LTD claims and insurance companies

[bhm]

I've found the process of being "decommissioned" and put on leave almost as dehumanizing and traumatic as anything eles. I f*cking struggled and worked hard to get where I was, paid my union dues and above and beyond put in my time and feel like I've been tied up and kicked in balls a millon times by the insurance company that handles our claims, to the point where I had to go no contact with them, giving my clinician autherization to handle communication with them. Now they're f*cking with me again because I got denied by government based pension plan to kick into my payments because I made the mistake of saying I was hopeful to be able to return to work at some point, not like tomorrow, but at somepoint, now the f*cking insurance company is delaying my payments, again, while they scrutinize wether they feel I'm still eligiable for payments, I suppose there are still a few days left this month but now all I can think about is not being able to make scheduled bill payments again or pay my rent and being homeless again, I wouldn't wish this mess on my worst enemy, how the f*ck I am I supposed to make progress when I have to worry about shit like this. f*ck you insurance companies, I wish I could drag you into my world for a bit.

 

[bhm]

I guess I'm a f*cking idiot for telling the government I had goals of recovery and hoped to be able to return to work, AT SOME POINT! I suppose you're NOT supposed to take a pro active approach to therapy and just say you're a broken f*ck and are useless. the person that ultimately called me from the government was a registered clinician, and actually really good, super informed about trauma, and care, we talked about where I was In my treatment and what my goals were, it was an almost two hour conversation. I made a deal with myself, when I was batshit crazy after I had my collapse that I would be honest about everything this time with everyone, so maybe I could actually get proper care and maybe try and put all this shit behind me. Which has actually been working out well aside from the, INSURANCE COMPANY! I feel like an idiot now for trying to be positive and honest.

 

[somerandomguy]

That sucks! Insurance companies aren't on our side, that's for sure.

 

[bhm]

The only reason I even got my claim was because the last shrink I got sent to, by insurance company, that I had to travel about 600klics/350mls? To get to, from a bush camp, two islands out in the in the pacific, with no where to stay so I had to walk around all night til I found a roof I could crash on, broke, because my claim hadn't kicked yet and I'd already been off for almost a year and just started getting basic walfare payments because someone I knew let me use their address, that was delight trying to set that up while I was in total psycological meltdown,.. After a three and half hour session the psychiatrist was at the least visibaly shaken and assured me they would do whatever they could to get my claim put through, it took another 4 months after that for it go through and only because I had a good clinician I got hooked up with just after that who who took over dealing with the insurance company for me, if it wasn't for that I probably would have been denied.

 

[bhm]

I suppose to try and put a positive spin on this, if anyone is looking for information on the process of dealing with union LTD claims and inurance companies, and what to expect, I'm a wealth of resources. Good luck people, I hope you have a better time than I did ?

 

[blackemerald1]

Hey @bhm - I feel your frustration! I have an ongoing claim with an insurance company & I too have a wealth of knowledge but I'd rather be blissfully ignorant bc my path to this knowledge has caused me so much unnecessary pain & stress.
There really has to be a better way!

 

[shimmerz]

To get to, from a bush camp, two islands out in the in the pacific, with no where to stay so I had to walk around all night til I found a roof I could crash on, broke, because my claim hadn't kicked yet and I'd already been off for almost a year and just started getting basic walfare payments because someone I knew let me use their address, that was delight trying to set that up while I was in total psycological meltdown,..

This is traumatic. No maybe's about it.
Most people who work have no idea that this is the system they are paying into. That they will be just as f*cked if they have to tap into the system along the way.
On the upside, it isn't personal. On the downside, it continues to happen.

 

[bhm]

I got nothing eles on this, I spent my whole life on and off the street, being funcrional to the degree of working any shit job i could to survive, and only became a part of the machine after a rather succseslf attempt at getting clean after almost a year in the hospital and another on dialysis after o.d.ing on bad heroin, I'm far from knowing what the system is like and perhaps naive to think that I would be supported in crisis, seeing as I was working for a harm reduction low barrier housing first non profit org, yes I get it's not personal, I just find it f*cked that a government employee health care union stress claim is overseen by f*cking capitalistic vampires hell bent on denying the validity of your claim and in trying to do so try to make you jump hoops a trained show dog with have stress with when you're going through crisis, just to see how badly you fail, thats all I got on this,

 

[blackemerald1]

Hey @bhm the only thing an insurance company is interested in - is there their own profits. They are not actually worried about you at all. You are a number, you are a calculated risk, your employer pays money or possibly you do within your wage structure and they invest that money against any liability ie you being injured.

But every insurance company has it's Achilles heel. It may be embedded in worker's rights legislation, the charter of insurance, human rights etc., They cannot just screw you over and over if you have an accepted claim...well they can but they are just pushing you to see if you will give up. Lots of people give up and move on. That's a big win for insurance companies.

Of course they will try and screw you over and it is really difficult to not take it as a personal affront because it effects you so personally.

Please don't get down about it because that is just exactly what they really want. If you get down, then they push a little harder and you may crumble and withdraw or stop pushing for your rights.

So get angry and be proactive about your rights.

Get yourself a lawyer, go to a tribunal or find someone who can represent/support you and push back. I did and though it always seem's to be the sleeping bloody monster that rises ups and presents me with a problem - when I least need to deal with them, they have been sat back on the butt's each time.

My anxiety and stress levels really peak when having to push back against their stupid decisions etc., so take very good care of yourself and again put your 'I mean business' mind into gear when dealing with them rather than your emotional brain. I don't always succeed but it generally lessens the impact of each episode.