Aetna Disability Insurance Reviews

On November 06, 2017, I received treatment at the Partial Psychiatric Hospitalization Program at the Baltimore Washington Medical Facility from November 06 – November 22, 2017. After waiting for approximately a month for a response to my claim with Aetna, I received an updated notification from my H/R representative that my claim for Short Term Disability had been approved for the period October 19, 2017 – December 04, 2017. To request an extension beyond December 04, 2017 required that I contact both Aetna and my doctor to ensure that the necessary medical documentation was provided in support of an extension. I immediately contacted Aetna to inquire as to why I wasn’t notified directly as to the status update of my claim, and why was the expiration date of December 04, 2017 selected despite my doctor’s insistence that I was unable to return to work for an indefinite period of time.

Aetna responded by stating that “just because the doctor recommends a date doesn’t mean that Aetna agrees.” I inquired as to the medical qualifications of Aetna staff to apparently re-diagnose my condition without having any first-hand knowledge as to the severity of my medical condition. I was instructed to obtain additional medical documentation from my doctor in support of an extension, however was informed that there would not be a guarantee of an approval for an extension. The arduous process of processing my claim with Aetna has only exasperated my condition, coupled with the fact that I have no money coming in and am a single mother of four children. I have demonstrated to Aetna with due diligence, the validity and severity of my medical condition, yet my repeated attempts for support from Aetna are being denied.

That was the first reason why I got denied, finally my SDI kicked in. Aetna continue to deny me, because of that the denial my company I work for drop me from medical insurance (which is against the law being on FMLA) causing me to lose my dr, my addiction treatment classes and also my SDI benefits leaving me no medication for my diabetes. I had to apply for Social Service and family got accepted for Medical. To this day I still been out on disability however never received any assistance from Aetna.

What is due me, is being delayed by Aetna. I bet, down the road, my claim would be denied. Yeah. A double wambam stress. Wondering how their high ranking officials sleep at night? Knowing consumer like me is struggling each day, I am a woman of God. I pray, something GOOD will happen. I will keep on PUSHING. PUSH. PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPEN. What a tangled web we weave.

My therapists has says he has never experienced such a mess of paperwork and lack of communication physically with any other company other than Aetna. You have an alert online where you can submit paperwork directly to your doctor but nowhere to check off what form to send, so then you assume the email was sent with the required form as it gives you an option to send to doctor, then there is another tab under letters that have forms, this comes up where you can forward the form to your doctor but this comes up where it is being sent out of your own mailbox. So now I am not sure if this form is for me to fill out or the same thing that may have been already sent.

To top it off, once you get out of the portal and go back in, the alerts reappear so then you think maybe it was not sent correctly but once you click on the link, it says that a request has been already sent. I would like to know who is going to cover all my bank surcharges and remove any negative impacts on my credit due to receiving payments very late. I normally get paid every two weeks, but right now they are over a month late. Let me try explaining that to my bank and mortgage company, and see how well that goes over.

My second visit to a new pain management dr, he did spinal injections to try and reduce the swelling in the neck, this only lead to him hitting my spinal chord in 3 places leaving me with permanent paralysis on the left side with limited feeling on the torso/hand/arm. I still to date have no feelings on the left side, but yet Aetna says I am able to return to work no problem. I still have MRSA and in the past 3 years have been hospitalized for it, 6 times requiring long stays with IV medication.

How is it that just because one person at Aetna says you are able to work, they tell you to return to work?? When MY physician has stated time and time again that I am 100% disabled?? I take a chance daily by getting in the car to become paralyzed from the waist down should I wreck and the broken plate severs the spinal chord. I am darn sure not going to build airplanes when I do not even have full range of motion nor can I move my neck up and down. I have a child to support and even though the case worker agreed that I could not go back to work, they tried sending me back anyway... AETNA NEEDS NEW PEOPLE, WITH COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING... I have worked my entire life, been a single mother since my kids were small, and didn't ask for handouts. But when I am unable to work and no way to get money but on disability they cancel it. NO ONE will return phone calls or nothing. They are ridiculous.

I read many reviews and experiences from others early in my disability and saw how many problems people were having, and I realized I would need to be very proactive. I did not feel I could rely on the staff of every medical provider I was seeing to get my records to Aetna in a timely manner, if at all. Many of those medical assistants and records people are just snotty. From the very beginning, I took responsibility for collecting every single medical record related to my condition, have them scanned to PDF, and uploaded them to Aetna's online portal, which I found easy to use.

The second thing I did from the beginning was to view my Claim Manager as my ally and built an appropriate relationship with him. There were times I proactively called him with an update after trying a new therapy or interventional procedure. I cooperated with all requests and circled back to make sure he had what he needed. When he prematurely arranged for a return-to-work counselor at Aetna to contact me, I treated her the same and answered every call and every question from her for a few months. I figured she had some input in the disposition of my claim from a different perspective so I was not annoyed by answering the same questions twice.

I asked questions if I didn't understand something about their process. I asked my Claim Manager about his knowledge of my condition and if people he knew had better outcomes than I. When I spoke with him at times that I was in a lot of pain, I let him hear it and didn't hide my crying and frustration that I was not getting better. He was kind, supportive and professional overseeing my claim. He told me the biggest hurdles they have is getting medical records in a timely manner and having the medical condition and course of treatment properly documented.

In addition, he said there are folks who do not follow their doctor's treatment plan which is an issue, and some who doctor-shop to find someone to support their desire for disability. During the first year, I did have a physician treating me who I decided to fire and find someone else because he was not knowledgeable about my condition and was trying to experiment with me. I called my Claim Manager and let him know this in case there was a gap in my treatment records. I hope this information can be helpful to someone else.

To top it all off, Aetna agents have been dismissive, disrespectful, condescending, and rude... And that's when I've been able to get them on the phone. Generally, they ignore my calls, promise to call back, fail to do so. And their online information portal is completely inaccurate and ever changing, showing that my claim is canceled, on hold, suspended, paid, and this cycle continues to change daily. The response I get from the manager of the case working is literally, "Eh, it's our process". Never once did anyone try to help or even apologize or recognize there is a problem.

At this point I am a little confused, because to my knowledge I am PAYING a separate insurance for them to help me in my time of need and not determine whether they can help me based on somebody else providing income to me. So I ask them "if you know the state of NJ provides payments for maternity leave then why would you offer maternity disability to your customers in NJ." (they couldn't answer that question) Then I proceed to ask them what do they offer std for if they are determining their decision on whether one get assistance from somewhere else. (they couldn't answer that) I asked them if they are affiliated with the state or government that they can not provide payments if we get assistance from them. (they said no) So my final question was then what am I paying Aetna for? (and they couldn't answer)

This is an insurance SCAM. It doesn't make any sense. When you pay for a specific insurance and you file a legitimate claim they should pay out because that is what you are paying them for. Regardless if you are receiving assistance form anywhere else. It is frustrating and disappointing and would like the amount of money I paid them since they aren't ever gonna be able to help in this matter, because most disability issues are covered by state or workers comp etc. I have separate insurance with Aflac and they pay out as long as you have all the required paperwork to submit. No questions or restriction on whether you received money from somewhere else. You get what you pay for and that is what insurance should work like.

1 month later letter stating have not received blah blah blah, this happened for 8 months. I told them they had 2 claims opened on same thing. 1 lady was starting a new claim while 1 person started reinstatement case which is the right one. Would not believe me. Would not let me talk to a manager for 6 months. Finally get a hold of manager and he gets it, they were each taking a few papers and so each only had half required documents, manager calls us and says "Well I'm letting you know good news. We put everything from 2 claims and have enough finally to process claim. The right one." Well tells me I'll be paid on following Monday. I have these phone calls recorded as they record also so I did.

And Monday comes no pay. Another month of them saying Monday, next Monday bills 3 months late about to have my wife, daughter and self on street, no money no food, gonna take both vehicles, endless calls and my condition is 10 times worse because this no sleep, couldn't eat, function or anything, sores growing on legs from condition worsening and they say "Sorry we messed up. This is not your fault. I'm sorry. Tell bills to call and I'll tell them uta are fault." Tried that, waste of time, house says "are they gonna pay us if not we don't care." Pretty much how that went.

So much pain, barely walk now again due to way too much unneeded stress. I'd rather be beating down by 20 people stomping on me than go through the pain of CRPS freaking out more than ever due to them not trying to help and listen when I knew what was going on and tried many times to tell them sent letters, online act. all sudden says unauthorised to send messages, but it's perfectly ok for this Aetna company to do this kinda torture to people and THE system looks away, won't help or do what's right. Well we're gonna back pay, that doesn't fix THE late fees, pain and stress and suffering caused to a 13 yr old child and parents, cause they want to treat you like you're trying to scam. Even at one time said wasn't work related, "You already paid me for 9 months while I was trying to go back to work." Are you serious, but lawyer after lawyer says "sorry it wouldn't be worth it."

I wish Fox news and other big journalists would come here and interview and get this out there so someone or something can stop this cause it's over and over to hard working American people. That pay for ins. Like this also. I know it was by far the worst thing ever happened to me in life as and after the pain of hell I went through I hope I just get better and can go work again. CRPS is in the book the Dr's go by considered the worst pain there is, 2nd was cancer. Take that and multiply it by 10 or 100 doesn't matter times I didn't know what was going on. It hurt so bad like a bucket full of lava and you jump into them with bare feet.

These companies need to be stopped. I'm sure there are scammers they will be stopped when they can't get any provider to say they're disabled, don't need an ins. company you pay for that has not been seeing you every 30 days or less or putting huge needles in your spine without any sedation. Or taking you into surgery to insert a spinal stimulator and a huge battery that's at most is gonna probably give you pain relief, mine now is about at 25% relief or so I guess. Telling you "no we don't believe your Dr. That's ridiculous..." That's my opinion on it what else could it be. Someone or something with the knowledge or power to help us hard working families not have to be bullied or treated so wrongfully. Please help. They have numbers of money but it's been proven time and time again numbers in people will get attention.

Updated on 11/16/2017: So I have still up to now been struggling to catch up with what I still do have that I haven't lost. "So we finally got all documents from both claims into one and finally have everything we need to make a decision so you should be paid soon." One of the bosses of a manager I was told anyway. Yeah they paid and started again until 24 months up. It switches to ANY OCCUPATION which is fine. They're supposed to be there to help injured at work employees. They'll do what's best for the insured person who buys their crap in my opinion ins. No matter what.

So offered vocational therapy where they help you get back to making close to the money you were but doing different work. Great program. As I've from day 1 not wanted to be hurt and lose everything including myself at times, have told everyone caseworkers, claim managers, claim manager bosses that I want to go to work as soon as this Disease CRPS is beat. Also sending facts evidence that financial stress is a lot harder on CRPS patient than the person without it. And it's pretty damn hard on anyone. CRPS is the malfunction of the Nervous system and believe me it's not nice, people look at you different, friends, family, don't understand, they don't have to deal with it, so easy for them to not look into factsheets. There's sites for family and friends to check out, that hope would help anyone out there with CRPS. "The fact; you can do treatments but is not curable."

