Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company

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Post or View Comments About Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (31 comments)

Disability benefits claimants are often seeking information regarding Reliance Standard long term disability reviews. We have created a forum where insurers can post reviews and comments about Reliance Standard short term and long term disability claims. Our disability lawyers respond to most comments posted by our visitors.

Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (Reliance Standard) is an insurance carrier that sells disability income and group term life insurance, a suite of voluntary (employee paid) coverage options and fully integrated absence management. Almost all of the disability policies sold by Reliance are governed by ERISA since the disability plans are offered as employee benefits. Reliance Standard markets these insurance products through independent brokers and agents to employers of all sizes. Rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best*, Reliance Standard is an established company and began its first year of business in 1906. Reliance has over $150 billion of insurance in force and assets of over $4 billion.

Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company provides insurance products and services in all states (except New York), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In New York, insurance products and services are provided through First Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, home office: New York, N.Y. Product availability and features may vary by state. It distributes its products through independent agents and brokers.

Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delphi Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:DFG). Delphi Financial Group, Inc. is an integrated employee benefit services company. Delphi provides group insurance coverages: long-term and short-term disability, life, excess workers’ compensation for self-insured employers, large deductible workers’ compensation, travel accident, dental and limited benefit health insurance. Delphi’s asset accumulation business emphasizes individual annuity products. Delphi’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DFG.

As disability insurance attorneys, Dell & Schaefer have represented numerous clients with their long-term disability claims against Reliance Standard and its affiliated companies. Disability Attorneys Dell & Schaefer have provided and offer the following legal services for disability claimants that have a long-term disability insurance policy or disability income policy purchased from Reliance Standard:

• Application for long-term disability benefits with Reliance Standard
• Application for short-term disability benefits with Reliance Standard
• Monthly claim handling of Reliance Standard long-term disability insurance claims
• Appeal of a Reliance Standard denial of long-term disability benefits
• ERISA appeal of an Reliance Standard denial of long-term disability benefits
• Lawsuit against Reliance Standard for denial of long-term disability benefits
• Lump-sum buyout of a Reliance Standard long-term disability insurance policy
• Department of Insurance complaints against Reliance Standard for wrongful delay and denial of long-term disability benefits

There are 31 comments so far. Click here to post your comment ↓

Sharon Fair:

My brother in law was made completely disabled in May 2010 by his doctors. He was a police officer for twenty three years and was unable to continue working due to a back injury. He injured his back several years ago. Two bulging slipped disc and also vertebraes laying on nerves. He is in constant pain. Some days he can’t even stand up straight. Many doctors have seen him and told him the same thing. “Your back will get no better, it will get worse”. He can’t get his long term disability checks from Reliance. Sometimes he will go two months or more before he gets a check. My sister and him have spent countless hours on the phone with Reliance trying to get his checks to them on a regular basis. They always get a different answer. They need more information etc. Several specialist have sent results from MRI’s, sent nine page documents from Specialist stating he will not get any better. He is permanently disabled and will never be able to work. He has applied for his Social Security Disability but that takes months and months to be approved.This has took a toll on my brother in law and sister. This has affected their livelihood. Family members have had to pay bills and buy them groceries so they could survive. My brother in law is a proud man and would love no more than to be able to work and provide for his family like he did for over twenty years but he can’t. Being forced to leave your job due to health reasons was enough to depress my brother in law but the utter hell that Reliance Insurance has put them through should be againist the law. He paid on this insurance policy for many years. I have listened to my sister cry many days worrying how they were going to make it. Things like this should not go on in America. I’m sorry Reliance Insurance should be held accountable for what they have put my brother in law and his family through. They have suffered pain and anguish for months due to this. I hope the President of Reliance Insurance reads this!!! If this were you I bet you would get your disablilty checks like clock work. I bet you wouldn’t have to worry how you were going to pay your mortgage and buy groceries for your family. My sister’s family have suffered enough with this.

