Disability Insurer Profiles: MetLife
Today we’re profiling another popular insurer that issues private disability policies to dentists and physicians: MetLife.
Company: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, a.k.a. MetLife.
Location: New York, NY.
Associated Entities: MetLife, Inc. (parent company), General American Life Insurance Company, New England Life Insurance Company.
Assets: MetLife, Inc. held over $885 billion in assets as of May 2014, according to Forbes.
Notable Policy Features: One thing to watch out for in MetLife disability insurance policies is a limitation on benefits for mental disorders and/or substance use disorder. Under the Limited Monthly Disorders and/or Substance Use Disorders provision of some MetLife policies, policyholders are only entitled to a total of 24 months of benefits for any mental or substance abuse disorder, such as depression, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, and alcohol abuse or dependency. The 24 month limitation is cumulative. So, for example, if you have depression that disables you for 23 months, then start suffering from disabling alcohol dependency later in your life, you would only have one month of benefits still available to you.
Claims Management Approach: In its 2013 Annual Report, MetLife, Inc. reported that “unfavorable morbidity experience in our individual income disability business resulted in a $6 million decrease in operating earnings.” In other words, in 2013, more private disability insurance policyholders experienced disabling illnesses or injuries than in years before, and that hurt MetLife’s profits. In these situations, where an insurer is facing increased liability for disability benefit payments, we often see that insurer put additional resources towards managing disability claims. In this way, the insurer can spend extra time and effort looking for ways to deny or terminate disability claims, with the goal of limiting its liability.
In our experience, one way that MetLife attempts to dispose of claims as quickly as possible is by ordering surveillance early on in the claim. While some companies will wait until they have received more information before starting surveillance, MetLife has started following and videotaping claimants within weeks of the claim being filed.
With respect to its medical investigation, we have found that MetLife often follows a similar strategy to MassMutual’s. The insurer will often attempt to have its own medical personnel schedule “peer-to-peer” telephone consultations with claimants’ treating physicians, with the aim of catching the treating physician off guard and persuading them into saying their patient isn’t disabled. However, we have found that, in certain circumstances, MetLife can be amenable to submitting medical questions to the treating doctor in writing instead. That way, the treating doctor can more carefully consider the issues, without feeling pressured or put on the spot.
These profiles are based on our opinions and experience. Additional source(s): MetLife’s 2013 Annual Report; Forbes.com