Then here comes the Physician of Aetna. I will not call him or her a Dr. A Dr is a person with integrity that becomes a Dr. to help people. How can you sign off saying patient has no physical or mental disability just reading papers that Aetna gives them of my claim. So never met, never talked, nothing to me yet 6 doctors from work comp to mine that has been treating me the whole time and SSC I.E.M that says disagrees. But wouldn't wait 2 days. YES 2 DAYS to receive my doctor's notes that disagree with them. Is that doing what's best for the insured. Hell no in my opinion.

I lost my life, everything except truck and house but Dec. 1st if I don't pay 956.00 and 900 to catch truck up were out on street. I've started working at age 12, Taco Bell 2.25 an hour. Worked up to injury date 8/6/14 full time. Was making 44.50 an hr. Family of 3 two beautiful girls and 1 pretty handsome use to be dad me. Lol, I'm not lazy, not nothing but a hard working man get up 4 am go to gym for 1 hr 14 then worth for 8 to 16 with the boys go home sweet good job mine job. Nope they don't care either. You're a # to them. A pile of ** if you get hurt in my opinion how they treat you.

So now it's in god's hands, lawyers, judges, but takes so long and owe Aetna needs extra 45 days. You damn right they're gonna grant it, but 2 days for me with week notice. Nope... I've become angry. Very angry, can't talk to anyone about it without wanting to **. I've tried going to a counselor. Emotional block everyone I try going. I've got to be here for my girls so I fight and fight. I make CRPS worse doing that everything. So I guess do not ever get hurt at work. Pic of sores started on my leg but they don't care.

Their computers were down. Case manager on vacation, no one else in case. Then sent to their Dr for review. Said didn't have enough evidence to prove that I was unable to do my heavyweight job. Now 3 months absolutely not a cent from them. Also I was told by someone else that Aetna was moving out of a few states including mine in WV. Wondering if there is a connection to this. Yes, I am in for a class action lawsuit. People that have worked for them say they are crooked and don't do people right. So it is a shame of a company like this to exist. My next step is going to insurance commissioner tomorrow.

And if you are a truck driver and if the doctor and a specialist clearly do not want you to drive why would Aetna see something else and deny benefits when they claim they do not have enough data? Lies they tell - now they claim they are sending records to an outside doctor to review and it will take another 8 days. I have been off work for 3 weeks, going to doctors and specialist all indicating in documentation of my condition and Aetna does not call you back. Only looks at the documentation when you are on the phone with them and I believe they get a bonus for the amount of claims they deny and do not want to pay short term benefits.

Every day for a month I called them; then called Kaiser and they sent Physician's Attending Statement one after another. Finally, on 30 Sept. 30, 2016 Kaiser called Aetna and had me talk to both parties via three-way call. Aetna DENIED that the Physician's Attending Statement was an issue. Then they asked questions only I could ask - questions they could have asked me in the twenty or so times I called them before. Well, I think we get it all worked out and an hour later, an Aetna representative calls my cell and the first words out of her mouth was that they could not process my claim without an Attending Physician's Statement.

I called my employer, informed them that the problem persisted and that Kaiser had it recorded that Aetna did, in fact, have the Physician's Attending Statement. My employer called Aetna who now says they will pay up, but I haven't seen a dime. Today my employer sent me a note saying Aetna would pay 65 percent. Customer representatives were supposed to call me back about this complaint on four occasions... None of them have. I would never do business with Aetna. They are dishonest, conniving and incompetent.

I met with the surgeon on June 2, 2016 and surgery would be scheduled asap, later that month. Immediately I reported the claim to Aetna as required and then Hell on Earth began for me. Aetna wanted me to sign a very broad information release to "help me" gather pertinent records. No problem. Nothing to hide. I signed the release but asked the Aetna representative to provide me a copy of whatever she obtained because I also was required to pay for fees associated with Aetna's requests. Nothing was ever said that Aetna's policy was to not provide the customer a copy of his own records that the customer is required to pay for.

My surgery took place on June 24. It did not go as expected. The MRI did not show all of the damage. Once the operation began, the surgeon found additional, more severe damage. What was to be only arthroscopic turned into a 3 inch incision along my deltoid along with two small keyholes on the front/back of my shoulder. My operative report lists 8 diagnoses and 8 separate procedures including tears of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, massive tear of subscapularis, biceps rupture, SLAP tear, etc... The massive tear could not be repaired so part of my pectoral muscle was transferred to the subscapularis. Part of my distal clavicle was removed. Part of my AC joint was removed and the list continues. The surgeon warned me that recovery would be long and painful. He was right. Trips to the ER for uncontrollable pain. Trips to my PCP because the pain increased my blood pressure to very high readings. Never ending.

Probably around Week 6 (I'm still in a sling and not allowed to move my shoulder at all) Aetna became "concerned" as to why I was still in pain... why had I not started PT yet. Why? Why? Why? I guess no one at Aetna read the operative report. This was not just a simple rotator cuff repair. Around Week 8, I started PT. Going 3x per week. Ah, the pressure of when can you go back to work? Again, why are you still in pain? Could it be that probably every major part of my dominant upper extremity was cut on! Aetna, ever heard of Google? Most of their questions could have literally been answered by Google or better yet what about the Doctor/hospital records? Have you read those?

Eventually I talked to one of their managers (I use that term loosely) and I can sum it up in one word - RUDE. She said I had no objective findings... that pain was subjective... that Aetna's nurse was going to review my records and Aetna was going to call my surgeon. So what! Anyone with half a brain or any medical training has told me "you've had very extensive surgery" and it's not unusual to still have pain after what you went through. Everything I said was perceived as untrue. My doctor's skills were called into question. By Aetna's standards, I am a liar.

After receiving no response to my letters to Aetna which had specifically requested a written response, being told different things by different Aetna representatives, feeling so depressed due to my surgery, the pain and the subtle yet so obvious questioning of my honesty & integrity... I have decided to obtain an attorney. Not because there is any money to be gained. I'm only due my regular wages lost due to disability from the surgery. I am getting an attorney because I detest Aetna and their questionable ethics. I will actually "go in the hole" financially by hiring an attorney. I just hate dealing with Aetna that much. There's a special place in hell for Aetna and its claim managers.

If you would like to join a class action lawsuit against Aetna disability then please contact me via email - I already have my lawyer looking into to it and he says there is plenty to sue them for. This is not a joke, only serious inquiries please. I will not rest until this group of dishonest people gets exactly what they deserve. They have no problem taking our money upfront but then when we have medical procedures done (in my case back surgery) then they find any and every reason to try to get out of paying the claim. The people that work for them should be ashamed of themselves. How many people do they screw over every day? If you're one of them and would like to take a stand then please contact me because I have the resources to ensure they will no longer get away with these fraudulent practices.

However, Aetna decided to deny my claim based on the same information they were approving it on. They actually are penalizing me for attempting to return to work. Now, I know the ins and outs and I truly am baffled that they denied me. I am a decent wage earner, so my reserve is high I am sure and this plays a part. They can ** you and say it doesn't but I've had directors go out of their way to take claims out of approval status so they can rip the claim apart to do their own investigation and wouldn't you know it, they would find a reason to deny it.

I am currently in appeals status, which I am bracing myself for a litigation fight. I am also a walking wounded disabled vet, not that I am above anyone else but Aetna has balls. They make people want to think they have high ethical values and treat each claim in its own, but they don't. They will fish around until they find no support. The clinicians that review these claims are not doctors, barely any real life experiences. It's a joke. Aetna should be investigated like Unum was in 2003 for going out of their way to deny claims. Again, I am a friggin' Aetna employee and they treat us just as bad as the rest of you. I am ashamed to say I work for this company and the way they treat people. I will not be going back to this company once I'm able to work again. Ashamed is what I am. I hope you all the best in your fight for your benefits in which if medically supported, you are entitled to it.

So I was extended until April 18 and was told my case will be transferred to Long Term Disability. Well just received a call stating that I could not transfer the case because I was no longer employed by AAFES and that they would be closing the case. I questioned the fact that I became disabled prior of being terminated and that I was still under doctor's care and therapy for a very chronic back condition that only got worst with the high physical demands of that job and I can no longer work the same job EVER! Will be getting a lawyer involved as they only provided one phone call to notify me of the case being close.

This is just a small example as to no one is exempt from this type of treatment and I can only imagine what they would do to people who are not quite as skilled with typing and filling out paperwork. One last thing. When I started the whole process the customer service representatives told me on 2 occasions that if I lose my job and continue to submit supporting evidence they will keep my claim active. To later being told that they had made a mistake in telling me so...

I was a general contractor, married, very happy, Type A personality and very rarely sitting still. I went back to work about 8 to 10 months after the first lumbar surgery which was pretty difficult to recuperate from. Another 6 years passed and then one day I herniated 3 levels in my neck c5, 6 + 7. Pretty sure they are needed at separate times but dealt with it for a number of months and tried everything from acupuncture, to chiropractic care, two injections. But did that with all of the herniations. Anything to avoid surgery. All three were fused in a very successful surgery and I was back to work in about 8 to 10 weeks.

Unfortunately I did have to deal with Aetna during the last two surgeries. With the 3rd surgery (my cervical) unfortunately I was left with two weeks unexcused days off of work, because it took two weeks longer than I first told them it would to return to work, even though I was going back early, even by my doctors very liberal estimation. This two weeks was unexcused because I didn't satisfy the REPEATED request for DUPLICATE paperwork in the 15 day window allowed.

I work in an aircraft manufacturing facility and my job tends to be very labor intensive with a lot of climbing and scrunching yourself up into very small spaces. Unfortunately about a year and a half ago I blew my L5 -S1, and unfortunately I felt that If I made a workman's comp claim I might put my job in jeopardy so I didn't. The surgery was significantly more difficult and profoundly impacted my life significantly more than either of the three prior surgeries. Shortly after the surgery I explained what my goals were to my surgeon, that I go back to work within 3 months.

Meanwhile using my $5,000 bone growth stimulator I was talked into taking with absolutely no knowledge of how expensive and how much I would be left paying, I began to heal. Unfortunately after three surgeries in nearly the same spot the interbody a-lift surgery helped eliminate a lot of the very intense sharp burning pain in my hips, buttocks and legs, however when I did move or do anything that took any effort, walking around the block ,doing something outside with my boys, washing the dog, I would be completely useless the next day. As it is I have to get in the bathtub just to get so where I can stand up straight in the mornings.

