Faith and Finance

Dying of cancer and in hospice care, Teri Powell gave this testimony of CUNA’s refusal to pay her credit disability insurance claim. Her trial attorney, Mike Abourezk, later played the video at trial, leading to MM penalty against CUNA. With only weeks to live, Teri Powell decided to devote time to helping other disabled people by testifying about her experience with CUNA Mutual and exposing the company’s practices. Teri Powell knew she would not live to see the trial take place. So Powell’s testimony was preserved in this video in which she explained her predicament and allowed CUNA’s lawyers to cross examine her. CUNA continued to insist that Powell could go back to work and wasn’t entitled to disability benefits from CUNA, and continued to refuse payment. Teri Powell also knew she would never personally benefit from the case against CUNA Mutual. But as she explains in this testimony, “if they are doing this to me, they must be doing this to a lot of people, maybe people that are worse off than me. And even those though it takes a lot of energy to go through this process, I feel if I can benefit people and make people aware that they might be taken advantage or other people are being abused, this is my chance to do something about it.” Teri Powell taught high school Spanish for 27 years before becoming unable to continue working and finally dying of cancer January 7, 2007. Powell’s friend, Sharon McElgunn, promised Teri before her death that she would see the case …
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Question by screenwr05: How long does it take for an emergency room to verify insurance coverage?
Do I just give them my policy # etc… and they mail the insurance company a bill or does the ER know exactly what coverage I have right then and there? My insurance coverage is supposed to have started as of 12/1 but the 800 number I call says not until 1/1/08. I should be covered now, but don’t want to get turned away at the door or stuck with a huge bill.

Best answer:

Answer by mark
You should have an insurance card with the companies contact information and your account number on it. That lets them verify that you are covered for any procedures they suggest. Not all hospitals will check in advance though and you are stuck with the bill if you arent covered.
If its during the day they can call and verify it , in about 5 minutes. I dont know what they do after hours .
You should have a policy document that says when your coverage starts , contact your insurance agent and find out.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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