sun life financial disability insurance complaints

Sun Life seems to like to write long denial letters, which can be more than 20 pages long. However, a closer look at the reports shows that these peer review facilities are basically insurance-paid “farms” that are generating shoddy graphs and narrative reports to support Sun Life’s denial of claims. At first glance, the reports issued by these peer reviewers appear to be credible. Unlike other major disability insurance companies, Sun Life seems to have hired very limited internal claims handlers, preferring instead to rely on cheap outsourcing of peer reviewers. Sun Life has been known to be aggressive in claim terminations. Claimants have reported that after declining a lump sum settlement offer they received a letter from Sun Life advising that Sun Life was investigating the claim to determine if the claimant was still disabled under the terms and conditions of the policy. However, Sun Life has terminated benefits in the past when the claimant declined a lump sum settlement offer. Many claimants who receive this offer decline because they would rather receive the full value of their benefits paid over a period of time.

That means the claimant is offered a lump sum of money that is less than the total value of the claim in exchange for no more future payments. Sun Life may offer a “low ball” lump sum settlement to “wash out” or “buy back” the policy. Sun Life May Cut-Off Benefits If You Do Not Accept a Low Ball Settlement Offer Other language used in the denial may state that the medical evidence does not document the presence of conditions physical, psychological, or cognitive in nature of such severity that the claimant could not continue to perform his or her occupation. After Total or Partial Disability benefits combined have been paid for 24 months, the Employee will continue to be Totally Disabled if he is unable to perform with reasonable continuity any Gainful Occupation for which he is or becomes reasonably qualified for by education, training or experience.Ī typical denial letter will say something to the effect that it is denying benefits because of “insufficient objective evidence to substantiate” a disability that keeps the claimant from performing his or her job duties. Under a typical LTD policy, disability occurs when: uring the Elimination Period and the next 24 months, the Employee, because of Injury or Sickness, is unable to perform the Material and Substantial Duties of his Own Occupation. Many employees participate in a group policy of long term disability insurance issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Sun Life).

Sun life financial disability insurance complaints