B. Bunch:

I agree with you in all aspects. We are going through the “professional delay tactics” of Reliance right now. They need these docs and those and on and on, it never ends. One of their representatives actually told my wife today that our doctor was at fault because they didn’t interpret the company’s terminology and our doctor didn’t get them everything they needed because of a technicality. They can put you off better than anyone I have encountered, but I am going to put a stop to that. I am calling the attorney general, the board of insurance, the local television stations, radio, newspapers and everyone I can contact to get the word out. It may even be time for a nationwide class action lawsuit to open the president of the company’s eyes or at least to let the country know what is happening with this PUBLICLY traded company. How well will the company like that for their stock prices?

Amy:

My fiance’ is dealing with Reliance right now. He was in a motorcycle accident in April. It takes them weeks to approve the claim. That is ridiculous. If you don’t pay the premium, they cancel your coverage, but yet it takes them weeks to go over the paperwork and approve the claim? I think the attorney generals office needs to be notified of this companies practices, because they are not ethical.

Attorney Greg Dell:

Amy, I am sorry to hear about your experience. It is essential to continue paying premiums. If it is an ERISA policy you can file a complaint with the department of labor and department of insurance in your state.

Mark:

Hi all,

My name is Mark Ozimek, I was employed at Lehigh Heavy Forge which is the old Bethlehem Steel plant in Bethlehem PA. I was out for a shoulder operation for a rotator cuff tear. The workman’s comp. insurance turned it down as I tried to fight it, so STD wouldn’t pay (Reliance).

Now the judge in the case had turned me down agreeing with the insurance company, so in this case Reliance is supposeed to pick up the payment for my STD claim that I had filed with them and this case worker Donna won’t even pick up the phone to call me back.

Please help, what do I do?

Attorney Greg Dell:

Mark, you should immediately communicate in writing with Reliance Standard about the current situation.

JoJo:

I have first Reliance in NY State. Here is my question. Can hey cut my monthly benefits they are paying me while I am waiting to see if I can even get SSD? The insurance company calls it Estimated SSD. What they do is estimate how much they think I would get from SSD and they take that much away from my monthly check each month and if I am awarded SSD they want all of that money that I would be getting from thm also. I have to plead Hardship in order to get my money… What I don’t understand is, I paid a premium so why would I have to pay them anything? If I had life insurance and died would my kids have to give them back the money I paid for my Insurance? Doesn’t make sense to me… I can understand them taking the money from SSD award but not to take it from me before I even got approved or not… Please help me before I send back any papers to them.

Kate Kastorff:

I paid for long term disability for three years and now I am disabled. I cannot get Reliance to pay my benefits on time. They go for months at a time wanting this or that, and twice my claim has been “cancelled” only to be reopened when I start yelling “lawyer”. They stall, won’t return my calls, and I am behind in all my bills and turned over to collections agencies because they wont pay me regularly. I lost my COBRA medical insurance because I haven’t had a check in four months from Reliance, so I couldn’t pay my premiums. I’ve had enough. I have an appointment to see an attorney in the morning. I’m suing the bastards.

Attorney Greg Dell:

Kate,

We welcome the opportunity to discuss your claim with Reliance Standard. Before you can sue them you must file an appeal and exhaust all administrative remedies. The delay you are experiencing from Reliance of greater than four months is beyond the norm. If your claim is denied you will receive an explanation in writing. Call us if you would like to discuss your options.

Attorney Greg Dell:

JoJo,

I have not seen your Reliance Standard policy, but group policies must allow the disability company to offset for social security disability. Please see the FAQ section of our site for a lot of information related to SSDI deductions. The estimated offset is unreasonable. If you ask the company to wait until you receive SSDI, then most will not do an estimated offset.

Robert Lomax:

Reliance Standard is the biggest scam ripoff company in the business. They say they will pay 60% of your salary upon proof of disability . They don’t tell you that upon approval of social security disability or benefits that they will deduct this amount from their payment. That leaves you with a monthly check of around $100. After paying $30.00 a month premiums for the past 11 years I feel that I have been had. Thank you Reliance Standard for adding more stress to my life and that of my family.

