Great-West Life Disability Insurance Reviews

My company uses them for our disability. I sent my forms in the day after my surgery. I have chased around and called multiple times and I'm not getting anywhere. They claim that they are waiting for information from an employer's side. And they have left messages. They won't return my calls and sound aggravated when you call to follow up and see if there is any new information... It is going to be 30 days since I filed in 5 more days... Luckily we are financially stable... I am horribly dissatisfied.

My husband has been receiving DSB for now 3 years first and out of the blue now they say there are discrepancies in his file and want him to see one of their doctors about 8 hours away. My husband's doctors do not want him to drive or fly. I bet anything they will cut his benefit...he told them he was unable to make that trip but would be willing to see another specialist in our province. Always something with them! They lie and make things up as they go. All 3 doctors have written letters stating he can not return to work. Chronic pain and back problems will not get any better.

Had a disability product. Terrible service. The caseworkers keep demanding doctor letters that I had to pay for, wasting neurologists valuable time as doctors had already signed off in forms to state I was totally disabled. Wouldn’t even consider Great-West Life. Really terrible all the way.

Want payment delayed for no reason? Want doctors faxes or medical claims rejected despite being covered denied without explanation? Want your spouse inexplicably removed for no reason? How about no payments for 6-7 weeks during your rehabilitation back to work?
Lawyer up if you want to deal with this negligence and document everything, I wish I did.
31 months I've dealt with this insanity and never again, just mistake after mistake and nobody cares at all.

I feel like they scam people I’ve paid into this company for years through my work. I never had to use them until just recently. I had to have surgery and was going to be off work for 1 month to 6 weeks. All the papers were filled out by both myself and the surgeon. It has been a month and I have not seen any money from them... In fact, they are asking for all the forms to be filled out again by me and my surgeon. My surgeon has faxed them three times now..now no one is responding to my calls and messages that I have left. I had to pay my bills and rent with my credit card. I’m running out of money and I feel helpless. I’m not sure what to do anymore. This company needs to be Investigated.

I don't know what is up with this company, I filed a short term disability claim but it seems like they do everything in their power to avoid paying you. I had to call maybe 50 times to get somebody to review my file, and even after several months, I haven't received a penny! Please avoid this company, lucky for me it was only a short term disability and I was able to withstand the damage.

I've been on LTD disabled Insurance through work for 20 years - 1st with London Life then GWL bought them...I think my policy may have changed then... I've told GWL with every request they send me, exactly what my monthly CPP income was.. then I got CPP survivor benefit added when the husband died ... and they were notified then, and my disability payments never were reduced. OK... I figured I am allowed to keep CPP survivor benefit.. as I've always told them in everything they requested that I've "this total Includes CPP Survivor benefit" I'm told now... there IS no allowance for inflation. Every extra penny CPP gives me including what my Husband wanted me to have is deducted and I am ONLY allowed to make $800 month for life...HOW CAN ANYONE LIVE ON $800 MONTHLY for life in this era ?? Now GWL wants to do a review of past CPP payments as they say they overpaid me.... even Ontario disability pays $1,130 mo to their clients... However.. it was GWL fault their workers never read or followed up on what I've been sending them for over 7 years... IF there was an issue... someone on their end should have caught it years ago... Now they want $30.000 + paid back as overpayments of 7 years... and I don't even make anything close to what government assistance pays their ODSP clients.. and housing wants 33 % of income... If one can get that... This is their fault by not reading what I've been sending them all these years, and now want to come after me for them not doing their job right... I've had 6 different GWL caseworkers in past 8 years...who always approved my file because of what honesty I've stated... How can they make ME responsible for them dropping the ball??? I don't have the money to repay this amount :-( I guess I need a lawyer...

It is absurd that they determine the type of mental health professional I am allowed to see. This needs to be changed. Psychotherapists should be covered on any plan that has social workers or psychologists.

Honestly, my life was better with my dislocated disc in my back, then dealing with these people who have no care for their clients. I am in disbelief because I was off for 12 weeks and now I was told they are only gonna be paying me for 4 weeks. I am shocked and feel disgusted.

Dealing with GWL on a disability claim for my wife has been completely abhorrent. As others have noted, if they can find ANY reason to deny the claim, they will. We have in writing from them that while her doctors may consider her unable to work, they don't agree (without justification given) so go back to work. Despite our request to be seen by a doctor of their choosing, they declined and stuck with their decision on appeal. If your employer defaults to their decision, as he does, then you are stuck with the employer demanding that she return to work despite doctors instructions she can't. The sad irony in this is she is paying for this 'coverage'. The sad footnote is every health care provider we have dealt with, has had nothing good to say about patient experiences with GWL.