2010 Group Disability Market Survey Results

The 2010 mid-year summary of Group Disability Market results offers some interesting insight into the marketplace for LTD benefits. This survey is published by JHA – a division of Gen Re, a Berkshire Hathaway company. This report is largely published for the insurance industry, but the information is significant to those on the front lines of battle, representing claimants on a daily basis.

Thus, the results have some valuable insight for the claimant community.

It was reported that premiums were down over 17% from mid-year 2009, a cause of some concern, as with lower premiums, insurance companies have left money available to pay benefits, and/or invest. Thus, some level of concern exists as insurers are likely to focus on claim management as a means of preservation of assets. It was noted in the report that while the number of companies offering group disability insurance remained level, there was a decrease in the number of covered employees, a trend likely attributable to the increased unemployment seen across the U.S.

The companies with the highest percentage of LTD Sales Premiums were New York Life, Hartford, Met Life, Prudential and UNUM. These are the companies where we see the highest volume of claim denials and terminations as well. With premiums down, we can only expect to see a higher volume of claim denials and terminations, whether justified or due to business concerns.

If you have a delayed, denied or terminated claim, please call us. We can help.