AIG Keeps Fighting Man Over Wheelchair, Glasses, And False Leg
AIG needs its money for its own problems, people, and doesn't want to have to share with insurance claimants! That's why they've fought every request from John Woodson, a man who lost a leg, an eye, and 70% of the vision in the remaining eye while working as a contractor in Iraq. He told ABC News, "You constantly are worried about who is going to pay these bills, who is going to take care of me? Because you can't rely on AIG to come through for you. I don't understand how a company of their size and their magnitude, with government bailouts and money and support, I don't understand their not taking care of the individuals that were injured."
Note: In related news, AIG is currently beating Peanut Corp of America in round two of our Worst Company in America 2009 contest.
In particular, Woodson has had to fight the insurer to provide him a waterproof leg so he can shower standing up, and they've denied his attempts to get an $8,000 plastic leg with a spring in it so he can walk without pain (he broke his pelvis when the bomb threw him from his truck). ABC News says that AIG also "fought to keep from paying for a wheelchair or glasses for the eye in which he has 30 percent vision."
In the end, Woodson says he thinks it was pressure from his lawyer and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that forced AIG to finally provide an improved leg, with replacement parts, but not a new one as his doctor had ordered.
Woodson's lawyer, Toby Cole, says he sees a pattern of AIG "delaying and denying" claims from contractors injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It's difficult for me to think it's anything but a concentrated effort just to ignore these guys," said Cole.
In its statement, AIG says the "vast majority" of claims are "paid without dispute when the proper supporting medical evidence has been received."
If the doctor ordered the replacement leg as ABC states above, we're not sure how this AIG statement has anything to do with this particular case. We guess they're just admitting, in a roundabout way, that there are indeed some claims they only pay after lots and lots of dispute.
"Blind Amputee Has to Fight AIG for New Plastic Leg, Wheelchair" [ABC News] (Thanks to Jarvis!)
RELATED
"Bailed-Out AIG Pampers Execs While Denying, Delaying Claims of Contractors Injured in Iraq" [ABC News]
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Comments:
"Help us America, help us to fail at the very reason we exist, it's the most profitable way. Then, when you help us, please don't bother us again."
You know what, I want my bailout back. I'm sure the money could be better spent, you know, taking care of people who need it.
Fuckers
You'd think AIG would have realized they're a bunch of douchebag-fuckups when they had to distribute that internal memo about how its employees can avoid getting their asses beat...repeatedly...by the public while leaving work.
Superfuck AIG.
For gods sake...I wonder who the hell qualifies if this guy doesnt. Sir for us to approve your claim you should have lost both your eyes and an arm.....
Fuckers... some people try to pull a fast one on the insurance companies. And some people are just trying to make it. It's good to be vigilant, but this is beyond responsible...
They can't give the money to their Executives if they give it those pesky claimants.
Having worked in the insurance industry for 10 years, I know some people sent in claims for things like hot tubs (for sore backs), golf carts (for mobility), CraftMatic adjustable beds etc. This man needed things to help him perform activities of daily living. He was not asking for a hot tub. God help us. Like Navin Johnson in "The Jerk," I want AIG to send a check for $1.09 to every taxpayer in America as repayment for the squandered bailout we so foolishly gave them. They can apply my share to getting Mr. Woodson the things he needs to live his life.
So sad,where is the oversight of the billions of dollars they have received.
@Mediocrates: this is pretty much all i can say anymore. i just can't waste any more energy on being pissed off.
@Clay Gann: There was no requirement for oversight in the bailout of AIG. It was just a giveaway of your money.
You can thank the democrats for that.
"We hate big business and constantly make big business out to be the enemy of the people, so we're going to give big business trillions of taxpayer dollars with no requirement they actually do anything specific with it. Have a nice day, citizen."
Sad, looks like there's something even worse than some of these private contracting companies in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's insurance, what did you expect?
It's the exact same model as gambling. How many casinos make it super-easy to keep on winning after one or two half-decent payouts? How many of them will boot anyone counting cards?
This doesn't come as a surprise to me. I have yet to have found a single form of insurance that is actually worth it. This includes:
- Car insurance. (My province has a legal maximum for anything that happens as a result, something insurance companies wanted, something that means insurance is obsolete). I have it because I don't live in NH.
- Renter's insurance. (Honestly, none of my stuff is worth the cost of renter's insurance, but I have to have it because the LL requires it in their lease).
- Credit insurance. All my debts are in my name, so what's the point again? Even if they were joint, my wife doesn't work and therefore is creditor-proof, anyways.
About the only thing I can think of worth the dough is possibly house insurance. But I bet there'll be a catch with that, too. I suppose (emergency) health insurance would be worth it, if I lived in the US.
Why does he need AIG? Shouldn't the VA pay for his battle wounds? If this man needs help paying where can I donate. I can always find money to help pay for a true American hero's needs.
It is not just AIG doing this crap. Almost all of the big disability insurers do it. They pay the little dollar amount claims and fight the big dollar amount ones ignoring the facts and merit of the claim. So those who need it most have to fight tooth and nail then end up with a fraction of what is owed.
The insurance companies have lobbied for deregulation just like the banks so they can get away with doing this on a large scale. Most disability insurance is practically worthless. If it is employer provided even more so because you can't sue for damages.
