Met Life Met Life Disability Insurance Disability Insurance Deduction New York New York

While I am no fan of MetLife since I am a former employee, I do feel the need to clear up some common misconceptions on MetLife STD and LTD.  MetLife does not solely make arbitrary decisions on disability and taking of additional money.  When the insurance company sits down with your employer to set up coverage, it is the EMPLOYER that ultimately chooses what coverage they want in the plans.  They are given choices and 9 times out of 10 choose the cheapest option.  As to deductions, there are mandated standard deductions, example-if you are receiving workers compensation, Social Security, state disability, etc.  Unless you are the rare case, you will never make anything close on disability as you did when you were employed.  Taking out for Social Security is the standard and is CLEARLY stated in the LTD plan books that your employer has.  What is sad is that employers do not do anything to train their HR department or take the time to explain the process or the benefits process to employees and therefore you are not aware of the process and these deductions and restrictions can come as a terrible surprise.  I tell people time and time again is to educate themselves and so not rely on your employer.  DEMAND to see your STD policy booklet and LTD as well.  If they claim to not have it, either contact the insurance company or hound the employer.  They have a duty to provide it to you.

While it is not clear what the $250.00 per month deduction is for, if it is an overpayment, the insurance company has every right to take it, if it is in the policy. Same if it is for state disability, etc.  If you are on LTD, you are usually approved with no reduction for SS Disability, although almost 100% of the LTD contracts clearly state that you are required to apply for SSDI if you are going to be out for disability longer than 6 months and that you provide proof that you applied as well.  The insurance company also indicates that it has the right (again per the plan) they have the right to reduce the benefit by an estimated amount until a decision on SSDI is made.

They are bound by the language of the policy. 

But if there are questions on STD and LTD-I have been doing this for greater than 20 years and would be happy to help.

While I am no fan of MetLife since I am a former employee, I do feel the need to clear up some common misconceptions on MetLife STD and LTD.  MetLife does not solely make arbitrary decisions on disability and taking of additional money.  When the insurance company sits down with your employer to set up coverage, it is the EMPLOYER that ultimately chooses what coverage they want in the plans.  They are given choices and 9 times out of 10 choose the cheapest option.  As to deductions, there are mandated standard deductions, example-if you are receiving workers compensation, Social Security, state disability, etc.  Unless you are the rare case, you will never make anything close on disability as you did when you were employed.  Taking out for Social Security is the standard and is CLEARLY stated in the LTD plan books that your employer has.  What is sad is that employers do not do anything to train their HR department or take the time to explain the process or the benefits process to employees and therefore you are not aware of the process and these deductions and restrictions can come as a terrible surprise.  I tell people time and time again is to educate themselves and so not rely on your employer.  DEMAND to see your STD policy booklet and LTD as well.  If they claim to not have it, either contact the insurance company or hound the employer.  They have a duty to provide it to you.

While it is not clear what the $250.00 per month deduction is for, if it is an overpayment, the insurance company has every right to take it, if it is in the policy. Same if it is for state disability, etc.  If you are on LTD, you are usually approved with no reduction for SS Disability, although almost 100% of the LTD contracts clearly state that you are required to apply for SSDI if you are going to be out for disability longer than 6 months and that you provide proof that you applied as well.  The insurance company also indicates that it has the right (again per the plan) they have the right to reduce the benefit by an estimated amount until a decision on SSDI is made.

They are bound by the language of the policy. 

But if there are questions on STD and LTD-I have been doing this for greater than 20 years and would be happy to help.

Good Luck to you.
I just wanted to point out one of MetLife's techniques. It is written here by one of their employees who responded to your tragic situation. This is one of the ways in which they handle their business. They point a person around in many different directions, send them to other people for solutions to what is THEIR (MetLife's) responsibility.

I must mention one more thing. When a person is on disability, normally they are not in the condition to "fight" for the money which is rightfully theirs and earned. I believe full-heartedly that MetLife takes complete advantage of a disabled person's unfortunate circumstance. Is this not discrimination?

Come on, MetLife people, why must you do this to us? Can any of you MetLife employees think about what it would be like if you were in one of our pairs of shoes? I truly wonder how you are able to sleep at night.

I will write my story later - it is very detailed. Now, I am going into foreclosure on my home, filing bankruptcy, don't have food to feed my children, repo-man came for my truck, and I honestly don't know how I am going to keep my family from being homeless. THANK YOU, MetLife. You really have taken my life and thrown it to the wind.

From what I can understand of your report, MetLife is paying out on a disability poilcy, but also collecting a premium. Most if not all states have an insurance commission. I suggestion filing a complaint with them.