Attorney Greg Dell:

Robert,

At the time you bought your policy, your employer should have provided you with a copy of your disability policy with Reliance Standard. If your disability policy does not provide language allowing Reliance Standard to seek an overpayment for SSDI, then they are not allowed to. Your employer negotiated the terms of your disability policy with Reliance Standard. Most claimants don’t realize that ERISA disability insurance policies include language that allows for an SSDI setoff.

Thomas R. White:

My employer has a auxiliary group policy with Reliance Standard for disabilities. Our primary health insurance is through our Union with our Employer paying the premiums per our contract.

Recently I was off from work due to several medical problems and I have just returned to this month. During my recovery period Reliance Standard after it’s usual excruciating processing time sent me a disability check. Even though I had filed no Social Security claim, Reliance had deducted an offset for Social Security. I called Reliance to no avail. The offset stood. Then I received a call from Reliance informing me that when I returned to work if I supplied the release documents from my Doctors then possibly I might receive part of the offset money if approved by them. Then, unexpectedly, the other day I received a second call from Reliance informing me that if I could supply additionally a statement from the SSA that I had no Social Security claim that I would receive the offset money in return. All this information was sent to them last Friday.

Today, Saturday, I received a lengthy letter from Reliance informing me that I was receiving a “pension” in addition to Social Security and that the disability check they sent me should have been a considerably smaller amount. I am receiving no “pension” from anyone and am not receiving anything from the SSA. I did receive disability checks from the Union and SURS Disability Insurance, but from no other entities.

Now, Reliance says it over-payed me $2,200 and wants reimbursement in 15 days. My Union Disability money ran out at about the time Reliance sent me their check, so the money from Reliance went to pay bills, living expenses and and co-pays from medical expenses.

In this situation do I have any recourse or should I seek legal counsel?

Attorney Greg Dell:

Thomas,

If you did not receive a pension, then it’s is unclear how Reliance Standard claims you were overpaid. Since they are only claiming $2,200 overpayment it is unlikely they will aggresively prusue you. Also, it could cost you more to get an attorney since the amount in controversy is so low. In this situation you should do the best you can on your own.

Laura:

My husband has partial disability due to his stroke. He can work, thankfully, but now has limitations that he didn’t have before. We started receiving benefits on time and, at the beginning, we thought they we rather large for a partial disability. We and the human resources manager at my husband’s employer questioned the claims examiner several times about the amount. She recalculated it and assured us it was correct. About a year and half later we get a letter saying they had overpaid us by a lot and we needed to send this amount back to them in 15 days. With the help of the same HR manager we told them no. They withheld payments for over a year until they considered us “even”. Now we are starting to get payments again and, as always, they are very irregular. The thing that galls us the most is that the claims examiner, DB, never admitted her calculations had been wrong all along. She blamed the whole thing on error made at my husband’s employers. One time we didn’t get payments for several months and we called and DB said she was waiting for medical records to come from our insurer. We had no notification of this and she never called the insurer to expedite and follow up on anything. I called and got the ball rolling or I don’t think we ever would have been notified about what the delay was. They have terrible customer service and you have to be on them all the time to get anything done or explained. They put a terrible burden on people who don’t have another source of income and should be held accountable.

Beth:

I live in Maryland. I am a cancer patient and what they are putting me through is unbearable. They are trying to force me back to work while I am battling cancer and cannot even get out of bed.

Dan Stewart:

Put out of my job as a police Lieutenant after a fit for duty evaluation in 6-2010. Tried to go back on duty, but was kept out by the doctor for the employer. Finally gave in and filled out my paperwork and was told that although I was still not working because of their doctor, my doctor at first, said I was physically OK to do the job. Long story short, my OPERS should be ruled in my favor at the Jan. meeting of the board. At this point, I need Reliance to pay their share and need to appeal their first decision. I was waiting on the report from PERS’s doctor before I sent in my appeal, but any help would be great.

Mrs. May:

I am receiving LTD benefits from Reliance as I’m disabled due to Intractable Migraines. I’ve also suffered several small strokes from my migraines and have documented damage to my brain. I’ve had to work with Reliance for almost 4 years now and the constant strain of providing them with this/that is getting to the point of absurdity. A few months back they started making me complete a monthly “headache log”. Looks like a totally made up word document in that it has no official insurance company form number at the bottom which most insurance company forms always have. Social Security and/or my Neurologist don’t even require this type of documentation as my condition has never improved.

