When will my insurance company leave me alone?

[macduffy]

I've been approved for CCPD for about 2 years now and have been on LTD for about 4. I'm constantly having to provide paperwork and check in with my case worker (6 to 8 weeks). I'm 36, so they have been paying me since I've been 32, and my plan covers me until 65.

When will they stop bugging me so frequently? I have bipolar 2 with a bunch of other stuff (anxiety, eating disorders, etc.) and I have yet to reach a period of stability for more than 4 months. I just need a break from them. Do they ever back off? The red tape to get paperwork filled out within an impossible time frame is stressful as is their constant threat to cut me off because my Dr. hasn't returned their forms in on time.

[uni]

Hi macduffy. I can relate to how you must feel. How ironic that collecting disability insurance causes us more stress, which in turn contributes to feeling sick.

I'm not sure there's a clear answer to when they'll stop bugging you more frequently. I don't know the ins and outs of CPPD, but when I dealt with private insurers in the past, six to eight weeks (or even less) sounds about right. Mind you, I wasn't on long term, which may make a difference. Are they sort of "taking turns" bugging you or is it always the same one? For some reason it seems to me that CPPD isn't supposed to be as bad as the private insurers, but I could be wrong.

I don't know what sort of relationship you have with your doctor. It helps if he/she is aware of the urgency to return forms on time. Some doctors need reminders of that.

There are forum members more knowledgeable than me about this sort of thing. Hopefully they will see your post and shed some light on the situation. Meanwhile, I'll pass on what my boyfriend used to say to me when I was going though this type of thing: "Remember, you're dealing with a "faceless corporation". Which helped me take it a little less personally.

I don't know if I've been of much help, but that's all I can come up with right now. It may be cold comfort, but guaranteed, you're not alone in dealing with this sort of thing.

[Fighting back]

Sorry, but I can't provide anything very comforting. Insurance is a business and they intend to make a profit. As a claimant, you represent an expense they would like to minimize. Their process is geared towards more physical causes of disability, like losing a limb. Dealing with a long term illness that likely will not ever be considered cured is outside their level of risk acceptance. They believe you will recover and they are trying to determine the point at which you will be considered as such. Constant monitoring is their tool of choice.

Is this the LTD provider or CPPD that is requesting? I'll agree with Uni that the private insurers tend to be more aggressive. One nasty feature I discovered when I fell ill is that the private insurer would tell you that coverage lasted till 65, but their plan is that they would cover you till you till the CPPD kicked in, then their contribution would end. I don't have a lot of good to say about insurance companies.

The stress this puts on you is real and it comes at the time you are least able to deal with it. I walked away from these so called benefits because I perceived the process as being damaging. I was fortunate enough to have enough savings to see me through, but existence is pretty much poverty level. That too can become very stressful, but I chose the lesser of two evils.

[macduffy]

Thanks guys!

Sorry, my post is a bit jumbled. It's the insurance company who is bugging me constantly. Once approved for CPPD I never heard from them again.

I thought that once I had CPPD approval the Insurance Co. would back off. They pay me less now (they reduced my benefit by the amount of my CPPD payment) AND the Federal Government has stated - I am disabled. How can they argue with them? I'm just shocked they can still harass people like this.

[paul m]

Hello MacDuffy. I can sympathize with you on this matter having been through the grinder myself. Please note that in no way is the following a criticism of you or anyone else. Nor am I saying that insurance companies are fair in their dealing with people. It's just my opinion of how insurance companies often work.(and doctors)

How frequently an insurance company (or CPPD for that matter) requests information is often a matter of what the doctor put down. If the doctor put down permanently disabled, they are less likely to ask for as many updates. If a doctor puts down unknown as the length of time you will be disabled, you will be bugged far more often for updates.

Another major difference between CPPD and LTD is that CPPD offers very little in the way of help to get better or retrained(there is some help with retraining, but it's limited). Perhaps your LTD doesn't either, but most LTD's expect that when possible, the person will make every effort to return to work in some capacity. In that respect, most LTD plans will try and get you to try different methods to get better or to retrain for another job. Also almost all LTD's have a 24 mth clause that say for the first 24mths you only have to be unable to work at your regular job, but after 24 mths you can be made to work at any job you may be reasonably able to do(whether any such jobs exist or not). So the insurance companies often really start to go after people once the 24 mths have expired.

However it usually comes down to what the doctor sez. A lot of doctors are not very good at filling out forms properly, especially insurance company forms. CPPD gives the docs a very specific guideline to follow.

I know how frustrating it is to sit and wait on a doctor to fill out a form. My GP charges $50 a form and he can still take too long to fill out the form. I also know how much the uncertainty of waiting for the doc to fill out the form and then waiting for the insurance company to approve benefits or not can fill us with unneeded stress and dread.

I know that I haven't gave you any real help, other than to say, bug the heck out of your doctor to get the forms in on time, especially if he is getting paid for form filling. You might also ask your worker if they are paying to have the forms filled out or not, some LTD plans do and that is all the more reason for your doctor to act quickly on your behalf. Good Luck and Take Care. paul m

[Briicol]

It's really unfortunate that for disabled people respect is not there from insurance companies. The most disturbing fact is that they make so many millions of dollars every year from our backs and they still show no gratitude. The only way to deal with such issues is to choose wisely your insurance provider in the first place. Most of them are really clever and advertise themselves in such a way that you think they are the best when the reality is most of the time different. One of the few ways I have found useful is to check on blogs like lifeinsuranceblog.net what are the obligations and which providers score better for us disabled people.

[AJ]

Welcome to the forum Briicol.

[uni]

Hello Briicol, and welcome! I hear you. I had an excruciating time with insurance when I was off work due to serious depression. Unfortunately I was at my lowest ebb when trying to deal with them. Thank heaven for the people who stepped up on my behalf. Checking the web wasn't an option back then, but at least now you can educate yourself a bit more if you feel up to it.

[Sativea]

Hello, didn't you try to change your insurance company. I know many guys in a similar situation. Most of them just changed the insurance company that provided the services. Search on the internet. There are a lot of different excellent companies that might offer their services for a pretty good price. You can take a look at ***************. Here you can choose between the best and most reliable companies working in this field.

[minwalles]

Maybe you should change your approach to such companies because you should understand that this is a business, and they provide you services and be sure that it isn't done in vain. I think you should accept this fact and you'll feel a lot better every time they bother you. You can also change them to Medicare supplement plans and use the plan that works best for you, so you don't have to worry as much. Also, try to talk to them to understand what they want from you and that the company understands what services you expect from them. Then I assure you that you'll feel much more comfortable.