In the July/August issue of this Los Angeles Firefighter newspaper, the widow of one of our beloved active Fire Captains wrote an article titled, “Aflac – Is it Real or Too Good To Be True”. As a result of that article, Aflac representatives requested a meeting with that widow and/or those representing her.
A meeting was set up and the following attended: for Aflac were Hector Martinez, Regional Sales Coordinator and Todd V. Mason, State Sales Coordinator. Representing the widow were retired LAFD Assistant Chief and former Fire Commissioner Tom Curry, Active LAFD Fire Captain II Steve Romas (who worked side-by-side with our deceased brother) and retired LAFD Fire Captain II Jim Perry.
The meeting was cordial and an in-depth discussion ended with the Aflac representatives mostly agreeing with the widow’s representatives on the subjective and misleading nature of the wording in Aflac’s Specific Health Event Policy.
After those insurance representatives went back to their Aflac bosses and supposedly related the concerns of the widow and representatives of the LAFD, those insensitive corporate giants never blinked. They sent their denial letter (appears next to this article) which obviously contains the boiler-plate language that is used to deny claims by their millions of desperate and grieving policy holders. The widow was denied her claim because the policy only covered Heart Attacks…not Cardiac Arrest or Cardiopulmonary Arrest.
How many doctors, professional firefighters, EMT’s and paramedics, let alone the millions of non-professional policy holders make that distinction in referring to death by heart associated tragedies? So much for the honesty, openness and compassion in Aflac’s misleading advertising brochures and television ads.
In response to their disgusting letter, phone calls have been made to the Aflac corporation and they have not even had the courtesy to return those calls.
Absent paying her claim, our disheartened widow asked Aflac to at least change their misleading advertising and literature showing that a Cardiac Arrest is either covered or not covered, and the difference in a heart attack and cardiac arrest be spelled out in plain English. She also suggested that the sales staff and managers be properly trained and be given a Certificate of Completion of their sales training on these issues.
To say that this widow is unhappy and frustrated by Aflac’s response to her claim is the most egregious of understatements. Those of us in a position to take this a step further will be doing so and sharing our disgust with this uncaring corporate giant and their “smoke and mirrors” business practices to whomever we can. It’s been suggested that the acronym for Aflac, (American Family Life Assurance Company, be changed to Another False Local Advertising Campaign).
I for one will be boycotting Aflac and will be asking all those on our Los Angeles Firefighter mailing list, The California Professional Firefighters, the International Association of Fire Fighters Assn., my fellow union/labor editors throughout the United States and Canada who belong to the International Labor Communications Associations, AFL-CIO-CLC, as well as our elected friends in local city halls, county buildings, state capitols, the U.S. Congress, Senate and the White House to spread the word:
“Private Insurance and Health Corporations must be held accountable for their unfair and unconscionable monopoly on the hearts and pocketbooks of the working families in our country.”
Let this letter be a warning to Aflac and any others who continue to misrepresent and take advantage of the working men and women in our country…you will be exposed for what you are. Like most corporations, their bottom line is and has always been the almighty dollar, regardless of who they hurt. This time Aflac made a big mistake by messing with a widow who is part of our Fire Department family.
Every organization at all levels needs to know that our widows are out-of-bounds and they better not screw with them. Remember what George Orwell once said about our military, "We sleep safe in our beds, because rough men stand ready in the night to visit great violence on those who would harm us." We have to be the military for our widows. They don't have anyone else.
We will also be asking the LAFD administration and the Personnel Department of the City of Los Angeles to deny Aflac’s representatives to make presentations to the LAFD Training Academy recruits and other new city employees.
That Aflac “Duck” is no longer looking so cute…
Note: Comments/complaints may made be made to the California Department of Insurance Consumer Services Division at 300 S. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90013
(1-800-927-HELP).
