THOUGHTS OF A POET IN THE RAIN

Conversation. A chat, talk,  tête-à-tête, dialogue, exchange, batter, so many things.  I like the idea that a conversation is a matter of sharing of ideas, thoughts as opposed to argument.

So, are we having a discussion, a chat? Can we be civil and not tear at one another? I wonder. It seems today, and I”m sure it was in the past as well, that many “discussions” result in heated arguments. How very sad because at some point we stop listening to the other person and all we can hear is our own voice, our own demands, hurts, emptiness. And, I readily admit I am very guilty of rising up in a storm.

I have such as that emerging now with a company that refuses to respond to me. It is all about a life insurance policy I purchased years ago before I became too ill to work. The company, at that time, was named Shelby Mutual and it sold property and casualty insurance and life insurance policies. It went broke in 1995 and Standard Life Insurance picked it up. I became disabled in 2000. It never dawned on me that my life insurance policy had any cash value to keep the policy alive at that point as I had stopped making premium payments in 1988. Well, I found out in 2010 that I was mistaken. There was enough cash in the policy to carry it into 2005.

I had a disability waiver of premium in the policy which said that if I was unable to make premium payments due to being disabled the policy would waive premiums and that the policy would continue until death or age 100. Wow! Good thing, yes?

So, I contacted the company in 2010 and said because of my disability which took place in 2000 I should be covered. They said, no because the policy expired in 2005. I said but the disability occurred during the policy term and asked the company to show proof that I had no claim on the policy from either a legal statute or policy verbiage. Well, you would think that was a reasonable request. I simply asked for a conversation to take place in which they could explain to me why they were telling me I had no insurance even though the policy was in force when I became disabled. They said I waited too long to notify them but have yet to show a legal statute or policy provision to support the company’s position. Now, they simply refuse to communicate. Now they ignore me. Now that Guggenheim Insurance has taken over Standard Life Insurance. Guggenheim refuses to respond. Why?

So, where is the conversation? All I want them to do is send me proof that my claim is blocked by the policy or a state statute and they will not communicate with me. They tossed out a statement, unsupported by any governmental statute or statement in the insurance policy itself, saying that no coverage exists.  I said…….because?

All I have is the company’s silence. They refuse to communicate with me, to have any conversation.

No coverage, they said. Why, I asked. Guggenheim Insurance is now in control and will not respond. Why?

This has been going on for over a year now. Why?

Is it a situation where they think that if they just remain quiet I will go away? Is it that the company is so big they can bully around some person like me by refusing to talk with me?

Is Guggenheim discriminating against me because I’m a disabled veteran? I don’t know.

All I am asking is WHEN did the policy actually expire. What date? Not just “it expired in 2005” as the exact date is all important.

Yes. I didn’t know the policy had enough money in it to continue it that far, but doesn’t it make sense that if I had a waiver of premium for disability and it was valid in 2005 and the disability occurred before 2005 that the policy should still be active due to the waiver? Why is it that they cannot come up with a reason why my claim is not valid. After a year of silence, can they be es topped from bringing forth an explanation now? I don’t know.

But, I do know that I am not just walking away. I want an answer. I want a conversation. Guggenheim Insurance located in Indianapolis, Indiana and Standard Life Insurance in Indianapolis why are you not answering me? Simple questions. I had my attorney in touch with you and you don’t respond to her. I’ve had the insurance commissioner in Ohio in touch with you and you don’t respond to them. What is it going to take? Gina Pearson, what is it going to take to get you to give me the information I want? Gayle Cox, what is it going to take to get you to give me the information that I have asked for?  How about it Jeffrey Macy, General Counsel for Guggenheim. Cat got your tongue? Can’t respond with dates or a legal reason to support your argument. Just silence?

Conversations are important. Silence in responding to a legitimate question tells me you either don’t know the answer or are trying to avoid answering. Which is it?