Rudy was born and raised on a farm in South Dakota. For over 80 years, Rudy lived and worked on that farm. He got married and raised three children there. His children eventually grew up and moved away. After 63 years of marriage, Rudy’s wife Lucille passed away. Rudy lived alone on the farm for a while, but his doctor eventually told him that he should move into a nursing home.
Rudy thought he was prepared. Many years back, a senior insurance salesman had persuaded him to sign up for long-term disability insurance. Year after year he paid his premiums on time and in full. After many years of faithfully paying his premiums, Rudy believed the time had come for him to collect the benefits promised him by the insurance company those many years ago. The insurance company paid the long-term disability benefits as promised, but just for a time. After three years, Rudy received a cursory form letter telling him that he had been “rehabilitated” and cut off from further benefits!
According to a recent report from the American Association for Justice entitled, “Standing Up for Seniors: How the Civil Justice System Protects Elderly Americans,” thousands of seniors are in the same situation as Rudy. Insurance companies, who put profits over people, have had their long term disability insurance benefits unfairly denied or cut by insurance companies. According to Mary Beth Senkewicz, a former senior executive at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), “The bottom line is that insurance companies make money when they don’t pay claims. They’ll do anything to avoid paying, because if they wait long enough, they know the policyholders will die.”
Insurance companies are doing everything they can to avoid paying claims as promised, and have promised their employees everything from pizza to doubled income to reduce claims. In addition to form letters telling seniors that their stay in the nursing home had “rehabilitated” them and they should be ready to leave, insurance companies are deliberately mailing the wrong forms and then denying claims on the basis of incorrect paperwork; declaring policyholders to have abandoned the claim if they failed to submit forms within 21 days; withholding payments until the policyholder submits documents not even required under the terms of the policy; locking checks in safes until claimants complain; delaying payments until they are a year late; and disposing of important correspondence during routine “pizza parties.”
Insurance companies calculate that few of their terminated policyholders would ever do anything about it, but some seniors and their attorneys have been successfully challenging these deplorable practices. These cases are helping keep a vigilant watch on insurance companies looking to exploit the nation’s seniors.
If you or a loved one have been denied long-term disability it is important that you consult with an elder abuse attorney, so you can determine the strength of your case and what you may be entitled to. Call Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, your best friends in the legal industry at 800-259-6373. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call the Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys elder abuse attorneys for a free professional evaluation of your rights by attorneys who have been representing victims unfairly denied insurance benefits since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a compassionate and understanding law firm in a comfortable environment.
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