UnumProvident Denied Disability Claims

First Unum: Another Bad Faith Practice

Never mind your physician's diagnosis and when you can return to work. First Unum (formerly Unum Provident) has their own team of doctors to determine if you qualify for disability. And according to one policy holder, the insurance company also has employment counselors who decide which career you are better suited to—should you become disabled and unable to work in your present job. [MORE: UNUM BAD FAITH]

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First Unum’s Doctor Trumps

Lucy was diagnosed with vertigo and First Unum, her medical insurer, recognized it as a valid condition. "My first long-term disability check arrived in January of 2007 and continued until December, 2007," she says, "but Unum denied my claim when their doctor—someone I had never seen—said I could return to work." [MORE: DOCTOR TRUMPED]

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Unum Said They Own all My Social Security

Lu had an accident that destroyed his right shoulder, ruptured a disc in his neck and damaged his other shoulder. As a respiratory therapist, his doctor certified that he was unfit to work. As well, he had four opinions from specialists, all with the same prognosis; nothing could be done. So Lu went on short-term-disability (STD) through his First Unum policy. [MORE: UNUM SOCIAL SECURITY]

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First Unum: Long Term Disability Denial

"First Unum has destroyed me," says Angie Summar, "and by the end of this summer, we will likely be looking at foreclosure on our home." Summar has been denied further long term disability benefits because her doctors changed her diagnosis—from bad to worse. Trouble is, First Unum has their own diagnosis; they say that Summar can go back to work. [MORE: UNUM DENIAL]

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First Unum: Read the Fine Print

Imagine her dismay when Deborah Hamlet got a bill from First Unum, stating that she has to repay $64,000 of her long-term disability benefits because she collected social security benefits. "I read in my policy that once I received social security benefits, my Unum benefit would be reduced, not cut off," she says. [MORE: FIRST UNUM FINE PRINT]

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While the business side of Unum seems to be doing fine, thank you—the ethical side is still taking a hit, with at least one interviewee on BBC back in November suggesting that despite assurances to the contrary, the leopard has yet to change its spots. [MORE: UNUM EARNINGS UP, PAYOUTS DOWN]

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"My Psychiatrist said Unum is Nuts"

Barbara Falco was in a car accident in 2003 and is still suffering today; she is in constant pain. She also had to quit her job as a nurse. Unfortunately, First Unum (formerly Unum Provident) doesn't agree with Falco; they think she just has "anxiety issues" and cut her off long-term disability benefits. [MORE: FIRST UNUM DENIES DISABILITY]

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First Unum: How can they Sleep at Night?

First Unum told Michelle Howard that her injury wasn't severe enough for long term disability benefits—despite her own doctor's reports. Instead, Unum relied on reports from their medical examiner—who didn't even see Howard! [MORE: FIRST UNUM MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS]

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First Unum wasn't Born Evil

"The way this insurance company operates is like saying there is no God," says O'mea. "They have made people's lives a shambles. They have no conscience—they have no intention of paying their claims." [MORE: FIRST UNUM CHANGES]

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First Unum Denies Yet Another Disability Claim

"Unum turned down my claim in May, saying I should have been at work after my colon procedure. I work in a 4x4 cubicle taking phone calls eight hours a day; I was not allowed to get off the phone until the issue was resolved. Some calls could take up to four hours—there was no way I could sit in there with this condition." [MORE: FIRST UNUM INCONSIDERATE OF CLAIMS]

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Unum's Health Insurance Policy Worthless

Tom's employment benefits at a tax software company came with a policy from Unum Insurers, including Long Term Disability. For Tom, the policy wasn't worth the paper it was written on. [MORE: WORTHLESS INSURANCE POLICY]

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Early in 2003, John Harris was hired by a medical company and received a list of benefits that included short term and long term disability provided by First Unum Insurers. When Harris became deathly ill, Unum made good on short term benefits but he is still waiting for long term disability. [MORE: UNUMS MEDICAL RECORD INTERPRETATION]

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UnumProvident Sued for Accessing Personal Files

Most people don't know this, but health insurance companies like UnumProvident can deny claims based on confidential information, even if the claimant has not given permission for that information to be released. [MORE: UNUMPROVIDENT SUED OVER CONFIDENTIAL FILES]

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Termination for Disability Illegal

"Millions of people that innocently buy long term disability insurance through their workplace need to know how insurance companies profit from the misery of others," says Lana Milligan, "and at the same time, have it sanctioned by acts of Congress and our courts." [MORE: UNUM & DISABILITY RIGHTS]

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Unum's Role in Bankrupting Social Security

In what is regarded as an industry-wide practice to nickel-and-dime Social Security even closer to the poorhouse, UnumProvident (now calledUnum) pestered a disability client to apply for Social Security Disability benefits, in an effort to get out of paying her fifty bucks a month. [MORE: UNUM BANKRUPTING]

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Unum Policy: Deny Claims

It's a more common occurrence than people might think: A hard-working, honest person faithfully pays into their disability insurance policy held through Unum Group (formerly UnumProvident). Every month money is deducted from their paycheck to pay for the disability insurance, but the worker is satisfied that their bills will be paid even if they are unable to work for an extended time. [MORE: UNUM FREQUENTLY DENIES CLAIMS]

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Unum Group Reports Healthy Earnings, Despite Denied Claims Reassessments

It would be little consolation to current or former clients of Unum Group (formerly UnumProvident) who have ever had their claims denied, to know that the company has announced healthy earnings for the second quarter, fuelled by record revenue from their Colonial Life division. [MORE: UNUM REPORTS HEALTHY EARNINGS]

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Here are two bits of bad news: the number of disabled workers in the U.S. is on the rise, even as many Americans remain clueless about the financial impact of being struck down with a disability. Meanwhile, insurance giants such as the Unum Group continue to rake in huge bucks. [MORE: PEOPLE UNAWARE OF JOB TERMINATING THREATS]

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