Sun Life Group Benefits Insurance Reviews

The company I was working for closed the business and all employees made redundant. This was in August 2018. Despite the claim being made in July 2018, the first contact to advise that no payment would be made was the end of February 2019! Denial of claim, then numerous calls and it took three calls to the call centre (offshore of course), and 10 days to get a call to advise no payment. Awful service! I was advised that as of mid-July 2018, due to administrative issues, all claims had been suspended. Why so long and so many calls/faxes/online claims to get the answer? 7 months is astoundingly poor service!

I had Sun Life insurance provided through my employer. I was off work due to an ongoing and debilitating degenerative back. After being on long-term disability for a term, I was still deemed disabled by my doctors. Sun Life disagreed and said I was capable of doing SOMETHING. I had only ever been an equipment operator, so I had no other marketable skills. Sun Life in their infinite wisdom put me through a Microsoft office crash course and said I now had skills to be employed elsewhere. Despite my arguments that I was typing at 15wpm and had the most basic of understanding of computers, they stuck to their guns and discontinued my benefits. I hope they all have to go through bankruptcy like I did because of this.

Sun Life has unfortunately been the benefits and insurance provider for both my current and past employer. I have not had worse consistent customer service from any organization in my life, than Sun Life. Congrats - this is quite an honour. In summary... - Their website was designed in 1995 with hidden areas, cross-links, broken links. - Their phone system was developed shortly thereafter...disconnects, connects to the wrong dept., need to enter in your login and password multiple times, only to have to provide it to an agent, when they eventually answer - Escalating calls to a "manager" is a painful experience...don't expect someone to hear you or listen - Their benefits and financial services depts. don't talk to each other, can't help each other, which is a problem given they have a one-window access into both. - Sending a message on their system is like sending snail mail to Santa - expect no response, and if one comes, it's by next holiday season. - Benefits routinely incorrectly assessed. At least once per year for the last several years, I need to bring a manager in to fix the problem. I'm assuming that they are the lowest cost provider, which is why employers select them, however, the dismal experiences over so many years should scream to employers who care about their employers and their associated benefits to look somewhere else. Sun Life feels like a dinosaur who will eventually, at some point, go extinct.

I have group benefits with this company and it's been a nightmare since day one. I mailed my claim forms to them that consisted of four documents. They separated them and entered my ONE claim as two. So I was told all my information is missing but it wasn't...they made the error. I spoke with someone who told me they fixed it and they would resubmit it for me. I hear nothing from them for two weeks, so I followed up to find out that it was rejected due to a date missing (had the month but not the day) on my receipt even though all the other forms submitted with it had the date electronically printed on them. I was asked to get a new copy and then use their stupid mobile app to resubmit the receipt. I did that. Hear nothing again. Follow up again and was told my information is missing...the SAME first problem was never actually fixed on their end. So I'm told to resubmit the same form again with a new reference number. I ask why it's needed because they have it, and they were incredibly rude and were just sending me their list of auto responses. I disconnected, and spoke with someone else who told me I could go on their website and just enter the claim amount - easy peasy...WHY DIDN'T THE OTHER ELEVENTY BILLION REPS I SPOKE WITH TELL ME THIS?!?! I'm incredibly reluctant that this suggestion of entering it online will work...but it's another waiting game, I guess. Save your time...save your employees' time and do not use these guys. They are just awful. You have to follow up all the time, otherwise, you won't know what's going on. They do not communicate anything to you. Of course not, right? Why would they want to reimburse you money? Apparently, to them, that's not what benefits are for...

I have a public health plan with them and I dread every time I have a claim. Use Blue Cross, much better service. Very onerous process and forms. Seem to do everything to dissuade from claiming benefits. Rude staff.

AVOID THIS COMPANY. I’ve been paying into my benefits, you’d think the least they can do is take a phone call from me and give me some information on my claim. I’ve been in the process of filing a disability claim for almost a month now and all I’m trying to do is check the status (when I should be receiving money as I’ve been off of work now for over a month due to high-risk pregnancy) and every time I call, someone tells me they can’t access my information because my file is handled in another office and I’m tired of being transferred over there to a voicemail. The same number that I’ve called twice before and was able to speak to someone who was able to access my file is the same number I’m calling again and it’s taking me all over Ontario and no one can access my information. Does Vancouver not have a customer service centre with people who actually pick up the phone like Waterloo or Toronto or Halifax or Montreal does?? Every time I’m transferred to Vancouver, I’m forwarded to a voicemail. This is so ridiculous I’ve never experienced this before, this is the WORST customer service and everyone I speak to is telling me something different. I don’t even know why my file is being handled in Vancouver when I live in Toronto. They even have an online option where you can “track your claim” and every time I go to look, it shows me that I supposedly haven’t filed a claim in the last 90 days. When I finish sorting this out, I'm CANCELLING and switching somewhere better, this is a disgusting service. Been off of work for so long and I’m due in 3 weeks and I can’t even enjoy a peace of mind like these insurance companies claim to give you whenever you need your.... behind.... covered. 0 STARS. I’m leaving this review anywhere I can so people can avoid this stress.

This is by far the worst company I have ever interacted with (in any industry, for anything).

They are currently charging me for vision insurance but do not have me in the system. Because they do not have me in the system, they say they can't be charging me. My paychecks say otherwise.

The customer service is slow, rude, and completely unknowledgeable.

They are inexpensive because in this case, you really do get what you pay for. The hours of time you spend trying to fix their mistakes is worth so much more than the money you "save". If you care about yourself, choose ANY other company.

I submitted three claims for prescription drugs ranging from $46-72 dollars. I was given $3 back in total because senior claims manager said the reasonable and customer cost of my prescription was $1. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU BOUGHT PRESCRIPTION FOR $1? He suggested that I shop around. Going back to Great West Life. Sun Life in my experience is the worst insurance provider for a group. Recommending my employer change providers.

The worst insurance provider that we have chosen for our company; it was a terrible decision and the staff is completely incompetent

Absolutely the worst insurance company. I have group benefits with Sun Life through work. They always find excuses to not reimburse the payment. I submitted several prescription drugs for my son and they returned and said the drug is not covered. My son had severe eczema and the hydrocortisone was prescribed by a medical doctor. But they said it's alternative herbal medication and not covered. Really? Hydrocortisone cream is not a herbal cream. I paid extra every paycheck to cover my son but at the end, all claims were denied. Useless policies and it's a company that needs to change. I urge all employers to not insure your employees with Sun Life. $ not well spent.