So with that goal in mind when the two and a half months time came around I asked the doctor to write me a return to work pass. Unfortunately I was not being a realist and being honest with myself and what I would be able to do well and they got a hold of that return to work and did everything they could including saying their independent physician said I was fine to return to work.

All this being said Aetna had the call to use a number of different tactics to try to find a way to deny my claim and remove me as a claimant. I had no less than 9 duplicate requests for duplicate information. They would ask for a physician's statement every single time they made a request hoping the surgeon or doctor's assistant who actually filled out the paperwork makes a mistake. Unfortunately in my case the person I had filling out my paperwork and did a horrible job. There was at least 60% of the answers on these forms were incorrect or completely fabricated, which of course now gave Aetna plenty of ammunition.

Nevermind then I was passed off to 4 different claims managers throughout this time. Oh and did I mention the boilerplate release form for all medical information, psychotherapy information, drug addiction information, pharmaceutical information. Just another loophole to try to find a way to disclaim you. What's funny is they actually insisted I go see an independent position. Who at the conclusion of our meeting looks me in the eye, shook his head and said how disgraceful at nothing was behaving and that after the letter he sends them I should not have any issues with them whatsoever in the future.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Move on to the next claims manager. This one seems to be a lawyer. She debates well and has nearly convinced me that my doctor is insisting I go back to work, and that it may very well just be in my head. Don't let me forget about the third claims manager who lied to the doctor's assistant and the physician who did my surgery about a number of different things, mainly communications between her, their physician and me.

Long long long story short Aetna despicable. If I had treated this way working for a company who has over quarter of a million employees worldwide I can only imagine how the lone individual with no deep pockets or leverage would be treated, or should I say mistreated. I can tell you that the constant badgering and stress of losing my benefits or suddenly being denied which I was threatened with repeatedly by two different frames of managers, put my wife and I both and the most fearful and worrisome time of our lives.

We had three children and home to feed clothes and take care of. Thank God I was lucky enough to have married one of the most incredible, most loyal, consistent, amazing woman alive. Without her there's no doubt I either wouldn't be here or I would be in desperate condition. I cannot quantify the amount of stress this company has put on this family on top of the awful feeling of knowing my two sons know that their dad doesn't get up and go to work every morning like you used to. That is incapable of doing the types of things a regular dad does. How do you Teach your sons to not be couch potatoes or sedentary individuals when you are day in and day out. It breaks my heart.

Again unfortunately these huge insurance companies pay a tremendous amount of money in Washington and have a ridiculous amount of lobbyists working on their back which have infiltrated both sides of the Senate and Congress. So I think it's fair to say they have a large part to play in the writing of the laws that regulate insurance companies. Sooner or later we're going to get money out of politics and all of this will change. I'd also like to note the fact that I repeatedly read how Obamacare had eliminated the pre-existing condition issue that so many of us have been faced with. I'm really glad to see that someone in a position to make something happen, did!

I'm sorry to those of you who have been denied and are probably thinking to yourself what is this guy ** about he's receiving his benefits, only after basically being tortured with stress by this company repeatedly continually for a year and a half. I'm sorry for all of you out there that have been denied. Immediately get a long term disability insurance lawyer and appeal appeal appeal appeal appeal. If you have a sound case you should be OK from what I can tell other than the fact that the lawyers will get a significant amount of your back pay period another lobbying issue in the laws ** made.

Second, my address is all over numerous paperwork that was filled out. How can someone mess up check someone is supposed to live off of and not verify the correct address?! I contacted Aetna 2 weeks after it was sent out, and their response was "it's the holidays so it may take longer." I just had a child where family from all over the US sent a card or gift. None took more than 2 weeks. When I found out it was the wrong address they said they had to stop payment and reissue another check. The minimum waiting period for this is 10 days. So another check won't even be reissued till at least the 16th of January.

The reason why people pay for short term disability is for financial support while they are unable to work. I will be unpaid and out of work with my son for almost 2 months (when it's supposed to be 1 week) before a check comes and Aetna could care less. My bills are now falling behind which hasn't happened to me since college 10 years ago. This is all because the carelessness of people's information and payment being delivered to them. I've never used disability for anything, and this is pretty traumatizing for a first time experience!

There wasn't enough documentation to continue it into a long term claim while I am under 3 doctors' care. I have had 3 surgeries and still unable to work. I am a single father with sole custody of my daughter. Since this happening have lost our only transportation and lost our home of the last 15 years. Is there not a way to punish companies that are embezzling of the working class? I attempted to use a lawyer that is out of state to combat them only to find out last week like in washington apparently Aetna has a hand in that pocket.

Instead of suing them as originally I was told for negligence of benefits the law firm is trying to negotiate. I could have sent them a form letter myself and the fact that we have lost everything isnt admissible nor does it pertain to the case. All of my medical bills are now in collections and we are homeless. My advice would be to find a local lawyer. Someone you can look in the eye.

One representative told me she had received it & there was a problem with their system & they couldn't see my paperwork. She would say she would call back at a certain time & she never did. I would call & be told "we don't have your claim" by a different rep. Then today I was told my claim was denied because the billing company had billed my stay as a observation. I stayed two nights in a hospital room? I have been paying into Aetna for almost three years now. I am so frustrated & angry. HR told me I can't drop them until next October (open enrollment). It's a scam. I don't think they ever pay anyone.

However, AETNA, in its wisdom, has determined I'm not sick enough and has denied me disability on behalf of my employer, SAP. When I appeal to SAP to intercede, they sent me back to AETNA vs. getting involved to resolve the dispute. With ERISA supposedly protecting the workers' rights, and both my employer and AETNA indifferent to the fact that I earned these benefits which are being withheld, where do I turn next?

Who has the power to force AETNA to treat me fairly when they won't pay for the most basic of medical expenses without a fight, and have unilaterally denied me my disability benefits as outlined in my SAP employee handbook? I am spending down my 401k while hanging on and trying to get through the State and Federal disability process, however, my understanding is that my employee benefits, earned while working for SuccessFactors, a division of SAP, should already be paid to me during this very difficult time. There is apparently no recourse through either AETNA or SAP, so I'd appreciate any suggestions about where to try next.

For me paying within the grace period given to pay enough to cover by the grace period (30 Days) so was paying biweekly and that seemed reasonable. I am not working due to filing for disability and currently getting LTD payment thru Prudential. Just wanted to let you know to forward my complaint to the powers that make these decisions forcing me to pay the premium all at once. It makes no sense to me. I need the insurance now and will pay as required until someone has a conscience to revisit the payment process with COBRA/Aetna. Overall AETNA is good, it's just the COBRA billing process that isn't working too good for people like me.

Now, please keep in mind that a surgery at this extent does have a normal recovery time of 3-6 months but can be several months depending on the patient and their fusion healing AND my original return to work date was 11/13/15. I did everything that I was supposed to do and followed my neurosurgeon’s directions to a tee so that I could heal quickly and return to work. On 6/25/15, I went back to my neurosurgeon for my second follow up since my surgery. On this date, we reviewed my X-Rays, which were remarkable considering the surgery that I endured. We decided that I could go ahead and take off my neck brace after being in it 24/7 for 9 weeks straight and that I would only have to wear it in strenuous circumstances.

I contacted AETNA immediately following my appointment to advise them of the great news and progress of my recovery. AETNA then wanted to know, when was I coming back to work? I advised that my doctor recommended physical therapy and for me to continue to be out of work until 8/1/15 and use my bone growth stimulator until further notice. I had no Range of Motion due to being confined to a neck brace for 9 and a half weeks straight. It was on 7/3/15 that I noticed that I did not have a direct deposit for my Short Term Disability benefits. I contacted AETNA, who then explained that my claim had been closed due to my doctor stating that I could return to work.

I contacted my doctor extremely confused since the last follow up, we had decided that even though I am making progress, we do not need me to interfere with any of the progression and I needed to still be out of work. After all, I should still be in my neck brace, but since I have done EVERYTHING in my power to recover as quickly as possible and follow all directions, I am on a path to a wonderful recovery. My doctor advised that he did say that I could go back to work with no restrictions in error, however, he also put on the same documents that I needed to be out until 8/1/15 with restrictions. When I contacted my doctor again stating that AETNA has denied my claim, they were appalled at the fact that given the information and communication verbally that we have all had, that they could do this.

Then, on 7/29/15, I get a notification that I have a new letter on the AETNA navigator that says they are requesting PHYSCOTHERAPY NOTES. Apparently this is supposed to be some kind of insult I would assume. I am not crazy, but like I said, AETNA and Bank of America are making me seriously re-evaluate myself now because I am starting to think that maybe I am going crazy. I spoke to my appeals case manager today, 7/30/15, and wanted information regarding my circumstances and said that we would be in touch. To top it all off, I got ANOTHER notification on the AETNA navigator and a new letter from my appeals case manager with a new due date of 10/4/15 from 9/4/15.

I feel like I am in the twilight zone. I am a human being, with a child. I have been with the company for years and I continuously exceed expectations and have not had to utilize benefits through AETNA previously. My car is now being repossessed, my electricity is due to be shutoff, but thank the Lord the temperatures are too high. My mother is paying my phone bill for me. I have NO cable. My mother is buying food for us because I HAVE NOTHING. What turned out to be a life-threatening surgery that I needed due to the severity of my health and wellbeing, I never in my wildest, craziest dreams ever thought that I would ever have to go through something like this in my life.

This is the biggest nightmare I have endured in my lifetime. When I thought that nothing could get worse, I contacted Bank of America HR on 7/30/15 who advised me that they have now dropped my insurance due to non-payment, even though my claim is currently under appeals. How am I supposed to pay Bank of America $821 when I have no income? How can such a big corporation treat an employee like this? How much worse can it get, now? I am sure between Bank of America and AETNA it’s going to. On 7/14/15, I did return to work against my doctors recommendation because I needed some sort of income for my daughter and I. This lasted until 7/17/15 when AETNA advised me that I needed to go back on leave due to my doctor’s release being 8/1/15.

I still have not been able to have this time entered by Advice and Counsel, Payroll and Timekeeping or management. I can almost guarantee Psychotherapy Notes for the both of these companies now due to the stress and mental anguish I have gone through. I am returning to work on 8/3/15, with a reduced schedule per my doctor’s notes and recommendations. I want to go back to work and complete my recovery properly. I want to go back to work and exceed expectations. I am tired of being belittled by AETNA and the lack of empathy for my situation.

This is extremely serious and this has put me in a crucial hardship. I am so disappointed. Family, friends, co-workers, doctors and personnel cannot believe the carelessness and situations that Bank of America and AETNA have caused. We need to resolve this issue as soon as possible. I cannot wait until October for a response.

