Wednesday, November 25, 2009
By Jim Perry, Editor
The Los Angeles Firefighter
Alfac Insurance Corporation originally denied the widow of a Los Angeles City firefighter (IAFF Local 112) the death benefits she should have received. Aflac stated that the fallen firefighter’s reported "Cardiac Arrest" was different from a "Heart Attack", which is what was written (in fine print) in their policy.
Three IAFF Local 112 members met with Aflac representatives and after discussing the vague and ambiguous language in their policy, the Aflac representatives left us with the impression that the widow would get her death benefit. Then another letter of denial was sent to the widow by an Aflac claims representative, trying to justify their indefensible position.
As we told the Aflac reps, if they didn't pay this widow what she had coming, we would be "going global" and asking our brothers and sisters in the labor press, as well as all other labor affiliates, international firefighters and police organizations, elected officials, the news media and many others of this insurance rip-off.
An obvious disconnect between field claim
representatives and Aflac Headquarters
Within a couple days of publishing an article in our (Nov/Dec 2009) Los Angeles Firefighter newspaper, Mr. Daniel Amos, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Aflac personally called and apologized. He dispatched three of his representatives to Los Angeles to meet with the widow and her Local 112 representatives to present her with her benefits check.
Mr. Amos also sent a letter of apology to be published in the Los Angeles Firefighter in which he also stated that Aflac is currently reviewing the benefits policy so that sudden cardiac arrest events are paid. As he stated, "It is simply the right thing to do and anything else would have been unacceptable to me."
This was a big win for working families and those not normally able to fight a large corporation. A follow up article, along with a photo of the check presentation with the widow and Aflac representatives will be in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of the Los Angeles Firefighter.
