My heart goes out to all the people who have had the same unfortunate experience that I have had. This is my 3rd week waiting on MetLife, after they got money out of my check biweekly. I do not have any civil words at this point, and benevolent patience and understanding are almost beyond me now. I have furnished them with information that they required, trusted them sight unseen. What if we stop putting $ in their pockets? I hope some governmental agency investigates them.

So, I have put off surgery on my rotator cuff for about 9 years. It was not a pressing matter and I could function just fine in all positions that I held regardless of job requirements. So, in Dec 2009 I have a 2nd MRI done and it shows that my rotator tendon is almost completely torn. I am in constant pain and it needs to be repiared within 8 months. So, I schedule my surgery for June and get a hold of my employer. I ask who covers our short-term disability and find out it is MetLife. Never having used any type of disability, I get some info and do my due diligence. I find out that I am paying into this program to get back 60% of my pay while I am out. So, that gives a little pause. I read some reviews and some non-partisan literature and am satisfied that they will be an adequate provider. So, night before my surgery I call our insurance carrier and make sure everything is in order and then attempt to contact MetLife. I get through but they can tell me nothing as I have not officially been out of work yet. This is my first red flag.
So, surgery goes well and recovery is coming along during that first week. I am trying to monitor my STD(short0term disability) account but cannot find it in their system. I call. I get a rep that gives me some info. So, I go back to the web and try again but to no avail. Now, per their own literature, the account manager for my claim was supposed to call me within 2 days of my first day out of work. It is now 4 days and I can't even access my account. So, I call my employer and speak to the person that handles our health information. I give her the info and she calls me back later unsure of how to proceed. After 8 days of this, I finally get a call from my claim manger to whom I have left 6-8 pleasant and not-so-pleasant voice mails. I am desperately trying to track down this alleged info that they still need while heavily medicated and unable to drive. So, I finally get it all organized and then she calls(Anne C.) to tell me she has everything they need and the claim is approved. So, it becomes obvious to me that they had it all along and just could not get it organized. Now, I have raised red flags 2, 3, and 4. But, wait there's more!
So, they approve my claim for 6 weeks. But, my 1st follow-up with the doctor is not until week 7! So, I tell Anne C. this and she says that she will call my doctor and employer and get it extended. This is mid-July. I keep checking my account and do not see any changes. So, I get a little worried. I call my rep at my employer and complain vehemently 2 more times. I feel like I am being strung up and left for dead here. So, finally I make my 10th call to this woman and tell her that "I require immediate action" as it is now Aug 7th and still nothing. We are going out of town, I need this resolved. Red flag number 5 goes up.
So, MetLife policy is that if your case manager does not call you back in 2 hours, another one will. I leave my messages multiple times and NEVER got a call back from anyone. Anne C. did return my call 1 time out of 6-8 calls. This time, I leave my message at 830am. Again, for the 8th time or so, the associate tells me they are making a note on the call sheet and thasomeone will call back within 2 hours. So, I wait patiently by the phone. 2 hours go by, then 3, then 4, then 5, then 6. It is now almost 3pm and I just get a call back. It isn't even my case manager. I tell this lady my situation and Bingo! she extends my STD until I can at least see my doctor. Now, remember that I told my case manager this back in mid-July. Why could Anne C. not have done this then and not waste almost a month of my time?
So, here I sit. My STD is only approved until I get to see my doctor later this month. Then it takes AT LEAST 7 days for me to be able to return to work. Meanwhile, I have ZERO faith that MetLife and especially Anne C. will be able to get the required info organized and entered on the day I see my doctor to keep my claim active. So, I am trying to avoid stress and focus on rehab but cannot really do that when I have to spend 40% of my time to tracking down this woman who is non-responsive.

MetLife sucks! The reason most employers have it is because they under-bid 97% of other insurers for these services and offer a decent bulk rate. I wish that at least my employer, with employees over 50, 000, would make a switch!