These people even make you sign a gag order and exonerate them in the settlement. Guess what insurance company? You will have to permanently silence me. I am putting you on notice. I am whistleblowing. Any moves by you will be considered retaliation. The even bigger joke is that the Supreme Court altered ERISA for same sex couples but hung the rest of the majority out to dry. I guess not all men are created equal under the Constitution of the US. People need to band together and take the fight to battle back and protect our rights. Any good activist groups out there?

It took me 5 weeks to get the claim overturned, and then they only paid 4% of the 70%...they left the other 66% on the state!!! ** American people need to start a class action lawsuit against these dirtballs. I see these comments go back 5 or more years...I think we can bankrupt these losers when we win!! They owe disabled citizens of past and present billions of dollars!!! How are they even still in business??

I assumed my short term disability would take back up and run its course as prescribed as nothing changed. After having no communication from Aetna, I contacted them inquiring as to the status of my re - certification and what was delaying it. The following is their response: "At this time your claim is approved through 5/17/15. We faxed out to Dr. ** for MRI and diagnostics test results on 6/8/15 and are waiting to receive a response to that fax. Currently your claim is being reviewed by a Clinical Consultant. Once a determination is made on your claim you will be contacted by your claim manager."

They have the MRI imaging from February and there was no new imaging. An injection will not remove the bony growth from my spine (stenosis) nor rebuild a femoral head (hip). Hence we must conclude that the condition has remained stat or possibly deteriorated. On their own website it shows that I am approved through 6-13-15. My doctor is most conscientious in communication and Aetna even admits to having communication from him regarding my condition. I question the ethics of a company that uses these shenanigans. Were it not that I am an informed consumer and have spoken with my doctor at length with my doctor even to the degree of what time of surgery (laminectomy / possible disc fusion) I may expect as the condition worsens, I would be utterly at a loss. That is not the case.

While the other types are still present and bother me daily - heart can skip a beat, beat "strangely", making me becoming scared and constantly aware of the heart - making it hard to function. Also, I had stress fractures of my right foot. The pain started last September - for many months. I had to wear post-op shoe and Air-Cast. On the background of my elderly mother having multiple hospitalizations for small bowel obstructions and ending up having surgery in February (while me being her only caregiver). It was impossible to withstand all pains, stress reactions, anxiety - that's why my doctor recommended me 6 wks of STD. I applied to AETNA as was advised by my company.

After a month of numerous phone calls, emails, letters, authorizations, mailings, faxes, filling up forms by my multiple doctors, I was told my claim was denied due to insufficient information and them not thinking I could be considered disabled for performing my "light duty job." My job is not light - as I am not doing what my job description says - rather much, much more - and extremely stressful! With my generalized anxiety, it is often unbearable! I needed a break... My initial reaction was anger, I felt distraught, did not want to even think about appealing. My Claim Manager from Aetna did not even speak to me until after denial. She recommended to appeal. My Benefits Department also recommended that. I don't have any illusions that I can win this case. But it is so cruel, unfair.

More than that, it definitely made my health situation even worse than it was while the intention was to use these 6 weeks to somewhat recover and prepare myself for being able to continue working! I now have to use all of my accrued vacation time... And it may seem that I just took a long vacation! It was not vacation at all! Rather even more stressful time - while the stress was caused solely by AETNA! I find their staff - ?reviewers? - formalistic, inhumane, INCOMPETENT! They are asking for proof (imaging studies, blood tests, etc. of such conditions like ANXIETY, RESTLESS LEGS, HEADACHES... There cannot be any imaging, blood or any other proof for this conditions!!!!). This has been and still is A NIGHTMARE - I saw this work in the other reviews many times. Can sign under each letter of each word of every other reviewer! Shame on AETNA!

I didn't find out until the end of January... From another Aetna rep... that I had insurance the whole time. The new ortho surgeon said my MRI looks exactly the same as the one from July.. When they approved the std.. But they will not approve the Ltd... I have been fighting this since December. We are now almost homeless. I bought a brand new car last year... That has been repoed. I am still trying to come up with half my rent before the 20th so we don't lose our apt. Their dr that called mine to discuss the disability asked him one question and hung up on him. Aetna knows exactly what they are doing!!! THEY DO NO WANT TO BACK pay ME ALL THE MONEY THEY OWE ME!! If I have to go back to work I will lose my job because I can't sit for 8 hours a day... I work at a call center and can't get up and move around.

UPDATED ON 09/28/2015: Have earlier report Aetna's 'automatic' and 'reinstatement' policy and would like to share a update. After 16 months of discussions as why automatic enrollment took place and then paying premium I last week got 2 letters from Aetna dated same day... a) Reinstated 09/01/2014 (yes last year) with premiums paid last year covering 01/01-09/01/14 and coverage 'no break in coverage' (no bills submitted, either) and b) Insurance coverage has been cancelled back to 01/01/14 due to non-payment in October 2014. I am sure Aetna is happy that ACA has promised to cover any losses they might have due to 'under-coverage' or 'expensive' administration.

My physicians and I have been compliant from the beginning - doing everything they required in order to receive and continue with LTD benefits. They have provided pages and pages of reports, have spent hours on phone calls with Aetna's unqualified and rude review physicians, and I have been subjected to several "Independent Medical Examinations," appointed by Aetna. However, for no substantiated reason, I recently received a letter stating, "We have reviewed your claim for Disability Benefits....It is our opinion that you no longer meet the definition of Disability...." As of the day they mailed the letter, all benefits were terminated - which included my health insurance, my prescription drug coverage, as well as medical insurance for my family.

I should note, I am a clergy person and have served as a minister for 22 years. My employers and I have paid into Aetna's LTD insurance thousands of dollars over a 22 year career. However, when I have needed it, in a life or death scenario, Aetna has only been antagonistic and downright mean. Probably more disturbing, is that their flippant decision to terminate my LTD benefits results in the termination of any medical or prescription coverage. As of today I am no longer receiving any medical care or any necessary medications. I wonder, was that Aetna's goal? To terminate not only the coverage, but also the recipient?

In October 2013, I was employed and to my knowledge insured. Until AETNA retroactively cancelled my benefits in December 2013, and did not offer me COBRA until March 2013, after many requests. For years, I paid for top dollar for either their PPO or POS plans. In hindsight, I don't know what I was paying for because they rarely covered anything! In fact, they just delayed my required medical care and tests, worsening my condition and health. After reviewing the medical record on three separate occasions, I felt that perhaps AETNA was denying my claims due to the high amount of inaccuracies. For example, claiming I was male and not female on some pages, incorrect recording of my age, and procedures I had done.

On approximately 81 out of 89 pages there were substantial inaccuracies, the most outrageous - stating I had 3 stomach tumors removed, even documenting their size in cm - I have never had any sort of stomach procedure, tumor or surgery done! When I brought this to their attention and asked that the inaccuracies be corrected, they resent me the exact same report Verbatim - with the exact same inaccuracies. I attempted filing a report with the state board insurance, but AETNA kindly reminded them that they were exempt from such review for they were an ERISA plan, and also hinted that I was violating their "policy" stating that my medical report with my name and employee number on the top of each page in the header received from AETNA no less than 3 separate occasions was potentially someone else's medical report.

After numerous attempts and supporting documentation from my physicians to have my medical records corrected, I yet again received the aforementioned report along with a letter stating that after review AETNA found no inaccuracies. Needless to say, this was highly offensive, stressful, and ultimately led me to my resignation from my company. Fast forward to December 2014, I am receiving bills from my medical providers for procedures and tests dating back to October and November of last year. Apparently, AETNA is rescinding payments they made to these medical providers, claiming I was uninsured during that time. How on earth can this be possible?

Naturally, Aetna summarily denied her long-term disability. Only after being challenged, did they deny having received critical documents (which were among the first ones submitted.) Nevertheless, we are both now in a position of living on my meager Social Security checks and have no insurance whatsoever, while these criminal scoundrels engage in their premeditated delay tactics. Of course, such claims are too small for most attorneys to want to bother with. These people shouldn't just be sued, they should be jailed. Actually, I'm tempted to suggest some more direct remedy, but doing so would probably get me in trouble, so I'll hold my tongue for now. Are you listening, ANONYMOUS?

I finally got extremely upset and asked to talk to a supervisor. The supervisor was rude and short with me telling me that everything was denied and the only option I had was to appeal. I'm now at a crossroads. I don't feel like I have been treated fairly. I have been given the run around and I'm overall frustrated and not knowing what to do.

Disability insurance is to pay you for when you are physically unable to perform your primary duties of your job. Before you shoot the messenger read the prior sentence again. What a disability rep will do is ask for medical information from your doctor. The doctor should be telling the employee not to go to work due to condition x, rather than the employee telling the doctor they can't work. Why? If the doctor is directing you not to work it will be part of your medical record and the doctor will put the details of why he made that direction as part of your record.

If you request not to work then that is what the doctor will document as well. Aetna will ask for copies of the medical records to verify what is preventing you from working (not a diagnosis). IE: If someone states they are unable to stand due to say nerve damage in their feet but their job has no requirement that they stand it may not approve the claim. Even with the nerve damage they may only approve it for a limited period of time while medications are regulated to minimize the effects. One last note, unless you are being treated by a behavioral health specialist and meeting at least bi-weekly, you may not want to mention a mental diagnosis as it tends to delay the processing while they look for physical causes of being unable to do the job functions.

Most of the denial letters that are sent in a round about way explain what was missing and if you look at what the doctor submitted (with a clear head of what they are trying to find) you will normally see it's not present or what is present doesn't prevent (or doesn't clearly explain why) the primary functions from being executed. It's all about the numbers and the claim examiner will many times not answer their calls. Expect that you will need to leave a clear, detailed message about what you want to know so that when they call you (and get your voice-mail) they can give you the response.

Also their system for submitting documents is bordering on archaic. If you have a computer I recommend you scan the pages and upload them to the disability website. The faxing process is the easy way for them to claim "we didn't get it". If you do fax, keep the fax confirmation sheets along with a copy of what was faxed to rebuff any denials for late documents. The CSR's generally want to help but are ill equipped to do so. Be kind to them and some may share the info you need.

When I sent this other companies disability claim to Aetna, they wrote me and told me that "Just because one insurance company paid a disability claim does not mean it meets our criteria for payment." What a POS this company is. I am having back surgery on August 27, 2010 and although I will file a new claim for short term benefits, I'm sure they will deny it also. Trashy company. Do not believe anything they say. "DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THESE COMPANIES ARE REGULATED AND IF SO, WHO OVERSEES THEM? WHO DO YOU FILE A COMPLAINT WITH?"

Nonetheless, Aetna, along with my employer FedEx Services, have continued to deny every claim and appeal. I even tried to return to work at one point, but FedEx turned me away due to the fact that I had a PICC line in my right arm for IV antibiotics (it was hidden beneath my clothing). How is this possible? How do these people live with themselves? I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on medical treatments and am now deeply in debt and facing bankruptcy and the possibility of losing my home. My family is now broke, and my brother recently took his own life, in part, due from the stress of this enormous injustice.