I am wondering if there is anyone else out there being required to complete headache logs for Reliance? I suspect that I’m being forced to complete these logs for reasons that I can’t discuss publicly at this time. Has anyone else heard of headache logs for persons receiving LTD benefits from Reliance Standard?

Rebecca Gentz:

Reliance Standard writes worthless disability policies. I’ve been fighting them for 5 years now, turned them into the Insurance Commissioner of Kansas two times now. Even though the first time they found wrong doing by Reliance several times, it is now time for me to give up. They lose paper work, to terminate, they make your life miserable in hopes you give up and after thousands of dollars I’ve spent for a lawyer just to make sure I get a check, they now say I owe them 37,000 dollars for their lies. I sent them and my lawyer repeatedly sent them my estimated SSI income, if I would be approved for SSI. Now, I finally got my SSI and they say their records show I’ve had it since 2007. Lie after Lie after Lie. I hope the Insurance Commissioner of Kansas finds more wrong doing on their part again but with my failing health just too much stress to even put up with Reliance anymore but will fight if they push me one more time.They owe Me, not the other way around.

I shout it to the world how crooked their policies are… read the fine print. If you become disabled, but can do even one thing of your old job, they don’t have to pay. Like one lawyer said, if you’re an actor and become disabled Reliance does not have to pay even if you’re a quad. Because part of your job was to read, well in a wheel chair unable to use arms or legs, you can still do part of your job: “read”! How messed up is that?

Oh, and the SSI office has called me several times saying Reliance was trying to obtain my information. SSI says Reliance can send you the forms over and over and it doesn’t matter, even if I sign them SSI will not give out my information to anyone.

BEWARE of this company, they will harass you, haunt you and, as what’s happening to me, come back to bite you in the butt saying I owe them 37,000 dollars.

J. Smith:

My experience with Reliance Standard has been a nightmare! Like others previously stated, their way of doing business does nothing but create hardship, pain, and grief for those depending on their services. Is there anything an Average Joe like me can do to get results? I feel like I am backed up into a corner, completely at the mercy of Reliance and their feet dragging. It cannot be legal the way they do business. Can I write my Congressman? Go to my FOX Phoenix News and hope to be heard? Any suggestions for a young 8 year military Veteran, father with full custody of 3 children (one of whom has Autism and Waardenburg’s Syndrome)?

J. Smith:

Mrs. Sharon Fair, your comment pretty much summed up my predicament exactly. I was wondering if you and your sister/brother in law had any luck getting any results? These people should not be able to operate and run their business this way. We lost our house, have had to depend on our family (who is struggling enough on their own as is) for everything, still enduring a long drawn out process waiting for a check to get here that seems like it will never come. I’d like to know if I have any rights or course of action that can be taken…

Attorney Greg Dell:

J,

I am not sure what your claim status is, but if you contact us we will offer you a free consultation to discuss your claim. It may help your claim to contact the department of insurance in your state and the local news. Sometimes these large insurance companies forget that they only exist because of customers like you that bought insurance from them. Reliance Standard can be difficult to deal with.

Sheila (between a rock and a very hard place):

I have arrived at the dreaded 2 year mark of receiving LTD benefits at the same time that I have been approved for SSDI. I filed for continuation of benefits back in November 2011 and have yet to receive a response. I have spoken to my claims administrator on numerous occasions and she has stated that it is still in review. To be honest, this is the first time it has taken Reliance so long to respond or to extend the benefits. I am sure it is because of the SSDI approval.

I have received the letter from them regarding the “overpayment” and I have responded to them that the language in the letter implies continued benefits should I forward them the “overpayment” received from SSA, however, as they have yet to notify me of their decision/determination, I cannot adequately respond to their request. I received an email reply that says, “We do not give written confirmation when your benefits have been extended. You can call me, email me, or contact the customer service department and they will be able to advise of continuation of benefits. Please call me to discuss overpayment letter that you received and I will clarify the appeal language as well as advise of current status.”

