Few Claims Reviewed Since Unum Settlements

Article

Posted Apr 12, 2007, 09:04 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Unum Group has reviewed fewer than 10 percent of eligible disability cases under legal settlements requiring the disability insurer to reopen 290,000 rejected claims, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The company, called UnumProvident Corp. when it reached the agreements with California regulators in 2004 and 2005, says cases were not reviewed because claimants didn’t request it.

Consumer advocates say claimants are reluctant because they view the resolution process as unfair.

Unum counters that it has made great strides in improving its practices.

"It's public knowledge that UnumProvident was the subject of regulatory scrutiny involving its claims-handling practices, and that our claims practices have changed as a result," says company spokesman Jim Sabourin.