Please, SOMEONE at Aetna must have some ounce of humanity left in their soul. Whoever you are, please speak out before thousands more like myself die as a result of this abject injustice. We are as human as you, as your mothers, as your fathers, and as your children. This cannot continue. Just because you are member of a terribly corrupt company, and not country, does not make you any less responsible than the SS officers of Nazi Germany who believed their fellow brothers and sisters to be less than animals, and thus undeserving of life. The bodies are piling up, and speaking out will not cost you your life. Yes, it may cost you your job, but you can find another job. These victims will not find another life, and many of ours are ending because we can no longer afford medical help, clothing or even food. The government is overwhelmed and Social Security has been pushed beyond its limits. All because you continue to remain silent while the atrocities pervade.

Be a hero, not an accomplice. It's not too late, but before you even realize it, it will be. And by that time, you may even be among us.

Only the humeral fractures and dislocation were considered. It took just over a year to heal enough to get the hardware out. I was for over a year not able to raise my right arm up so pretty much no use of my right arm. I thought that the rod was too long from the beginning, making it very painful to try to raise my arm up more than waist high. I was forced to go through multiple sessions of physical therapy in which my arm was jacked up by various therapists trying to force bone against metal and bone against bone to get my arm up. They of course were unsuccessful and I left frequently nauseated and vomiting and faint due to the severe pain caused by this. I finally got the hardware out and was able to raise my arm voluntarily up to shoulder height with discomfort. I did PT at home and still do with no improvement since then.

3 weeks after the hardware removal surgery, I had an upper endoscopy and before the procedure I asked the doctor not to dilate my esophagus or don't biopsy anything unless it looked like cancer and they should be able to recognize the difference between cancer and an ulcer. She, against my wishes, dilated my esophagus and biopsied an ulcer which looked exactly like an ulcer, perforating my small bowel. If I had not asked for a abdominal scan after the upper scope I would have died.

I was transported by ambulance from Jackson Madison County General (West Tennessee Healthcare) to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville for a 73,000 dollar emergency surgery in which nerves that allow your stomach to empty correctly were damaged. So my stomach does not empty in the usual 20-30 minutes but takes 12-24 hours. I have frequent severe abdominal pain, frequent forceful vomiting. It's like having bad stomach virus every time I eat. Yes, I did try to find an attorney to help me get justice for all I have been through and lost but for anyone who is employed by West Tenn. Healthcare or any agency owned by Madison County Tennessee, you are screwed if you are injured by your employer, or any physician practicing for West Tenn. Healthcare because you will not find a lawyer with the decency to help you.

When you file for your short term and long term disability you have paid them for x many years, you will be denied no matter how many doctors give documentation to say you cannot work, no matter how many disease processes you have that are flaring, no matter if you cannot walk, use your upper extremities, no matter how much uncontrolled pain you are in on a continuous basis daily, no matter if you have great difficulty proving your own activities of daily living, no matter if you have difficulty providing and caring for yourself, no matter if you have frequent and profuse urinary and fecal incontinence, no matter if you are suffering from Lupus, Addison's disease, degenerative disc disease, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, essential tremors, etc. Your claims will be denied. You will be denied even though you need medical treatment for these problems and medications or your health and life will be compromised - Aetna will deny your disability insurance claims and no matter what you were initially told you will not have a job after 12 weeks.

So you paid for coverage so you could pay your bills and have the needed healthcare and medications you need when you can't work but you unwittingly made this deal with the devil, the big machine that you knew was evil and tried to run from and when you thought you were safe, they bought your employer out with their massive amount of money (even though they are supposedly a nonprofit agency). Run as fast as you can and as far as you can from West Tennessee Healthcare and Aetna who was obtained to provide you with false reassurance and deny your insurance claims particularly short term and long term disability. Be aware they will mess you over on all claims - watch your EOBs closely. If you stay, you will end up like me injured by WTHC and their doctors and you will be without insurance, medications needed, and your job, your health and your life taken away. Even if Social Security deems you disabled, Aetna will not. They don't care about you. They just want your money and you are paying for nothing.

This dr. went thru the bottom of one foot to see how I would do, it didn't work. I still have 4 enormous neuromas in both feet that are very painful but nothing else can be done. I also suffer from cervical spinal stenosis with myelopathy, Fibro, arthritis, and scoliosis. Needless to say I'm on a high dose of pain medications. I have been on long term disability since November of 2003. In ’06, they dropped me and I appealed and won. In 2012, they assigned me with a new case manager. This person treated me like a piece of trash, called me a liar and continually harassed me for months. In May of 2013, she called to tell me that they (their drs.) no longer found me disabled under their terms.

I lost my appeal as of February of 2014. The reason she called me a liar is in between the time I went on ltd. Our 19 year old son died in a drowning accident in ’04 (mind you, I was already on ltd when this happened). She called me a liar when I told her I was not a manic depressive person, as she stated they only cover mental health for 2 years and she was basing my sole disability on this. Yes, I was in a very depressive state after he died… and I still have bouts of depression but who wouldn't. They have caused me and my family undue stress, and hardship.

We had to take out my spouse’s retirement funds. This is not going to last long and I have no idea what's going to happen. I have applied for ssd but I understand that's going to take forever. I didn't apply before because in reality why should I have too when I had a policy through my employer to cover this. Now I know why I should have filed long ago. I've seen all the people they have cancelled in 2012. They definitely cleaned house and have ruined so many lives. I tried vocational rehabilitation in ‘09. I really tried, I want my life back, but I couldn't handle the pain and had to stop. Why doesn't the government hold them accountable, they control everything else. All I know is that I'm tired. I now have severe abdominal pain and know something is seriously wrong. I can't afford this. My spouse was hit by a semi that rendered him disabled in ‘97… he's on ssd.

Aetna is so cold hearted. I don't know how they can sleep at night. I know I've been honest in my dealings with them... if nothing is done here, well they'll get judgement put on them from our maker for their greed. Their CEO, Mark Bertolini, makes 22 million in salary alone, and with perks, close to 40 million a year - all because he takes away from the people. His son does not go out w/out his medical help, nor does he (Mark Bertolini) for his pain issues. I'd like them to try and walk in my shoes. They couldn't, and neither can I a majority of the time. Aetna, ruining lives - one or several at a time. Lawyers need to do a class action. I have a lawyer friend who is reviewing everything right now. If all goes as planned, I'll see if he will take on some of the cases here. Godspeed to everyone who has fallen into the evil hands of this company.

Ever since then, they continuously close my claim and not pay me, saying that they do not have enough medical info to support my claim. This is such total and utter **. Every single month, they request a BHS from my Doctor, and all of the office visits notes. They receive them, and still say its not enough. Have been on LTD for a few years with them, and last year was the first time I ever had an issue. It is the case manager Jayson ** from Aetna that is doing this to me. I have requested a new case manager over and over again, and no one will help me.

I've seen an attorney, and there is nothing they can do. They stop my payments, and close my claim without telling me. I go through this every single month. I actually have to call them to ask if everything is going okay. I don't receive a letter, or phone call telling me they are screwing me over, I research it myself. This has got to stop. I don't know what else to do. I have filed for Social Security Disability, and that takes forever.

I explained my physician had written me out for 6 weeks. She said I had been out since the 18th (I funded the 1st 5 days with my sick time). Apparently since my post op is scheduled for the 19th, they will not approve the additional week because I could be working. They need the clinical notes to support the extra or what they consider extra week off. Mind you, it cannot say to heal but MUST have medical substance such as incision pain or infection. This is too much, who are they to determine how long I need to heal when my doctor has filled out the correct forms??? This, with the surgery, is very STRESSFUL.

I wrote the CEO of my company and got a response that they are investigating and will let me know. I told my doctor and she said they do it ALL the time and she can give them their notes. The point is that they are not doctors and should honor the request.

I am actually considering moving from my 2 floor condo to a single floor apartment because I have trouble carrying things up the stairs, but they think I can go back to my job right now. Maybe I could have if Aetna didn't also discontinue my physical therapy. I'll never know. They claim the reason my claim is denied is they have not heard back from my doctors. My doctor has sent them the paperwork they are looking over and over, yet Aetna claims they have heard nothing. They also did not contact me to tell me they didn't receive anything from the doctor. They had told me my original claim was up by calling me a week after my original return to work date, and that they needed my doctor to return the forms. I spoke to my doctor, who sent the forms, and I didn't hear from Aetna. I assumed the extension went through. It wasn't till my boss called looking for me that I learned Aetna supposedly didn't receive the paperwork.

I'm not sure what I pay Aetna for. All they have done is been a miserable letdown. I have no idea where I can get help dealing with any of this. There is no way I can run 8 or more service calls a day. If I try to move that fast, and carry the boxes up the stairs.... it will be a race to see if I'm let go for performance issues as I crawl through my work day, or filing a worker's comp claim for having a nasty fall - not to mention my company paying for whatever gets broken in the fall. I hate Aetna with every fiber of my being. They treat me like I choose this.

Prior to taking the test, I went to see both of my doctors. I told my psychiatrist what Aetna was doing and she said that if I were well and the meds were working, and I was ready to go back to work, then yes, going back to work would be fine with her. But, she did not agree with being forced to go back to work. At the end of our session, she told me to tell them everything that I tell her when I visit her and let her know how things go.

I took the test yesterday. It lasted 4 hours. The test had nothing to do with my depression. This test was to determine whether I had the mental capacity to work. In other words, whether I could do math and how well my memory was. I had to answer a bunch of questions and do puzzles to see how well my memory was. I was also asked some questions regarding money. I told the doctor who gave the test that this test had nothing to do with my illness and that my doctor had stated that I was not well enough to go back. In fact, I've seen 4 different doctors all stating the same thing, but it appears that Aetna was bent on getting me off long term disability. I am suicidal and have thoughts of killing other people and Aetna knows this. In the paperwork they send me, I tell them this, but they don't seem to care.

Why would Aetna choose to send someone like myself, who is not only dangerous to herself but also dangerous to others back into a working environment? They are putting others in harm's way. This is why my doctor has stated that I am not ready to return to work. I am currently waiting on the results of the test, but if it is determined that I passed the test, my disability ends and I will be forced to return to work. What are my options? Does anyone know?

It's weird because when I talked to my case worker, one of the first things she said is, "You've been on long term disability since 2010." So, I guess this is their reason for putting me through all this. I am so stressed out that I cannot even function. I am currently making some drastic changes just in case they deny my insurance; such as, looking for another, cheaper place to live. I'd thought I'd go online and see whether there are others who have bad experiences with Aetna like me and apparently there are. Aren't there any government agencies that oversee the practices of insurance companies like Aetna? If not, there should be. I was told that insurance companies don't like to pay. They prefer to make money and that they are beholden to their shareholders and chairpersons, not their customers. Sad because without the customers, they have no business.