Their letter is written as though they have notified me of their decision with timelines, document requests and rights to appeal and civil actions, etc. along with the powerful sentence “One review will be allowed.” In my response to them, I stated that all of this language was premature as I had not received a decision/determination of continuation of benefits and had nothing to which to base a review or appeal upon and requested that they tell me in writing the status of my continued benefits. Each time I have provided the additional information that they request to continue benefits, I ask them to put in writing that they have approved my continuation of benefits and for how long and they always refuse. In this case at this point in time, I refuse to go forward without something in writing.

What do I do from here? I do not want to have verbal conversations and have requested to be in writing, do they have to comply?

Attorney Greg Dell:

Sheila,

Reliance Standard is required to respond to all of your request and letters in writing. Make sure you are sending them certified mail and saving all fax confirmation if you use fax. The 2 year change of definition is a very common time for Reliance to deny a long term disability claim. We often see that Reliance will wait until you send them the SSDI overpayment and then they will deny your claim.

We are currently litigating a case right now where Reliance paid for the OWN OCC. period then denied for the ANY OCC. period at two years. The client appealed the denial at the two year mark and won his appeal. A few months latter he was approved for SSDI and sent the overpayment to Reliance. Reliance subsequently set him for an IME exam with a hired gun doctor. The IME doctor decided the client was not disabled and then Reliance immediately denied benefits again. An appeal was filed again but Reliance confirmed their denial. This case is currently in litigation in Federal Court due to Reliance’s wrongful denial.

If your claim has been denied, you must comply with the Appeal deadlines. If you receive a denial letter, then please contact us for a free consultation to discuss your options.

Sheila (between a rock and a very hard place):

As it is, I already have to live with the decision I made early in the process when I was having to have surgery after surgery after surgery and used RSLI recommended attorney. PEOPLE, DO NOT DO IT. Do not sign over your rights by using a group of attorneys connected to the insurance company. Believe me, there is some waiver in the documents that you are signing (albeit could be in small print) that gives that attorney the right to share your information with the insurance company. Do not despair if you have already done so, because same document states that you can notify them in writing at any time that you do not want your information shared with the insurance company and that no further contact is to be made between them and the insurance company regarding your claim. They must cease and desist immediately. Send an email first followed by registered/certified mail. Don’t forget you signed a waiver for SSA to provide the information to the insurance company too. It was in the package that you received from the insurance company.

Attorney Greg Dell:

Sheila,

I agree with you that there is a conflict of interest when Reliance Standard is trying to say that you are no longer disabled, but we are going to hire a lawyer to get you approved for SSDI. If Reliance Standard does not think you are disabled then how could they in good faith even ask you to apply for SSDI benefits. I agree that the SSDI attorney that you select should not communicate with Reliance Standard.

Sheila (between a rock and a very hard place):

Gregory,

I already went through the SS process and was recently approved. What is happening now is that Reliance is denying benefits due to what they call the SSDI “overpayment” and I call backpayment. Semantics, I know. I had submitted a cliam for continuation of benefits in November and Reliance owed me a response by January 11, 2011 and did not give me one, nor did they notify me they needed an extension and why.

They had found out through my SSD attorneys that I had received a favorable decision and withheld their decision awaiting information regarding the award amount and how much the back payment would be. I had been calling and emailing requesting status of my claim for continued benefits between January 10 and February 12 with either no response or a verbal it is still in review. I questioned the amount of time it was taking and stated, isn’t RSLI required to provide a determination in writing within 45 days. Her reply was that they were not held to that standard on continuation of benefit reviews.

I received a letter from them on February 13, 2012 notifying me that I owed them the SSDI “overpayment” and that my benefits would be 0 until I sent them the money. I sent a letter and email response letting them know that they owed me a decision/determination of continuation of benefits. Their reply is in my first post above. I spoke to her per her request (see 2nd post above).

