David Warden, Vice President, Head of Ancillary Operations:
We do everything in our power to stand with our members in sickness and in health. And for us, that’s not only a core value, but it’s really woven into the DNA of who we are as an organization. We’ve assembled an incredible group of teammates that come together to support our members. And I just want to be able to share some of their stories and the role they play in managing the disability process. But more importantly how they help our members in their greatest time of need.
Jamie Gonzales, Supervisor of Customer Service:
No one wants to experience a disability but adding a financial burden to it could be overwhelming. That’s why every customer advocate in our disability department plays such an important role, from the first call that initiates the claim to the last call that advises the return to work. Our advocates guide our members through the entire process. And when a claimant transitions to long-term disability, we have advocates that speak with them for years. We strive for excellent service as we provide whole person protection.
Mark Pare, Short-Term Disability Claims Analyst:
My position is one of the most challenging and rewarding roles in Claims. I gather and review information to make sure we’re making timely and accurate decisions. We recognize and understand there are actual people behind each claim, which is a vital part of the whole-person protection we provide.
Igor Mitrovic, Senior Long-Term Disability Claims Analyst:
My team is responsible for the initial review and the initial decision on a claim. Through active claim management, we continue educating the member on the next steps and all the services we have to offer, including vocational rehabilitation services.
Tom Hardy, Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor:
We like to partner with the claims analyst because they’re the front line person reviewing every case that comes into our company. In LTD, a person can be out a year, maybe two years before they reach the vocational counselor’s desk. We will talk with the person as many times as we need to over a period of weeks or even months until we’ve established a good rapport and learned ways of removing all the barriers to return to work.
Jamie Gonzales, Supervisor of Customer Service:
A member called in to initiate a claim with us. The member started crying and explained that she had just been discharged from the hospital and she had lost her child. At that point, the advocate knew that she needed to allow this member to be able to express her feelings. They kind of shared some moments. By the end of the conversation, they were laughing like friends, allowing her to realize that you know, she’ll be okay.
Igor Mitrovic, Senior Long-Term Disability Claims Analyst:
A claimant, when I first talked to her, she was an elderly lady and was very afraid of being out of work and being on disability. I told her that she could give me a call anytime. There was a moment of silence when I said that and right after that, she started crying. This claim was closed I want to say about a year ago. And this claimant still calls me to this day occasionally and she actually calls me for all major holidays. This is one of the examples why I love this company and my job.
Stephanie Benwell, Clinical and Vocational Manager:
I love my job because as a nurse, I want to help people. So the way that I can do that is by helping their claim get paid quicker so that they’re able to continue and just focus on getting better.
Thomas Hardy, Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor:
I had a police officer from one of our clients and he presented with depression and PTSD after being witness to some disturbing things. He was not interested in returning to police work. We kept exploring and finally landed on the job of home inspector. And so we sent him back to school. He got training. He’s back at work full time in his own profession as his own boss. And that was a great outcome for someone who we thought would probably never really be able to function again.
