach the...
“Red Flags” And More Red Flags And Red Flags Again
All insurance companies pinpoint criteria in claims they feel is “suspicious”. Therefore, I thought it a good idea to be clear about situations that cause insurers to off the deep end.Authori Alteration and/or white out appears on the claim...
Incontestability And IDI Claims
Incontestability provisions in IDI policies actually provide insureds with a time value “statute of limitations” preventing insurers from cancelling policies due to misrepresentations at the time of underwriting. Additionally, incontestability...
IDI Insureds – You Can’t Just Stop Working………
One of the most common mistakes among IDI insureds is that they take themselves out of work on their own volition without having a documented treating physician’s buy-in. If this were possible most insureds with IDI policies could stop working whenever they...
Daily Buzz – 4th Qtr. “What’s Going On?”
The Standard just denied a ME/CFS claim using the age old argument of “subjective and self-report.” The recommendation to deny was made by a sole internal medical reviewer who stated, “there was no testing or objective evidence to prove the...
Unum’s Christmas Grinch
The beginning of December is hell month for Unum’s claims handlers as managers push the stress overload buttons to deny more claims. Anyone who has ever worked as a Unum claims handler will tell you it’s best to quit on October 1st and come back after the...
No Resignations – Ever….Ever….Ever….Ever
The most popular posts on Lindanee’s Blog are the articles I wrote dealing with “Resignations”. I know I must have published at least 5 articles about the subject and yet people seem to continue to ask questions about “resigning to go out on...
The Internet – “Relying On Worst Case Scenarios?”
Does anyone remember when information was presumed to be accurate when it “was written in a newspaper?” I know my father used to say, “Of course it’s true, it’s right here in the paper.” Clearly, that’s not true today, and...