My story is no different then many in which books are written and stories in the Bible portray. This is David vs. Goliath, the small Vs. the Giant. The Weak vs. the Strong. As a matter of fact the movie Sick is an accurate depiction of what goes on in unfair practices of Insurance companies. I am complaining against Met Life Disability. This is one of the most unethical and immoral group of people I have ever dealt with in my life. They have destroyed a many families while in the process profiting huge returns on premiums. They have sucked up my premiums every month for close to a year. When I had an injury which forced me into surgery and out of work for 3 months, I submitted my request for short term disability benefits immediately. I did so prior to going in for this surgery with hopes that it would be processed and I would not have a lapse in my income. I was assured that all was OK and I could feel protected by them while out on medical leave. As the weeks went by and I was attempting to recover no checks came I. After 1 month of being off work not a single cent came in to keep up with any of my daily expenses. Then came the notice that my benefits had been denied due to my issue being a pre-existing condition. I had always had back paid however these (2) accidents which came months after I had their insurance put my normal back pain into a situation where surgery was required they jumped all over the idea of this being a pre-existing condition. Then I was told that all I needed was a letter from my doctor with dates of these new accident and that would clear everything up I did so with in 24 hours. I followed to the T what the representative from MetLife had asked of me as did my Doctor. This was all of a sudden not good enough, and they now wanted me to go through their formal appeals process which takes 6-10 weeks. Due to my inability to keep a household together with zero income after missing 2 months of work I had to prematurely enter the work force a month too soon which again made my back problems worsen. Very little concern was shown by the representatives of MetLife. I t was clear to me that those who I was talking with were there to make sure Met Life Kept every dollar for themselves which is how they can still afford to host these extremely expensive golf and Tennis tournaments. With the mentality used by the associates of Met Life. I have ever had a Head and than have an accident with extreme Head trauma it would be considered pre-existing. Since Met Life could not afford my 2 months leave of absence I lost my Apartment where I housed my 2 kids, My car which got us to and from work. I as well further injured myself forcing my to take more medications than prior to my surgery and could not perform at the top[ of my game which my job being commissioned based destroyed my financially. . The best part is when I told my employer at a collections agency in Phoenix, AZ of whom I had been a notable top producer and 7 year long employee that I needed to go away for FLMA to get better and off the medications I was immediately terminated. Leaving my family without shelter, income or the necessities to continue an even halfway normal life. Thank you to all you big wigs at MetLife If there is an afterlife I pray that you are no part of any good that may come of it. You should all be ashamed of yourselves especially you MRS. FRIENDLY as she goes by. One of the most underachieving word grabbers using words such as uuhh1…and uhm! And like. On a regular basis just searching for the right words to tell me sorry but you is just another SUCKER customer.

WATCH OUT!!!
I've had the unfortunate luck of finding out about MetLife's ridiculousness first-hand.

I had surgery in mid-November 2008 - and according to my doctor (who is a SURGEON) - I needed to be out of work for four weeks. All seemed well with MetLife until about mid-way through the recovery period.
All of a sudden - they were calling me saying my doctor didn't provide this or that...mind you - I'm supposed to be HEALING/GETTING BETTER - not stressing out about what the surgeon's office needed to submit.

Long story short - it's the week before Christmas - I'm back to work and found out that I won't be getting paid on Friday. Yeah - thanks MetLife!
They denied my claim because my doctor didn't send them what they wanted (and somehow - I'm also supposed to be well-versed in medical terminology and lingo to know what the h*ll they're talking about)! Though, they never sent a form or request to the surgeon's office.

I have talked to five reps (at minimum) - and for each time I call - I get told something different. Oh - and the best part is that according to them - they are not even supposed to communicate with me until I receive the official denial letter (which incidentally was sent last week - that I mysteriously haven't received - though I've received every other letter they've sent). Clearly, the criteria for working there is only if you are a cold-hearted, dim-witted moron who simply speaks without thinking.

Oh yeah - and now I have to wait 45 days for a decision...