Unum Insurance Gives Heart Patient One Day’s Notice of Termination

Byron was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition in 2007 that required a cardiac defibrillator to be permanently implanted in his chest. Living in Fort Worth, Texas, he made his living as a construction worker and forged ahead in this demanding environment post-surgery. He continued for two years, happy to have a secure contract with a school district, until his doctor told him he just wasn’t able to work any longer. It wasn’t safe and the work was taking a toll on his health. Byron didn’t want to stop working, but he followed his doctor’s orders.

Byron is one of many people who had Unum disability and life insurance. After his doctor diagnosed him as permanently disabled, Byron applied for long-term disability (LTD) with Unum. Unlike other Unum victims, Byron says at first it was easy to file and get payments. However, after six months he began receiving relentless calls from Unum. For two years, Unum representatives hounded Byron, asking when he was going back to work and claiming they had “heard” he was healthy. When Byron asked where they got that information, they just laughed, he says.

Byron’s Stressful Unum Experience

On the same day that Byron’s cardiologist scheduled a stress test, Byron found out that his monthly Unum check had mysteriously dropped from $1,400 to $800. Byron called Unum right away and was told it was their mistake — a simple computer error. He was also told it would be corrected immediately. Before hanging up, the Unum representative mentioned casually that this was also Byron’s last day of receiving benefits and there would be no additional payments made.

According to Unum, they had somehow received a note from Byron’s doctor saying that Byron was healthy enough to work, and they also knew there were jobs in Fort Worth that matched Byron’s skills. The next day, Byron’s cardiologist told him his heart was only functioning at 25 percent compared to the previous 45 percent. His doctor had never sent any information to Unum besides updates reiterating he is permanently disabled.

Byron Fights Back

Not only did Byron want a copy of this alleged “cleared letter,” his cardiologist wanted one, too. When Byron called Unum back and demanded copies, the representative started screaming and cursing at him. Byron never got copies of the letter. He reached out to his previous HR manager who handles Unum and other insurance policies for employees. She told Byron an insurance agency has to give someone at least 30 days’ notice of termination and managed to reach someone higher up than Byron could.

The next day, he got a call from Unum “begging him” to brush everything under the rug. During this call, the rep slipped that they hadn’t received any test results to determine Byron’s health either way. Byron sadly isn’t alone. There are countless Unum horror stories like his.

Are You a Unum Victim?

Unum has a history of using illegal means to deny or stop benefits to policy holders with legitimate disability insurance claims. If you believe Unum treated you unfairly, you might have a Unum legal claim.

Discover what next steps you can take at the Unum/UnumProvident Disability Insurance Claim Denial Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Once you submit your information, an attorney will be in touch if you have a case to further discuss your Unum claim review.