I was on a post cancer treatment called Arimidex. Side effect of this medication has caused me difficulty cognitively and physically. Short term memory loss is a major issue for me. I had to be on this medication to complete my cancer treatment or ultimately die. My Job requires me to be very sharp mentally and if I am not up to par, I would be removed of my duties. As a direct effect from this issue, I had to file for bankruptcy and I have lost my home (I am homeless). Let's get together!!!!!! BigClassAction.com

By the terms of their contract, Aetna guaranteed me 60% of my salary at Continental so they had to make up the difference between what SSD paid me. That wasn't good enough for them. They sent me for an independent evaluation because, and I quote the Aetna agent, "Our standards for disability are higher than the governments." Seriously? The government classifies me as disabled but Aetna doesn't accept that? Since 2010, my doctors and I have filled out endless forms, giving Aetna the same information over and over and over. Nothing has changed with my condition regardless of the treatments, medications and surgeries. Yet Aetna is now insisting that I can do "sedentary" work (some days I can't even get out of bed and I can't walk more than a minute or two without having to sit down) and wants to send me for re-training and interviews.

My life has completely changed. I am depressed. I wish I could go to work. I have nothing to do now but deal with the pain. The medication has me confused and disoriented at times but without the meds, I can't get out of bed. I worked as an airline mechanic and have no other skills. I can't even drive my car because of the meds and the pain. How am I supposed to go to work when I can barely manage to sit in a recliner? Aetna is trying everything they know to get out of paying me what they are obligated to do. They need to be investigated for fraud! They promise a service, you pay for it, and then when you need it, they do everything they can not to give you the service you paid for.

So fortunately, I was able to borrow money from my relatives. What really heats me up is that no one called me or anything prior to the surgery to say, "Hey, wait a minute. We see you had a knee surgery 7 years ago. Can you wait another three months so we won’t have any issues?" No of course, they could not call. When I asked Janice that very question, "Well, we don’t do that." When I asked her about calling in general, "We don’t do that either."

AETNA, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS. I will be canceling my policy and I will be telling everyone I know to cancel their policy too. Your company motto should be "Screw the insured; we already got their money." At this point, I don’t even care if I win this case or no. I will be filing a complaint to the Insurance Commission and whomever else I can come up with. Insurance companies need to be held accountable. They are worse than lawyers.

If anyone needs to file for disability, I recommend getting your medical records ASAP. Send everything to Aetna, have your doctors be very thorough (to a ridiculous extent) in filling out their forms. If the doctor charges a fee for filing out forms, send a copy of your receipt to Aetna for reimbursement. Flood Aetna with info. Also ask Aetna if they have mileage reimbursement for trips to and from follow-up visits or rehab visits.

When it comes to the bonuses that the CEOs receive, they don't need all the information to get the millions in bonuses at the end of the year. I guess what region pays out the less in benefits gets the bigger bonuses. This is why they are fighting any and everything that have to do with insurance and taxes because these are the people that are lining their pockets and they won't dare go against the money because of greed in America. Companies and people like dirty politician should be tried and receive long prison time because of the scams and dirty stuff they do.

Stop sending fax after fax to the black hole Aetna uses as a fax machine. Stop explaining and sending more and more medical information that doesn't make any difference. It's simple, your medical providers say you are disabled. Aetna's contract obligation is to pay benefits when you are disabled. Aetna's not paying. Breach of contract. Aetna is counting on you giving up, don't! Get a lawyer, one that will take the case on contingency. Bundle your STD, LTD and SSDI claim to sweeten the pot for the lawyer. Stop playing Aetna's game. Turn everything over to a competent lawyer and focus your energies on your health.

I'm done playing Aetna. I have a lawyer who is going to take the battle to Aetna and the federal government for a percentage. Right now that sounds good. I have 100% of the grieve and 0% of my benefits. Any amount he gets me is a win-win.

After supplying tons of documents from my doctors which clearly indicated that I was unable to work, Aetna denied it based on disability claim not supported ground. My wife had to make numerous visits to doctor office to get the paper work they requested, but every time it was same lame answer that the disability is not supported. They denied it the first time; we again supplied some more documentation from my wife's doctors and filed an appeal which was aging denied. The run around that Aetna gave us on top of the pain and suffering that my wife was already going though is beyond description. I don't understand when a specialty doctor has stated in writing that the patient is disabled along with numerous supporting documents what else one could possibly provide to support the disability.

It took them over five months to review the appeal still with the same explanation that the disability is not supported. They simply don't want to pay you the money. I wish there were laws that would prevent insurance companies like Aetna to harass customers and stop these malpractices. They are just in business of making money at the expense of their customer.

I was in contact with them everyday and got nothing more then the run around. Not one letter or a phone call from them to inform me that the info wasn’t received; they just stopped sending my check. I called them one hour after every fax to confirm they had received and they said yes. This resulted to loss of income for the month of December 2011. They ruined my family’s holiday season this year due to the fact we had gifts on hold at stores and we had no income to pick them up. I’m unable to pay mortgage and bills. Phone was shut off. I was post surgery 4 weeks when this all happened.

RE: Group Control #: ** Employer: Sunrise Senior Living

Please explain to me how an insurance company like Aetna is allowed to commit fraud and steal people's money and yet suffer no consequences and be allowed to continue their deceptive practices?

Aetna took money from my paycheck for LTD that I chose to purchase. When I went out on injury, they have fought me tooth and nail ever since. And now they have said that they think I can work, even though my doctor says I cannot. Why is Aetna allowed to practice such deception and thievery, yet thousands of people are locked up annually because of insurance fraud?

After two years of receiving $245 a month (it is the difference from my workers comp claim), Aetna has decided to cancel my payments because (as the lady from Aetna put it); If I can answer a telephone, I can work. This also comes one month after Aetna sent my doctor a form asking my capabilities and limitations, and he clearly wrote: "Unable to work at all."

Yet Aetna has decided that I can work.

This is illegal, unethical, fraud, corrupt and bordering on criminal. How can your office sit back and allow an insurance company to operate like this? How can you allow an insurance company to fraudulently deduct payments from a person's paycheck, and then deny that person what he paid for? How is Aetna allowed to give medical opinions when a medical professional states otherwise.

Under criteria for continuation of benefits of the Aetna agreement it states: "You must provide objective medical evidence that you are unable to perform any reasonable occupation for which you are qualified." On the capabilities and limitations form sent to my doctor from Aetna, it clearly states that I am unable to perform any work. Does this not meet the criteria?

Aetna has attempted to deny this claim for different reasons for two years now. I have listed all the cases opened against them below. Thankfully, I have sent every questionnaire and response back to Aetna via certified letters and kept the receipts. They have stated five times that I never sent forms back, or my doctor didn't fill out the proper items. When it was proven we sent them back, they suddenly discovered that we did in fact send them back and fill them out correctly. They have attempted to deny my claim on the basis that I am able to write, so I can work. They have tried to deny it on the basis that I have children at home and must be caring for them. On one conversation, the woman from Aetna even stated that she would deny my claim because of things printed on the Internet.

I have dealt with 17 different people handling my case, I have been called a liar by Tom ** of Aetna on 9/17/09, I have been threatened by Jennifer ** of Aetna 8/27/09. About ceasing my payments, I have been told I was faking by Jamie of Aetna on 8/21/09, I have been told I haven't sent paperwork back by Robin on 7/27/09, and spoke to a man named Todd four times only to be told I never spoke to him.

I have been told by two surgeons, as well as Aetna's own choice of doctor (an IME Aetna sent me too), that my condition is permanent. I have done everything Aetna has asked. I have gone anywhere Aetna has requested.

Aetna is committing nothing other than fraud. They have countless complaints throughout internet boards about this same matter (several listed below) and are allowed to continue their deceiving practice by ripping off the American public. I will not stop posting this letter to every site, every board I can find until the public is aware of the way Aetna conducts business. They are committing fraud and you are allowing this to happen. There is no other way this can even be mistaken when your doctor says you are incapable of working, yet Aetna says you are so they can stop paying you.

Anyone even thinking of going through Aetna for anything should be aware of the deceitful games they play. You are NOT protected if you have Aetna Insurance. Read all the complaints below. Search the internet for thousands of others. It is not just me that Aetna is ripping off. They should not be allowed to practice such illegal activities.

Sincerely,

Robert

Aetna is the worst insurance that I know of and hides behind Ball Aerospace in its excuses for not providing coverage and also for their involvement in terminating me for getting sick. Because of my health issues, I believe Ball Aerospace, along with Aetna, hope I die before any of this gets resolved which is the same as murder. If you get sick while at Ball Aerospace, expect to die if it is serious it's what Ball Aerospace and Aetna want.

We're now on CICP and have numerous hospital and doctor bills that have occurred before Aetna and Ball Aerospace involuntarily terminated me because Aetna was refusing to cover any medical expenses, even when I was not fully disabled.

Mellisa had called my house and cell phone as early as 6:40 am. She asked me for paperwork from my doctors. They supplied her with what they can and apparently, it's not enough or not complete and needs more specific info. She informed me my claim will be denied, she had even been so ridiculous as to ask me when my next appointment will be while I'm still waiting to do an MRI. I told her I'm sure that when the MRI results are in, they will schedule an appointment. But she insisted I should know when the next appointment is. I feel they are just looking for an excuse to come up with a reason to not pay my insurance claims and terminate the coverage.

After the denial, my doctor spoke with a manager and myself who confirmed that she believed that a big mistake was made on my case and that she would re-open the case, review the information and assured us that the decision would be overturned and funds would be provided within a few days from the date we spoke, which was12/3/2010. It took Aetna six months to deny my Long Term Disability claim and I have not received any funds to handle my finances through present.

I was told by Justin ******, "We are not denying that you are disabled, you just don't meet the requirements for long-term disability." I only received this much information from these two employees after calling and leaving numerous messages. Despite being separated from my employer at the end of my FMLA and the termination of my medical benefits, I have done everything within my power to provide the required medical documentation to Aetna. I had to change therapist due to lack of insurance and go to the local Crisis Intervention center in order to receive my medications.

Aetna's response to this was that I was inconsistent with my treatment although my prior visits to my medical provider were covered. All the while, I am experiencing increased levels of difficulty because my disability payments were my only source of income and way of paying for medical treatment and Aetna was denying those benefits. Aetna has disregarded the concerns of multiple medical providers in regards to my ability to return to work. In the final denial letter, the reasons for my denial include but are not limited to; functioning cognition, no display of self destructive behavior in the presences of therapist and information was reported by patient.

