Still the largest disability insurer in both the United States and the United Kingdom, Unum Group has had a long history of allegations against it relating to its claim practices.
Unum Group includes a series of companies that were acquired as a result of a merger between Unum Corporation and The Provident Companies of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Those companies primarily include:
•Unum US;
•Unum UK; and
•Colonial Life.
Underwriters primarily include:
•Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company; and
•The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company.
There are a number of other companies that the insurance group has either purchased an interest in or administers claims for, in addition to the above companies—including disability policies with New York Life Insurance.
In the last 3-6 months, Unum has begun to scrutinize claims it has been paying for many years. They have been terminating those claims, most likely due to concerns about profitability.
Historically, Unum has been accused of budgeting the claims process, which, in essence, involved simultaneously approving new claims while terminating existing claims. They would define these new claims as recoveries, in order to meet their Wall Street projections.
It appears that there is a new person in charge on the individual claims side that is engaging in a scorched-earth policy: terminating existing long-term disability claims, and making it increasingly difficult to reopen claims that have been denied or terminated.
Your benefits may be in serious jeopardy if you’ve recently gotten an increased level of claims activity on your existing long-term disability claim. The scrutiny typically comes in the form of requests:
•for medical or psychiatric evaluation;
•to fill out detailed claim forms;
•for information from your doctor;
•for detailed financial information; and/or
•to meet with an insurance company representative—a field interview.
If you have an existing policy with one of the Unum companies, and you feel as if you are getting the type of scrutiny described above, or have had your claim denied or terminated, you need to take action to protect your rights.
We have been handling claims and lawsuits against Unum for 20 years successfully. Contact us today. We are here to help.
Evan S. Schwartz
Founder of Schwartz, Conroy & Hack
800-745-1755
ESS@schwartzlawpc.com