Canadian woman fights insurance giant after benefits cut over Facebook photos

[trumad]

I'm thinking maybe she should have posted pictures standing on a chair with a noose around her neck?----perhaps a gun to her head---- a razor blade near her wrist--- watching a Sarah Palin rally---having a 3-way with John McCain and Joe Lieberman??? oh well....

BROMONT, Quebec (AP) — A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on Facebook in which she appeared to be having fun.

Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from insurance giant Manulife.

But the payments dried up this fall and when Blanchard called Manulife, she says she was told she was available to work because of Facebook.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on Facebook, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday.

Blanchard said Manulife told her it's evidence she is no longer depressed. She's fighting to get her benefits reinstated and says her lawyer is exploring what the next step should be.

Blanchard told the CBC that on her doctor's advice, she tried to have fun, including nights out at her local bar with friends and short getaways to sun destinations, as a way to forget her problems.

Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but did say they would not deny or terminate a claim solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-cn-canada-facebook-insurance,0,7196831.story

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

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[Gwendolyn]

2. She's Canadian, so pics of having sex with McCain would be sort of meaningless.

But yes, she'd have been better off not advertising trips to the islands, and nights out at Chippendale's. Before Facebook, insurance companies had people physically hanging around watching for signs of supposed or real scamming. Now dumkopfs like her are making it easy. :shrug:

[trumad]

3. Wow!

You're serious aren't you?

[Gwendolyn]

8. Yes I am. Insurance companies do what they can to keep from paying out.

Are you naive enough to think otherwise? If you are on disability it's wise to keep a lower profile.

According to your article, Manulife says they have other info as well.

[SidDithers]

4. She lost her extended health benefits...

basically, the monies paid to her to replace her income, while she's on long-term disability. She still has full health-care coverage for treatment of her illness or injury, from her government health care plan.

Just wanted to make sure there's no confusion about what she's lost.

Sid

[robinlynne]

5. I'm sorry but if I were paying sick leave and someone was having a "sun holiday, I would be pissed.

I know that's the wrong side of the bigger issue, but. major depression is basically when you are not able to get out of bed. You cannot function well enough to leave the house. I've seen it.

[trumad]

7. Imagine if you had a friend in deep depression

and you told that friend---hey, let's get you out of the house and try and have a bit of fun.

Well--- I guess a picture of the outing can come back and haunt you.... That's what I see with this.

[robinlynne]

21. In deep depression you cannot do the things listed in the article. It is not possible.

It was not one outing. partying at a club. just doesnt happen, not even with mild depression. You might go for a walk. when you're better. deep depression is really you can't take a shower or cook a meal.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted sub-thread

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[polly7]

6. God, I really hope Manulife gets a lot of flack over this.

Thanks for the article. The last suicide we were at was laughing and joking a week earlier with his family. His sister was hysterical with undeserved guilt. Manulife is playing dirty here, they know better than that. I hope the publicity helps her out.

[tonysam]

10. This is a duplicate thread, but I will bet there was a LOT more to

the story than FB pictures. We are getting only one side of this story.

[aikoaiko]

11. After posting pics at "at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday" ...

...its not surprising that the insurance company was incredulous that she couldn't get to work. Having said that it seems unreasonable that they didn't at least consult with her doctor about her condition and only repied on Facebook photos.

[polly7]

12. It seems to me Manulife should base their coverage on

actual health records and not on facebook pictures that should mean nothing. According to the article, it was her doctor who suggested getting out. So, the lesson is ..... follow doctor's orders but don't smile in the process, because we all know, depressed people don't smile.

[Gwendolyn]

13. I worked in Montreal for a few years and Manulife was our carrier.

The environment is nothing like that experienced in the US, particularly in Quebec, where workers are generally particularly vocal about their rights. I've known a number of people who went on disability and had no problems whatsoever, even those who were playing the system. A common scenario would be for an employee headed for a firing to have a sympathetic doctor write a note for depression/exhaustion/anxiety. You could get a good six months off to search for a new job or delay your firing, no problem, even with regular follow ups with the Manulife doctors.

I doubt very much she was just "cut off" with no warning. I'm sure she had regular follow ups with both her doctor and the Manulife doctor, as required, and am guessing there's more to the story than what's proposed in the article.

[polly7]

15. Well, hopefully something else will be reported then

for the reasoning Manulife used to cut her off. "Blanchard said Manulife told her it's evidence she is no longer depressed. She's fighting to get her benefits reinstated and says her lawyer is exploring what the next step should be." You're probably right and there is more to the story, but I didn't see anything about how she was in danger of being fired earlier. Using smiling Facebook pictures as 'evidence' is ridiculous. It proves nothing so I hope they do have something else to justify it.

[Gwendolyn]

16. Oh I didn't mean to imply that she was on the verge of being fired.

Just that it's a not unheard of strategy to circumvent that inevitability and in my experience, no one I was involved with had a problem even when no actual illness was involved. It's Canada so different rules apply. I DO know that in such cases there follow-ups required to monitor progress every three months, so I don't see how her benies could dry up just like that without warning and with nothing more than some pics to go on. Manulife says they do have more evidence. That would make more sense.

[polly7]

17. Even mentioning the Facebook pictures

puts Manulife in the slime category, imo. Yes I know about the rules in Canada, I'm Canadian. Until we hear what Manulife's evidence is, I won't automatically assume this woman is lying. Insurance companies playing dirty happens in Canada too ...... every day.

[aikoaiko]

14. Which is why I suggested the insurance company should have consulted with her doctor..

..before cutting her payments in lieu of going to work.

But it is completely understandable to investigate when the client appears able to go to work.

[tammywammy]

18. They could have

We don't know the full story.

[aikoaiko]

19. You're right and the insurance company almost said as much .

I missed this....

"Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but did say they would not deny or terminate a claim solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook."

[polly7]

20. "Now, having been forced to sell her home because

she was unable to meet the mortgage payments, her mortgage insurance provider was informed too of the photos on Facebook, allegedly by either Manulife or IBM, and with her credit record adversely affected, Ms Blanchard is seeking redress in the Quebec Superior Court, where she has filed a claim for wrongful dismissal. In addition damages from Manulife are being sought."

"CBC News reports that Mr Lavin has asked for a psychiatrist to assess Ms Blanchard, adding that he has questioned the use of Facebook as a means to judge a person's mental state and stated that his client's circumstances are unlike those of a person who may have been pictured carrying a load of bricks whilst claiming benefits for a broken back."

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/282528

It will be interesting to follow the court case on this one.