My understanding of this is that I am being denied benefits because I can count forwards and backwards and read and write, I didn't cut a chunk of my hair out in front of my therapist and I am a liar. I have been unable to focus on recovering from my condition due to Aetna's inability to abide by their mission statement and serve their customers with integrity. The treatment and service that I have received from this company has instead caused my situation to worsen due to the additional stress.

I spoke to Lisa from Aetna on March 01,2010, and after she went back and started checking, she told me that she did not see my name on the spreadsheet which they send over twice a month to my pension company (Dupont). Lisa also told me in the same conservation that it's their fault and there's nothing they could do and that I need to call my pension company and explain to them what happened.

I have written Aetna, asking them about their appeal process three different times, and they have refused to answer any of my certified mail request. My pension company said regardless whose at fault, I must repay the overpayment. They have worked with me in reducing the amount they were deducting from my retirement check. I would like for Aetna to repay this overpayment, since it was clearly their mistake.

Aetna also denied a stress claim due to my mom and sister passing. They said that they never had sufficient documents provided. This was in June, 2009. So as of now, they are not paying my claim because they said I don't have a disability form sent from the doctor. I have had some success in the past whenever I have cronic flare ups with Aetna, but it seems now they are playing hardball.

I was born with this disease. Now that I need help, they said no forms from doctor were ever recieved. There must be some justice out there somewhere. I can't pay rent, car note, other insurance, bills, and all of my utilities at this time. I am far behind on bills. It's depressing to even type this.

Every 2 years I would receive a letter notifying me that they needed to verify I was still disabled and paperwork supporting the fact was needed to be filled out by my doctors. I complied, went to all my doctors, had them fill out the necessary information, answered all the questionnaires and returned them well before the deadline. I would always send out the requested information via certified mail to guarantee they received it. Everything was as it was supposed to be until June 10, 2009.

In June of 2009 I received a letter from Kemper Insurance Companies stating that they were offering me $55,996.00 to terminate my LTD coverage. Even though it is not Aetna, apparently Kemper got involved in order to end any coverage for another company (please see page 1, in a circle at the top of the page). I computed how much I would be given should I stay right where I was and the difference was over $100,000, so I declined their offer. After this I received in the mail from Aetna per Rochelle Veal (see page 3) that it had come to their attention that an overpayment had occurred.

As a result of the overpayment I owed Aetna $21,666.00, and if payment was not received by Aug. 2009, all future benefits will be credited towards the overpayment until the balance is paid in full. About a week later I received a request (see page 4) to fill out a LTD Resource Questionnaire even though I had done that just one year ago. I filled out all the requested information and mailed it in by certified mail again. I got the card back from the post office saying they had received it, but then later in July I got another request (see page 5) to do it again. So then I called Rochelle ** and she said they never got the copy that I had receipt saying it was received. She said it was not necessary to fill out another one. I asked if I could have a copy of how long it would take to pay off the said debt, so she mailed me the letter (see page 6).

In Dec. 2009 I received yet another request to fill out information so I tried calling and talking to Rochelle again. I was told Rochelle was no longer on my case but (see page 7). Natalie, with a different extension number, would be the one to talk to. I tried reaching Natalie at the extension and I was told by their personnel she was no longer on the case but Maribel A. was. I did get through to Maribel A. and she told me they never received the information I sent and would have to send it again. I had the information faxed directly to Maribel A. as well as sent via certified mail again to ensure that they somehow got it. I called Maribel A. again and tried to see if I could get a copy of where they got their numbers from, and she told me that they refigured how much I was making at the time I retired and that the figure of $49,000 was wrong and should have been $40,932.

So even though the policy expires at age 65, they would still not be paid back. Then I received another request from them for a medical release in Jan. 2010 (see page 8). I called again and again, getting hung up on, call back not getting through to the correct people and not able to talk clearly with the people I need to. I have a copy of insurance they issued to me which was one times my yearly salary and a pay stub that shows how much I made bi-monthly (see pages 9 and 10). All this has been done without me knowing anything about it and not giving proof that what they are saying even has any merit. I live on Social Security alone since my M/S has not gone away. All the stress it has given has been too much and I get exacerbation more often.

So all in all it boils down to a matter of numbers: they say I only made $40,932 and I say I made 45,309.60. This was my base pay before any bonus or stock options or anything was added to it. I get that by taking my bi-monthly pay ($1887.90) and multiplying it by 24 payments for a year. 2/3 of that pay is 30,206.40. Divide that by 12 to get my monthly pay and it equals $2517.20. Subtract $1,525.00 that I was getting from S.S. and you get $992.20, which is what I should have been getting per month instead of $1045.63. So by subtracting $992.20 from $1045.63 means I was overpaid by $53.43 per month. If you multiply that by $120 for over 10 years the difference is still only $6411.60, not the $21,666.00 plus the $48,000 they say I owe.

I have started the appeal process with them & with Delta Air Lines. This could take months, if not, years. Please help me deal with this woman and her supervisor, Phillip S. Through my auto attorney, I was warned in 2007 that Aetna was setting me up to loose my benefits by forcing me to provide my entire tax returns for 3-4 years and all doctor notes and any and all documents pertaining to my case, which most of it they already had.

I eceived a call from Holly on 12-12-09, another case manager, that the peer review had been completed and the claim had been denied but had no reason. I tried other Aetna avenues to no avail. I spoke to Diane 01-04-10 and she confirmed the case had been denied. She stated that they had sent several requests to doctors' office for more info with no results. I have a phone recording from doctors' office dated 12-09-09 stating they had paperwork submitted to Aetna at that time, "additional" paperwork Aetna had submitted. I have an appointment for 01-05-10 that I scheduled to see doctor and confirm why I'm off work, MRI and reading thereof.

I also have an appointment for a hernia operation scheduled for 01-27-10 for repair from physical therapy. I tried that hard to get back to work. Aetna's Diane would not even listen to me giving her these dates and appointments. I spoke to a long term disability rep from Aetna in December as my STD would expire 01-06-10. Sandy informed me the hernia would be under the same claim because it happened relating to the primary injury. I will probably lie and say I'm fine, so I can return to work, get laid off, and at least have money coming in. If I could fake the doctor out which in my current condition is next to impossible. I'm an electrician for Boeing which means climbing two 26 foot vertical steel ladders in the snow on a roof with tools to change the motor on a rooftop fan, one of the simpler things I do!

I was denied, then denied again. There was no response back from Aetna to my attorney. 45 days passed, and there was no response. My attorney re-sent the demand for back payment and STD / LTD settlement offer. Again, there was no response back from Aetna, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Sound familiar?

I'm nearing bankruptcy, foreclosure and homelessness. I have little if any nerves left to stress out. I'm feeling numb but my body still feels fear of my unknown future, day in and day out. And still, there is no word from Aetna.

There is confusion as to how Aetna will not respond to any correspondence without any consequences. A class action lawsuit against Aetna, from Boeing in 2004 has taught them nothing. Pray for us. God help us.

I have been struggling real bad with no money for 3 months. I had to empty out all my retirement accounts in order to pay the mortgage. I have been charging all my medications on my credit cards, but I am scared because they are about maxed out now. I paid my COBRA on my credit card because I had no money, but I had to see all my specialists. I sent my daughter to go live with her father. With no money coming in I can’t afford to take care of her. I was so sick before dealing with Aetna. Now, I am sick, stressed beyond belief and destitute. It’s like they want me to die with no assets left - then maybe they will make a decision on my claim!

Anyway, Aetna insisted that I ask my doctors to send an out-of-work note to Aetna to re-certify my claim every two weeks despite the fact that my doctors had told them the recovery time for my surgeries would be several months. This was such a hassle to get the doctors to fill out paperwork every two weeks for Aetna! Aetna also did not contact my employer to let them know how long I would be out either, so every two weeks my employer thought I was returning to work!

In February, Aetna said they were going to do a peer review with one of their doctors and have them talk to my doctors. I received a letter that this had been done and that my disability was not supported by objective medical documentation as decided by their peer reviewer and my benefits were cut off. I called my doctors and they said that they were not contacted by a doctor on Aetna's behalf whatsoever! I had also faxed a lot of medical reports and capabilities worksheets that had been filled out by my doctors and they also had faxed these to Aetna.

I filed an appeal and while I was waiting, I received a letter that my long-term disability claim had been approved and this was also published on the Aetna website for disability claims. I called Aetna and told them that they should reverse their short term claim denial since Aetna had approved my long term claim application and found that my disability was supported by objective medical documentation. A week later, Aetna called to harass me saying my long term disability claim was not approved and they needed more information from me after the fact. They also said that they do not talk to the short term disability claims department?

These deceptive delay and harassment tactics would be ordinarily considered "bad faith" but since this is an employer paid group policy, it is governed by the ERISA and Aetna can basically do whatever they want and get away with it. They have not responded to my request for the information they used to deny my short term disability benefits and I know that they can be penalized $110/day for that I was told.

They play legalese word games. Can you provide me any in-site or suggested direction? Tonight I still have a roof & food.

I was diagnosied with a genetic heart condition called hypertropic obstructive cardiomyopathy where the heart wall becomes thicker and the chambers of the heart become smaller causing shortness of breath. It is a progressive disease. I was able to continue work but had a heart attack in 2001 related to the condition but was also able to go back to work after recovery and some change in medications. I had no desire to quite work as I was 55 and felt that I could continue with my work as a register nurse.

I continued to work another 5 years Sept 2007 I developed congestive heart falure and could not walk without extreme shortness of breath and had a 20 pound weight gain due to fluid that collected in my extremities because of the heart failure. I could no longer perform my duties as a registerd nurse. I called in sick one day and just couldnt go back to work as i was extremely short of breath. My cardiologist said I should not go back to work. Which is documented and copies sent to Aetna.

I waited the 90 days as required to submit my claim to Aetna and it has been a nightmare every since. I filled out their forms and did all they request but they continue to have one more thing they need. At first they said I was denied as my cardiologist had not sent them the information that they needed. I called my cardiologist and he said that his full report was in medical records which Aetna had already received the form that gave them they right to get any of the medical data and reports that they needed.

After talking to Aetna that stated that they could not get the medical history. I drove downtown through traffic to get to the group health medical records department and was told that Aetna had requested the medical history but had not told group health where to send the records and did not pay the fee to get the records which aetna knew were required. I paid for the medical records and faxed them to Aetna from 3 different fax machines which when talking to them again they stated they never received. I then mailed them certified mail so that they could not denie receiving my medical history.

I call Aetna weekly and sometimes as much as three times a week and they assure me that they are working on my claim. I received a phone message from Monica 6-26-2008 that they expected to be approving my claim within 48 hours. She said because the claim would be so much that she had to turn it over to her technical advisor for review. I checked the mail box everyday waiting for the check and did not call Aetna for a few weeks. No check and no calls from Aetna.

