Great-West Life Disability Insurance Reviews

I was injured in a surgical blunder. Been off work for 16 months. They are harassing me to go back to work when I am disabled and don’t have the use of my left hand. They don’t want to take responsibility. They want to put me to work and forget about me. NOT. This company also gave me someone else’s private information. Maybe time to sue them? And will try to override a doctor's note.

I had a group plan via my employer with Great-West Life. I was diagnosed with Diabetes, Hypertension and was advised by the doctor that I was at High-risk to suffer a Stroke. But these scammers did not approve my claim even for one day to be off work and their excuse was, “many people suffer from it and they did not see a reason why I should be off work”. I had to quit my job to take care of my health. But the funny part is, I reluctantly applied for EI Sickness Benefits and was approved by them after showing the same Medical Certificate and Notes that I had provided to GWL. This clearly proves them to be unethical scammers and hope they get treated the same and worse thousand times over!

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.

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...

This company has zero empathy and lack any form of communication skills when it comes to their clients. Being on short term disability for mental illness and they make it worse by refusing to cover any treatment for a psychologist after they referred me to their own doctor to see if I needed that treatment. After their own doctor stated I needed therapy from a psychologist they still refused to pay due to it “being too expensive” of treatment; been off work since February and they never once referred me to get any form of medical help so I bought it on my own and when I did that, they come back with zero financial aid and a comment of “we’re not responsible for your choices”. Apparently, someone who cannot work because of mental illness is to sit on the couch and do nothing and become worse because to them that is financially safe. Worst insurance company ever.

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.

I am on the short term disability from my workplace and they work with the Great-West. I'm already on a 70% reduced coverage and they made me pay for the 150$ form they provide for the doctor to fill in. On top of that, there are 7 days waiting period without pay, if you don't have sick days you're pretty much in trouble. The doctor asked for 4 weeks no work, Great-West reduced it to 2 and a half. Every time you make a claim or a quote, they always refuse it or ask for more information. Everything to make you give up. The staff on the phone won't accept criticism and will argue with me.