The insurance industry has a can of worms just as messed up as the one we opened on the banking industry.
This is terrible. How can anyone, with a conscience, keep denying valid claims?
(Thanks God I live in Canada, I have enough stress in my life, I don't need to worry about health insurance on top of that.)
Prosthetic devices are often a huge point of contention with insurance companies (who like to claim that old, crappy, obsolete devices are adequate). It's an area that needs some more regulatory attention.
@TEW: He's not in the military, he was working for KBR which is a soldier of fortune outfit like Blackwater.
Send the aig executives to Iran. And take back the bailout. Is there some way to donate to help this poor guy?
@TEW: I've added "as a contractor" to the line "while working in Iraq" in the first paragraph to avoid future confusion. Thanks.
So, just to clarify, don't most insurance policies exempt "acts of war"? Or did theirs include that? Assuming it was an employee policy.
@RodAox: I suspect that it's common practice among insurance providers to randomly deny claims for no good reason. A percentage of people who are turned down never fight the outcome, and AIG (or any insurance company) saves money.
I'd have to take my shoes off to count how many of my family's doctor visits weren't covered by our insurance at first (bluecross and cigna). They make you jump through hoops to get what is rightfully yours.
The evils of trying to run a foreign policy using mercenaries for fodder: much of the "savings" are by neglecting the long-term obligations owed people we ask to risk their lives for our country. Let alone the loss of control/accountability/good order & discipline.
It it's truly our national interest, we shouldn't do it on the cheap. We should use our military (and State and Commerce, d'accord).
I really feel for these guys being shafted.
@Canino: The first giveaway started in the LAST administration, don't forget that. What's next, this administration hid Iraqs' "weapons of mass destruction"?
@Trai_Dep:
ABC News says that AIG also "fought to keep from paying for a wheelchair or glasses for the eye in which he has 30 percent vision."
So the insurance company offered a stem and 1/4 of a lens? Would have loved to see the adjuster explain they only covered a third of a pair of glasses since, y'know, he's able to utilize only 30% of his eye.
How about when Bush pushed through the first TARP and refused to allow any legislation that would have called for the corporations to be held accountable and that it all had to be done transparently? Did you protest then?
This came from an article I found online talking about the teabagger movement (didn't they also try to make chickenhawk a term of pride?)
While I have no sympathy for AIG, I also have little for someone who profiteered over in Iraq (what did we hear these truck drivers were making, something like 25k a month there?) and not being prepared to deal with the consequences of the risks they were being paid for.
Jack
@shepd:
Nope, house insurance is pointless, too. My friend's father had house/fire insurance and had a massive fire, with $20,000 worth of damage. While the insurance company is willing to foot the bills, HE has to pay for the repairs FIRST, then send THOSE bills to the insurance company, and HOPE they'll cover it all.
I don't know about you, but I don't have $20,000 lying around to pay for damage that is INSURED.
Kudos to Senator Coburn. He's one of the good ones.
@Canino: Trillions??? They've gotten quite a bit but don't spew misinformation. It gets repeated and some poor sap who doesnt pay attention will read it and believe it to be true.
@Alisha Young: Revisionist history at its best. In case you missed it in civics class, the President can't force Congress write legislation to suite his needs any more than he can force the Supreme Court to rule a certain way. The Democrats in Congress and most of the Republicans voted for this crappy bailout. Bush, Congress, and now Obama; they're all to blame and they all suck.
I agree with you completely. I sent this to the President just now:
Dear President Obama,
Regarding AIG, see this story, posted on ABC and The Consumerist blog:
[abcnews.go.com]
[consumerist.com]
Why are we bailing out this company? Why not just let them die? Why are companies being allowed to steal money from people and lie to them? And why don't we just let them go out of business? They don't know how to do honest business. They have become giant evil thieves.
I don't understand this at all. I was so excited about this administration that I risked getting in trouble at work to watch the Inauguration online. But how can these people get away with this? We need to get these evil insurance companies under control, or get rid of them. They are both bankrupting people and killing them by denying needed medical care. This guy may not die, but why should he have to fight like this just to have quality of life?
Shut them all down. Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
My/real/name
If I could have posted a picture of a crying baby, I would have.
@Clay Gann: What does bailout oversight have to do with this story? If there was oversight, should those overseers review each claim? Wow, that'd be quite a job.
@Jackmojo:
The insurance racket is in the business of denying claims, not paying them. If you got the same injuries getting innocently hit by a drunk driver, I'd bet real money they'd deny you too.
I will never, I repeat never have anything to do with AIG.
@SJActress: you can get the same shafting with renter's insurance after theft.
sure, we'll pay. well, maybe. after you front the $$. and then only what we feel would be a real replacement cost.
like i had 10K just sitting around.
a$$es.
@shepd: Maybe your renter's insurance is much more expensive than mine, but mine was $125 for the whole year. If someone broke in and stole three things out of my kitchen, the insurance has paid for itself. I kind of feel like renters insurance is the one type of insurance where the cost of the premiums is in line with the benefits of having it, compared to the cost of not having it. They claim they'll even cover items that are stolen out of my car, off of my person, etc. $125/year is worth that IMO.
@SabrinaFaire: That's an interesting point. Is there someplace where we can find out more information about exactly why they're denying his claim?
Fuck AIG.