My “attorneys” notified Relliance Standard of my benefit determination and the award values before I was even notified – I found out what they were from Reliance Standard on January 27th when I called to ask the status of my claim for continuation of benefits. I asked her where she got information that I wasn’t even aware of and she told me The Advocator Group (my attorneys who were recommended by Reliance Standard) gave it to her.

What I want people to know is – DO NOT USE THE INSURANCE COMPANY RECOMMENDED ATTORNEYS! – keep your business totally separate by using attorneys that have no relationship whatsoever with the insurance and protect your interests. The insurance company will also include a release in their documentation that they want you to sign allowing SSA to release information to them – don’t do it. In addition, they will put a document in their document set that allows your attorneys to release information to them. Don’t do it.

Attorney Greg Dell:

Sheila,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I agree that the SSDI attorneys should not be speaking with Reliance Standard unless they have your exclusive permission. You also need to make sure that if you have an SSDI, then the SSDI medical conditions must be consistent with the same medical conditions submitted to Reliance Standard.

Sheila (between a rock and a very hard place):

Not sure why they would be different as both social security and LTD insurance company get the same records from doctors and facilities that I have been to. I am not trying to be secretive. I just don’t want my attorney sharing information with the LTD insurance company that I do not authorize.

The way the form is worded from Reliance Standard and from the Advocator Group, which is the insurance recommended attorneys I used, my complete file was turned over to Reliance Standard to include conversation notes. I know I told them that I did not want them giving Reliance Standard any information without first speaking to me on a case by case basis. My only proof of that is in their notes. Do you think that they will turn those over to me? No, me either.

First, I say again, people should not use an attorney that is affiliated with their Long Term Disability Insurance company in any way shape or form. If they have already done so, there is nothing that is stopping them from changing attorneys right now, or at very least, rescind the authorization to release information to insurance company and rescind the form signed allowing Social Security Administration to release information to insurance company IN WRITING TO BOTH. It is your right and prerogative. Simply send your letter rescinding authorization to release information to your attorneys and to the SSA. From that point on, they can’t even tell the insurance company that they have received notice from you to cease and desist all communication between them.

I wish you all a lot of luck and best wishes during these hard times of bad health and the mental anguish the insurance company puts you through while you struggle with your health and financial difficulties. May God bless and keep you.

Lynne:

I have been receiving LTD from Reliance for 2 years. They sent me to the Advocator Group to help with my SSDI. I have had three different “representatives” during my 2 years with Reliance, and the Advocator Group has changed names 3 times. I applied for SSDI because Reliance told me that I had to, to receive benefits. They told me that they would receive all my back SSDI payments if approved, which makes sense since that’s what I would have had yo give a lawyer of my own choosing.

Now that 2 years is up, Reliance has my case under review to see if they feel I qualify for further payments. I have been asking them to do this for at least a year, but they managed to stall until my last check is due. Also, the Advocator Group said last month that it usually takes 18 months from the time you apply for SSDI to get a hearing. I applied 2 years ago, but it looks like everything is going to happen at the same time (though I still haven’t heard about my hearing date.)

I have lost my house, gone bankrupt from trying to keep up with my medical bills. I had to move because I was living in Flagstaff AZ (elev. 7400) and due to my medical conditions kept passing out and couldn’t breathe. I still have those same problems and have been diagnosed with multiple heart and lung disease. I can’t stand the anxiety and think about what the outcomes will be every day and night.

Reliance Standard says if I do get approved for SSDI that my checks will have to go to them? I paid premiums to them for LTD, and I paid social security for all my working life (will be 59 in August). Isn’t my work LTD separate from my SSDI?

I am so confused and didn’t know to check into all these things before. I feel like I have been too trusting and naive. Can Reliance claim my SSDI (if I even get approved by either of them in the first place)?

Attorney Greg Dell:

Lynne,

Your Reliance Standard disability policy probably has a provision which states that any SSDI benefits will be deducted from your monthly benefit check. If it does, then Reliance can deduct your monthly check and claim an overpayment. Your SSDI payment will go to you and not Reliance. If Reliance denies your claim, then you have the right to appeal and we would be available to discuss your options.