Bankers Life & Casualty Long-Term Care Insurance

My father left this policy so that my mother would be taken care of after he passed. Her original paperwork and interview was conducted by the case agent in Virginia. That was the last time I was able to talk to her. Customer service is handled in India or someplace. We paid the 90 day deductible which was about 20,000 but their payments did not kick in. They picked almost 2 months later for their start date. After many calls in which none of their representatives will answer a yes or no question, we realized they wanted a write up from her doctor. Denied! After many more phone calls realized they wanted a write up from my mother's retired doctor. Hunted down the doctors that had taken over his practice. They printed out the original documents. Submitted them two times. Denied!

This LTC group is HORRIBLE. In our case, as many others I have read of online, BANKERS LIFE LTCG has dodged and stalled qualifying the policyholder for their benefits. It seems to be a FAME, with the elderly policyholders' life potentially hanging in the balance. According to Bankers Life LTCG, they simply "didn't/don't receive" providers' faxed/emailed notes and invoices. Even when these providers send them OVER AND OVER, 3 TO 4 TO 5 TIMES. It's always the same phone call...They apologize up and down, yet DON'T FIX THE PROBLEM. Even many of the health care providers used cannot stand them and see the runaround game they are playing. Avoid them at ALL costs!

My aunt had paid in over thirty years...over $200,000. When it came time to use home care for her, I had to resort to calling my state Attorney General to help. According to her policy she had over $609,000 available, but since she could feed herself and wipe herself she could not use her money. Yes, she could put the food in her mouth, but she could not cook it nor carry it as she uses a walker. Yes, she could clean herself after she voids, but she could not get to the toilet alone. But Bankers said she was fine alone. The doctor ordered 24/7 care, but we couldn't even get an hour paid for. That is, until my Attorney General helped. Bankers was rude, unhelpful and disrespectful. Avoid this company at all costs.

Their Customer Service when calling their 800 # is extremely frustrating. We have been told different things each time we call to cancel mom's long-term health insurance. She is 96 years old and diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Even with Power of Attorney, they want mom to personally sign a cancellation letter. OMG, so we did that. When I asked to speak to a manager, no one is available. I requested a call back. I was told manager Jean ** would call me back same day. Nothing, no call back. Mom was paying $200 monthly for 20+ years and when she could finally get help through this insurance (home health care), the agency charges so much that it drained mom's investment money. We have to sell her house to afford her care. THIS COMPANY IS A RIP-OFF. DON'T BUY LONG TERM HEALTH INSURANCE.

The policy in question had been paid on time for decades. We went to claim on long term care for two elderly people. The experience was and still is abysmal. Everything takes 10 business days. Everything. They use contractors to do assessments but they appear to have no idea who those contractors are. It took a month after the assessment for the paperwork to appear and then only after multiple calls and follow ups. They take no responsibility for anything. Even when the action is on their part. They have found a number of administrative reasons to delay payment to the point where it became a financial burden.

My mom has dementia and has been in nursing care since June. She became qualified mid September. She spent a few weeks in skilled which delayed the three month period. Since that time they first only paid a small portion and were behind. Each time they said paper work was not filled out properly or they did not receive it. Finally after multiple calls and threats they caught up and she received money just before my dad ran out of money. This facility is small and is familiar with the paper work and what is needed. It Starts again. They say they have not received the paperwork. My sister has been involved but now I will. I will report them to the Kansas Insurance commissioner and going to start calling the local television stations. I know they are lying. They need to be investigated.

I "ditto" all the issues that people have written Consumer Affairs. Bankers Life seems to need more and more information and threatens to close my request for benefits. When will it end? Their client service agents are polite, but not skilled, and you really need to talk to someone higher up to get true information. Do not believe their client service agents, your claim being "approved", just means you are eligible to file a claim. They don't have "everything" because they will have another request one week later. They work with faxes, so don't expect efficient emails. They will not copy you on requests to providers, yet you are responsible for making sure Bankers has all information. It requires hours and hours on the phone.

Banker’s Life refuses to accept bills from a nursing home saying over and over that the forms are not filled out correctly. They are a nightmare to try to work with. Do not give them any money. They only want to keep what has been deposited with them and not return it to the client.

I purchased a long term care insurance in 2015. Unfortunately while on a trip on July of 2019 I suffered an acute ischemic stroke and became handicapped for life. After two years of endless Physical Therapy, Occupational therapy, Speech therapy, Vestibular Therapy sessions I suffer from all ADL,s plus neuro cognitive and memory issues.

My two sisters and I have spent countless hours contacting Bankers Life about our mother's long term care insurance. We have made I'm sure, more than 50 phone calls to them trying to get payment for my mother's care in an assisted care facility. As so many others have found, they delay and delay, and stall using many different tactics. Most often they say they have not received the documents even though we know they have been sent. Phone calls are not returned and promises to resolve are not kept. They will do anything to prevent paying out! Stay away from this company.