Do you use Twitter or Facebook or Myspace or any other online social networking site? Well, here is a cautionary tale.
This woman who is suffering from clinical depression posted a few pictures from a birthday party she attended and from a sunny vacation she took. The insurance company somehow accessed her page, saw the picture and suspended her payments pending further inquiry.
The insurance company insists that they use any tool they can to aid their investigations. Granted. Social networking sites have been used in court cases as evidence against a defendant. Why not in an insurance claim? But a site alone cannot be used as the sole reason for suspending benefits. It's not a medical professional. A picture might tell a thousand words, but it very easily can be telling the wrong words. There is a huge margin of interpretation here.
Granted, the woman should have been more discriminating in what she posted on the social network site. The internet is not the safest place to entrust your life. Though most websites have security settings, it's not impossible to contravene them. What happened in this case? Did she not have sufficient security settings on? And if she did, how did they access her profile? Do they have hackers on their investigative team?
It boggles the mind...
But more importantly, the issue at hand is clinical depression and the attitude many have towards it. Many believe that one dealing with this condition should simply "snap out of it". That those suffering with clinical depression can control their feelings, that they are wallowing in self-pity. That is far from the truth.
Though I have suffered from bouts of depression, I have never had clinical depression. I know those who do have to live with this condition, however. And it can be debilitating. The fact that this woman is taking steps to deal and live with this, on orders of her doctor, should be commended, not punished.
The underlying urge is to hole up in a room, to hide from life and people, to sleep away a feeling that is darker than solitary confinement. In many cases, it is solitary confinement. Clinical depression is like being trapped by feelings of abject darkness that color and pave every single experience.
On the other side of ignorance is the notion that those with clinical depression must logically be sad all the time. They are not allowed to crack a smile, go out with friends, try to change settings in attempt to deal with the problem. It's obvious the insurance company bases their decisions on such preconceptions.
Guilty until you hire a lawyer, go to court and try to prove yourself innocent.
You can read the full story here!
4 comments:
Welcome to my blog, Matthew! :)
I am sorry to hear you are living with such a challenge. Back injuries are touch case with insurance companies, as a lot of people have fake those in the past. It makes it doubly hard for those with legitimate claims.
I am glad my post is able to help. It's important that people know who uses these sites and how they're used.
Cheers! :)
I keep hearing about this and every time I do I just get mad. We should be allowed privacy. Our social networks, our home lives, our personal everything should be kept out of the work place. They had no right to use those pictures as a means to cut off her insurance money. She should not have to hide pictures of herself smiling just so she can be treated for depression. Is she not allowed to smile at work either? Do good days not exist at all anymore?
Sorry for the rant.
We have so much we need to learn...this world is one messed up, scary, weird place a lot of the time. I just keep hope that many more of us will learn to focus on what is good and right and strong in order to bring about the changes we so desperately need.
I am glad you are in this world today, Genie.
Big Love !
It's downright scary that insurance companies can do this. As you stated, a picture doesn't mean solid proof of anything. They will stoop to the lowest of lows to avoid paying out to a claimant. Shame on them! :(
Post a Comment