Great-West Life Group Benefits Insurance Reviews

This is the worst company I have ever had the displeasure of having to deal with have been trying to set up my benefits package for a years time now with no response other than a number with a reference code that don't exist. They have bin deducting money from my pay cheques for the entire time and tell me I have no benefits with their company and that they have no record of me at all in their system. I would recommend everybody to steer the hell clear from this company.

I'm under my partner's health benefits. Chiropractic care is listed at $500 per year covered at 100%. I had my initial assessment for $125. This was the least expensive that I found in my immediate area in Toronto. Only $68 was covered much to my surprise. After extensive time on the phone, I was told that they only cover the lowest amount offered in my area. Looking at the Ontario Chiropractic Association's website I found that they recommend a fee was $88 - $150 for an initial assessment in 2019. The company refused to share with me their supporting evidence showing how they found $68 to be the lowest cost per hour. This is honestly so frustrating. If a plan offers $500 covered at 100% I shouldn't be surprised that my first claim towards this amount isn't fully covered. Maybe there are smaller towns in Ontario where $68 is the cost of chiropractic care but in Toronto, you're unlikely to find this. There's nothing that makes me so upset as sneaky and deceptive behaviour.

I applied for short term disability in June 2016 through my employer. The 1st case manager Logan M. lied to me over the phone that my claim was approved and just needed to finish the calculations, and I'd likely to see first payout by next Friday. About 2 weeks went by with me chasing her as to what's going on. After complaining to my employer about lack of response, Logan M. told me that my claim was declined because my employer said I shouldn't have stopped my medication years ago. My specialist doctor told me to wean off it and completely stop it, because there's bad long-term side effects. The wait to see the specialist doctor was months long to get my medication refilled. My employer said that they do not influence any claim decisions at all. I escalated at Great West Life and was assigned a 2nd case manager Sara S. After I got in to see the specialist doctor and was on my medication again, my claim was denied again - Sara S. said to me over the phone that I should have been taking Tylenol and working during the long wait for a specialist doctor. They denied my claim again, on basis that I wasn't severe. I told my family doctor that Great West Life was giving me the run around, she wrote a doctor's note and told me to apply for EI sick benefits. She was right, I had no problem getting my claim for EI sick benefits approved. Great West Life case managers will lie and manipulate your words over the phone. I consulted a disability lawyer because they take cases on contingency basis, he said there wasn't much money left for him to chase. EI sick benefits payments are deducted from short-term disability calculatons, so the crooked insurance company Great West Life won by declining you repeatedly until you give up. Unless you have something that's "definite", like surgery or being in the hospital... anything "subjective" or episodic disability will be repeatedly declined so they wear you down by forcing you to provide all kinds of evidence that you're "severe". Be warned, everything they ask you to get to back up your claim, they're actually using all of that to manipulate it so they build a case against you. Also, I'm in Calgary, they assigned Ontario reps that are off work at 1pm my time... adding to the difficulty of getting a hold of them. There's a reason why they only provide their first name and the first initial of their last names, they're unethical... after one phone call with each of the case managers, I refused to talk to them over the them, requiring everything via email... it helped stop some of their lying and manipulation over the phone with you. I wonder how these case managers sleep at night, they're incentized to decline as many cases as they can, it's how their performance bonus works.

Very dishonest by finding ways not to honor payment while taking very high premium.
I am requesting management to opt out

This is the worst of the worst. Was put on short term disability for heart issue, doctor would not renew my licence and I drive truck for a living. Had to wait 7 1/2 weeks for first pay cheque, and was about 1/4 of what I made. The Evil witch that looked after my claim could not give a care of my condition, she told me that I was running out of short term disability and if I applied for long term disability I probably would not get it, because not being able to drive is not covered, and I live 50 miles from work.
I had several claims with this company, because the company I work for goes with GWL, and every time just very negative. One time had dentist work done and was in the dentist chair, and dentist was doing work on my teeth, they tried submitting claim to see if I would be covered, and GWL wanted to talk to me to ask me a bunch of personal questions to verify it was me, I felt like 2 inches tall. The only people I would recommend this company to is my enemy's.

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!

I've been insured with them through my work and have been paying into them for almost 2 years with no claims. I finally made a claim for orthopedic shoes and it has been a month since I sent them what they asked for - doctor's prescription and podiatrist's. They rejected my claim BY SENDING A LETTER THROUGH SNAIL MAIL!!! I can't even touch how bad an idea that is because it's slow and dated... ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY CAN CALL/EMAIL OR UPDATE MY FILE! I called to find out why, and I've had to wait on the phone for half an hour before a representative picks up and tells me the same things. They refuse to pay for my shoes because according to their system my condition requires orthotics, not ortho shoes. I asked them to cover my orthotic insoles and they said my plan doesn't cover those, only ortho shoes, but they won't pay for my shoes because my condition requires the insoles... I explained that my doctor told me to get both of them for my condition, but they are saying their system says otherwise and they don't cover insoles. Fast forward to a month and I've spoken to the supervisor twice and have only received the same runaround. This is literally the worst runaround in the history of runaround. It goes likes this: "Your doctor says you need these things but our system says you need only the insoles. We do not cover insoles for you but we do cover shoes for you. We can't give you shoes because according to our system you need insoles. We don't cover insoles for you." It is ridiculous! This is what I've had to hear for a month AFTER waiting on the phone for upwards of 20 minutes and up to a half-hour. Please! For the sake of your sanity, and your money, if your employer offers benefits through this company, don't waste your money because you can easily pay for your stuff without going through them if you choose to opt-out.

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.

Sadly through my workplace, we are forced to pay into this horrible company. They charge a fortune in monthly fees, yet cover nothing that other reputable insurance companies offer. A prime example is their pathetic mental health coverage. You can’t even get the cost of one appointment covered with a psychologist. Also, I’ve spoken to a few working moms who have coverage under their insurance policies for breast pumps. Big surprise, Great-West Life do not consider it essential. They do not care for their customers, they are simply out to gouge hard-working Canadians from their hard-earned money!

I recommend everyone to stay away from Great-West Life Group Dental Benefits! Twice I’ve had to get a crown on my teeth and both times they denied my claim stating that they determined that a filling was all that was needed! My dentist assured me that a filling would not work and this last tooth had a large chip to the point that my nerve was exposed! I’ve never had this many problems with any other Group Benefits Company!