I called to inquire about my claim to be informed that they needed my last 23 paycheck stubs which had been sent to them before from Group Health human resourses. When I called later they said that they had not received the information. I called human resouses and they said they had sent that to them a week ago. I called aetna and asked if they had received the information and they stated no but when I told them of the call to human resources they them said Oh yes Monica did received them I have never been able to talk to Monica directly, as when asked to be transferred to her I only get her voice mail and she doesn't call back. Only 3 calls from her after many voicemails and weekly request for 8 months.

I followed up with a call to find out that they did not understand codes on the paycheck which had been explained many times previously. It has been now 8 months of being told one stalling lie after another and I am very frustated. i can't afford the amount of money that the attorneys are requesting and i keep hoping that it will be settled soon and continue with my weekly calls and trying to provide every thing that they ask for but I can't help but feel that either they are the most incompedent group of people or the smartest at getting me to feel that they are working on this claim until I will just give up and they can win and not give me the coverage that I paid for over 16 years.

I am depressed and frustrated by Aetna's response and the way they continue to delay paying my claim. I guess I was foolish to trust that when you pay for coverage that they will be forthright and honest. I can't work or I would. I have not had any money coming in for almost a year now and have gone through most of my savings. I feel that the stress with this heart condtion will shorten my life and maybe that is what they what. i understand that with fraudulent claims that they must be careful but they and any medical person knows that with the heart condition that I have that I can not work as registered nurse with all the physical demands as I can't even walk to the mailbox with out shortness of breath. I wish that there was something I could do to make Aetna accountable for there actions as I would have a criminal charge against me I lied to them as they have been doing to me.

I am an MSW that does face-to-face assessment with acute mentally patients that present to the hospital ER and are suicidal, homicidal, psychotic, intoxicated and / or using drugs... it is normally a volatile and hostile environment, which may lead to unpreditable and aggressive confrontations. These are not sedentary tasks that Ms Shaerry has assumed that I do.

It is my personal opinion that AETNA and it's employees have intentionally delayed making a decision and then denying my claim after months of waiting when they had all the documents and signatures which THEY originally requested... this comes very close to what I would consider fraudulent and deceptive practices.

Denied LTD Disability Benefits due to Ms Sherry using incorrect occupation title and job responsibilities taken from the US Labor Dept Occupational Titles; Lack of knowledge of serious illnesess and the effect / symptoms of those illnesses; loss of employment / income due to her procrastination and delay tactics; not taking initiatiave to obtain current / most recent test results other than those submitted in the initial claim back in February 2008; Thinking she has more knowledge and experience than the cardiologists, neuroligist, and psychiatrists who have been treating me and have stated that I am not able to work at this time thus entitling me the LTD benefits for which I have paid premiums.

During this time, I spoke with the claims adjustor on several occasions, being provided 'all the necessary information needed to determine my claim'. On June 13th, I was advised by a rep my claim had been denied. I was called by the adjustor, Monigue later that day, apologizing profusely and stating a decision had not yet been made, and that I would have an answer by Friday. No answer on Friday. I confronted the claims adjustor on June 17th, telling her if I did not have a decision on my claim by June 20th, I was going to sue the company.

On June 23rd, I called Aetna (after the 6th such promise broken on returned calls), and was informed that my claim had been denied due to 'lack of functional testing' that I had previously been told was not required by the same adjustor that denied the claim...but that I could appeal.

I should know back from my attorney by Wednesday whether or not we go ahead with the lawsuit. It is my honest opinion as a licensed agent in my state that this company skirted it's legal duty in my state to timely process my claim, and further denied it illegally, which I intend to reclaim in court. I find it sad to read so many other complaints even far more attrocious than mine!

My credit went from perfect to poor from April to July, we are in danger of losing everything due to the negligence of this company. I may lose my job, not being released to return to work and unable to collect payment on premiums I paid in trust to this company. My spouse has to look for a second job, my teenage son had to get a job to help out, we had to pull our daughter out of preschool.

I am forced to self pay my medical insurance premiums at over $500 per month in order to keep coverage I need to seek treatment for my osteoarthritis (sustained in auto accident, I'm 36), degenerative disc disease, and the depression and PTSD resulting from my injuries. I have to forego physical therapy because I cannot afford the copays, live in pain because I cannot afford my pain medication, and cannot seek community resources because I technically still have a job.

Due to a lack of information about the date this would begin, I called Aetna and was told that another Individual handled Ltd. and that his name was Steve S. I was advised by Steve that there would be a 45 day wait for my Ltd to be approved,and that during this period I would not be receiving any income. As this was unacceptable, I asked what would be needed to get this Ltd process shortened,and what could I do to get the ball rolling, Steve advised me that he would review the last doctor report, from 10/17/05.

I received a call from Tiffany, advising me that I needed reports from the orthopedic surgeons who operated on both of my elbows, for what I believed was for the Ltd question, and that I would have to sign a release of information form for that information to be sent. I went to the surgeons office and signed the forms the following day. From Aetna I hear nothing, so on 11/5/05 I again call Aetna and spoke to Tiffany, She then advised me that my Std has not been approved past 11/15/05,I asked her why, and she somewhat rudely said that she still had not received the forms from the surgeons, and without them there would be no extension. I was shocked to hear this as again I thought that the surgeons reports were to eliminate the 45 day Ltd wait.

I have on several instances offered to go to any doctor of their choice for x-rays, exaimination or whatever would expedite this, I was told it was not needed my complaint, why does it take almost a full month for approval?

This employee did NOT contact me or my doctor before doing this, and once this happens, it is a 6 month appeal process. I had moved into a house, put a large down payment on it, figuring I was going to get well and get back to work at sometime in the future. Well, this action by Aetna caused me to lose my house, I also lost my car, and lost my belongings, which were in storage since I had no place to live and could not pay the bill. Aetna finally sent me to their own doctor, probably expecting him to agree with them since he was paid by them, but he got real mad after testing me for about 6 hours, and said not only was I still sick, but Aetna had made me SICKER by their pulling the finanacial rug out from under me!

I mean, how well can you get when your financial situation is put in the toilet by the very company you heard for years would 'help you when or if you got sick'? There was NO apology from Aetna at this treatment, they just started paying me again, but a bit later, they stopped again, that was about 2 years ago, and altho now I have SSD, it is not enough to live on without that Aetna payment, so I have had to change houses again, for a 3rd time in 5 years, trying to start over. I fully believe that I could have been back in the work force by now if Aetna had not started screwing with my disability payments.

My father did what Aetna required as far as getting his physicians to send in paperwork each week for his short term disability. From the very beginning dad had problems getting anyone from Aetna to call him back with questions he had about the long term disability process. Because he tires easily on the phone, I made some calls for him and finally got in touch with a very nice man who explained the process to me. He told me that my father had a 90 day waiting period before he could qualify for long term disability and fortunately the ninety days he spent on short term disability took care of that waiting period.

The man I talked to said at that time that dad had another two weeks left on STD and that his doctor's office needed to fax paperwork so dad could be certified and get his last two checks which are about $353 each. This man also explained the process for long term disability as well and told us that my father will receive no money between his last short term disability check (period ending 10/9) and the date that his long term disability is finally approved. I was told that once his LTD is approved, he would receive funds retroactive to October 10th.

My parents became concerned when October 9th came and went and still they had not received the last two checks. My father, who is ill at home, and has a hard time talking on the phone for long periods of time, made numerous phone calls and left voice mails that went unanswered. In a quest to help him, I also made phone calls, and a caseworker supervisor did call me, but she also called my dad and since she contacted him I did not call her back. My dad asked her about the disability checks. She kept talking about one check, not two. He insisted he was owed up until October 9th, she kept insisting it was one check he was owed and that they were waiting for his Long Term paperwork to process before he could get more money after that. This was confusing for dad who was told as was I that he was owed two checks, for weeks ending October 2nd and October 9th. In the meantime my father talked to this caseworker supervisor on approximately October 12th and the caseworker supervisor told my father a draft would be cut that day for him.

However on October 19th he still had not received a check and he called and left several messages, as I did, and I was the one who found out from an employee there who checked the file that a check had not been recorded as mailed out in the file. When my father talked to the supervisor again sure enough she confirmed that my father's case analyst, her subordinate did not do his job and cut the check and send it. My father said the woman seemed very upset, concerned and apologetic. To him, it wasn't an act, she was very upset. She assured my dad she would get to the bottom of it and call him and let him know a check was being overnighted.

He never received a callback from Aetna that day or for the remainder of the week. Finally, because he was desperate for his money (he and my mother had a mortgage payment due, medication and groceries to buy, not to mention my mother needed gas money to get to work), I called Aetna Friday and I was angry. I found out from a random employee who checked the file that a check was cut on Thursday but there was no way to tell when it was mailed out. Today is Saturday and still no checks from Aetna.

My mother doesn't make much money, my father's short term disability wasn't even 2/3 of his normal pay. As of today, Aetna has not sent the last two short term disability checks which would help my parents pay their mortgage, buy groceries or so mom could put gas in her car to go to work. My father is tired all the time and depressed because he feels like nobody cares about his situation. He's right, nobody ever calls him back. They make him wait....he depends on this money to get by. His health is getting worse because of the stress. My mother is depressed, cries all the time, is worried about how to pay the bills. And I spend many hours during the day making phone calls and sending emails on my dad's behalf because I know that he is just plain exhausted just from trying to get a live person on the phone to help him and give him information.

The last LOA I was on they refused my short term disability pay. Aetna's so-called nurse said I did not have enough clinical information. Both of my doctors said they had given Aetna all the information they had and that they felt Aetna needed. I explained this to the nurse and again all she would say is I need more clinical information. I even asked her to tell me exactly what info she is talking about or what other tests Aetna would like for me to have...but like a tape recorder all she would say is I need more clinical information. Therefore, I did not receive any money for a month.

I was in a no win situation because with fibromyalgia stress flares it up so while the doctors are trying to use medicine to relieve my pain Aetna's refusals would stress my out and keep the pain flared up. I would try to go back to work but repeatedly missed days due to the pain - I used up all my sick time and vacation time and began taking days without pay. My good credit became so bad that I eventually was forced to file bankruptcy.

I was called into a meeting with my management and Human Resource Rep and reprimanded for my absences and therefore received a very bad review which trigged a very very low raise. You see here at Boeing an LOA constitutes 1 situation rather than each individual day taken for sick time. Your job is more protected when you are on an LOA. I definitely was afraid of losing my job after 22 years of service. Both the above situations caused stress which in turn caused the pain to flare up. Since the beginning of this year a new rheumatologist prescribed a different pain medication for me and I have felt better than I have in years. Unfortunately, I still have to overcome bad debt record and bad absenteeism record.