Committing to customers at claim time: a view from the leading provider of income protection insurance

Workforce, Dec, 2002

Deb Mosley understands firsthand the importance of income protection insurance. She had just embarked on her career as an attorney for Morrison & Foerster LLP, a California-based law firm, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31.

In addition to her health, Deb's immediate concern was for her job security Her position as a new employee with the firm was important to her both in terms of financial support and because she was eager to make her mark as an attorney.

Deb's financial worries were eased by income protection benefits she received under her employer's UnumProvident long-term disability policy. Her UnumProvident case manager, Christine Davis, provided practical support by handling benefits paperwork and physician contacts during Deb's leave from work.

Christine also provided much-needed emotional support. "Christine was very compassionate and gave me a place to turn and talk about my experience," said Deb.

Throughout her recovery from a bilateral mastectomy, eight chemotherapy infusions and 27 radiation treatments, Deb remained determined to return to work as quickly and safely as possible. She succeeded in this goal by rejoining the firm--incredibly, just ten months after her diagnosis.

"A motivated individual is the key to any successful return-to-work story," notes Christine. "Deb told me she wanted to go back to work, and I said, "Then let's partner to make it happen.'"

As Deb explains, "UnumProvident helped make my return to work possible. The support was above and beyond what I expected. I wanted my life back and I got it ... I'm lucky."

The facts of Deb's story are unique, but her experience with UnumProvident is not unusual. Hundreds of thousands of individuals turn to UnumProvident each year during times of disability The insurance coverage and benefits they receive help ease the financial uncertainty resulting from their disability.

UnumProvident will pay more than $3.6 billion in disability benefits in 2002, and employs 8,000 in its Customer Care Center claims management organization. These professionals include claims paying specialists, physicians representing 18 subspecialties, nurse case managers and vocational rehabilitation specialists. UnumProvident has 30 percent more medically related resources than its eight closest competitors combined.**

Clinical expertise and personal attention to each claim form the heart of the organization. When an individual like Deb reports a disability claim, the claim is "triaged" to specialized impairment units based on type of injury or illness and expected duration.

UnumProvident's dedication to claimants' income protection and return-to-work needs translates into the support employers need in today's benefits environment. Benefits managers have to do more with fewer resources and need an insurance partner with the scale to service employees as efficiently and empathetically as possible.

Through resources including its unique impairment-based claim management approach, return-to-work program development, and trend data analysis, UnumProvident helps employers build a more productive workplace culture that encourages employees to stay at work if possible and return to work after an absence.

* UnumProvident represents multiple insuring subsidiaries of UnumProvident Corporation and includes the #1 group and individual income protection carriers in the United States according to JHA 2001 Group and Individual Disability Market Surveys, 2002.

** Unum Provident internal competitor analysis, March 2002

Deb Mosley's employer-provided policy is underwritten by Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company.