Sun Life Financial
Reviews and Complaints

For over a year I have had a recurring problem with claims for low cost prescription drugs. I am covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit plan for seniors so my cost for most prescriptions is $4.11. For some never explained reason when I submit a claim for a lost cost drug the claim is covered "only up to the reasonable and customary amount" (see example attached).

When I first realized what was happening was illogical, I contacted Sun Life by phone and got nowhere. So in March 2012 I started a long string of messages to Sun Life. I received an apology for the error and a correction followed. I pointed out that this must be a flaw in their process that impacts many clients. In one phone conversation I was told that it must only be affecting me since there are no complaints from other clients. This is likely because the amount of the error is small and no one else notices or bothers to challenge. I too would ignore a one off occurrence, but it has happened many times in the last year and each occurrence resulting in the hassle of messages and a correcting entry.

The amount is small so it really doesn't mean much at an individual level. Collectively though Sun Life is wrongly saving an expense that likely adds up to a nice total.

Life insurance policy in force for 15 years. Cover is £100, 000. They have performed a review and decided to reduce cover by more than 40%...overnight!

Paid for Short Term benefit for 3 years and unfortunately had to use the benefit for an injury that held me out of work for 8 weeks. Submitted the claim to Sun Life and heard no response. Followed up with Sun Life and then they stated they needed additional documentation. Sent additional documentation. No response. Called again and they said they needed more documentation. Sent more documentation. No response. Called again and they said they needed more documentation. Sent more documentation. No response. Called and complained. Asked for a manager. When the manager returned my call the claim was approved for the first few weeks. Assumed that the rest would be approved. No response. Call and they asked for more documentation on a claim that was already approved coupled with my employer giving them the date I was allowed back to work and they asked for more documentation. Sun Life obviously only pays claims when you call and raise hell. Do yourself a favor and either pick up new insurance carrier if you are not already in a claim and if you are in the middle of a claim, call them everyday so the cost of the call center offsets the beancounters/auditors idea that they should deny every claim.

UHIP gone electronic is merely a misconception. All they want is to save the trouble to send all students their health cards;save papers. Students are expected to register, retrieve password, set up account and then PRINT out the HEALTH CARD on themselves.

I am an international student. Health insurance is COMPULSORY for us with Sunlife. This year, our University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) card can only be accessed ONLINE; requires us to register online. For registration, we need to have our policy number (if you do not keep the old card, our card expires every 8 months or go back to the university to enquire, you would never able to find out), after filling up your policy number, they will show you a online card with an access number, with that you will have a temporary password sent to your email, and this password has expiry date.

I did not log in to sunlife to gain access my card before the expiry date therefore my account is NOT accessible to me unless I call sunlife and speak to a representative, which always take UP A LOT OF TIME to reach. I tried calling a few times but the long wait always made me unable to reach a representative.

Today, I called them at 8AM (since they start work at 8am) to retrive my account. The representative asked me a few security questions and I answered all except for one-my last claim. When we see a doctor in university, we HAVE NEVER RECEIVED any receipts OR acknowledgement that they would be claiming from sunlife. Therefore the representative told me he was unable to help me JUST BECAUSE I couldn't answer one question- when did I make the last claim OR RATHER, WHEN THE UNIVERSITY CLINIC MADE THE LAST CLAIM ON MY BEHALF.

I was feeling EXTREMELY SICK since the night before, and finally made it to the morning for the clinic to open. I have a 24hour trip to Asia from Canada (including a 13-hour flight) at 2pm so I REALLY NEEDED TO SEE A DOCTOR BEFORE I GET TO THE AIRPORT. After much clarification, I told him that it was an emergency, he put me on hold and tried to find his manager to talk to me however he said the MANAGER WOULDNT BE ABLE TO GIVE ME ANY HELP because he/she cant access to my account anyway. I started tearing, crying right infront of the clinic but on the phone, sunlife representative can't help me with anything. I paid my insurance, and when I NEEDED IT THE MOST, the insurance company told me it cant help me at all. When I asked him is there anyone or anywhere or any way sunlife (whom im paying EVERY YEAR) can help me with anything, he said SORRY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO.

I'm new to this country, I came here alone 3 years ago and I have NO family members here. When I'm really sick, all I can think of is to see a doctor with my insurance plan. The least they could do is help me gain access to my account and allow me to see a doctor (I only had $60 cash with me but it costs $100 to see a doctor) and I HAD A FLIGHT TO CATCH LATER ON.

Very disappointed to sunlife, very very poor customer service.

The following is a letter I sent to Sunlife.
No I have not heard back from them in case you're wondering.
Sent to
Mr. Kevin Dougherty
150 King Street West
Toronto, ON Canada
M5H 1J9

I am writing to you about the extremely frustrating and atrocious customer service experiences I recently had with members of your staff.

After suffering diverticulitis I submitted a claim with Sun Life for short-term disability. I received a cheque for $485 for my claim. The amount of the cheque was lower than expected, so I decided to contact Sun Life to ask why it was as low as it was and how the claim was processed and the benefit calculated.

My first call to Sun Life regarding this matter was on Monday, May 7, 2012. I called the number [protected]) indicated at the top of the letter I received with the cheque for my claim. I first spoke to one person who then transferred me to another person. This second person also transferred me, but this time to voice mail. The voice mail notice assured me that my call would be returned one business day, and I left a message with my name and claim information.

I did not hear back on Tuesday, May 8, so I called the number a second time. Again I was transferred, this time to the voice mail of a person named Pam Snee (I’m not totally sure of the spelling of the last name). Her voice mail also assured me that I would receive a response the next business day, and I again left a message.

On Wednesday, May 9, at 8:45 I called Sun Life a third time. I spoke with a person named Tina who transferred me to Pam Snee. Pam questioned me why I was phoning the Sun Life Waterloo office since my case was apparently being handled out of Vancouver and Pam would not able to obtain the details on my case. I found out from Pam that the number I was advised to call in case of questions (as indicated on the letter I received with my cheque) gets transferred to Waterloo if the Vancouver office is busy. Pam also advised me to phone the same number again in the morning and try to speak with someone in Vancouver.

I phoned a fourth time at 8:45 in the morning on May 10. I received no answer, but was able to leave a detailed voice message. Having received no reply, I phoned again at 11:45 that morning and again I left a detailed voicemail message.

Let me emphasise that at this point, 4 days after my initial call and having left 4 voice mail messages, not one of my calls had been returned – in spite of voice mail notices assuring me that my calls would be returned the next business day.

On the morning of Friday, May 11th, I phoned again but was unable to get through at all. A couple of hours later, I tried again and left message number 5. At this point you can understand that I was getting more than a little frustrated, and I called our HR department at work with my grievances. I was told by my HR rep that a person named Joanna Gonzales [protected]) usually looks after claims from our company.

Later that same day, I left another detailed message – this time on Joanna’s voicemail –including my work number and my working hours. I received no response at work, but Joanna had left me a message on my home answering machine saying she would call me back again.

On Monday the 14th, I called Joanna’s number at 8:30 in the morning and left message number 8. Again, my message included my work number and my work hours. I called her number again at 3:20 in the afternoon and left yet another message wit the same information.
At 3:40 I phoned [protected] and I spoke with someone with a name that sounded like Kabongo, who transferred me to someone named Sandy, but the phone line connection was so poor that I was unable to converse with her.
Very displeased with Sun Life service, I phoned our HR department again. This time I was given the name of Charlene King [protected]), who is Joanna’s Supervisor.

At 9:10 AM on the 15th I phoned Charlene King and left a message with her. At 3:45 in the afternoon I left another message with Ms King.

Charlene phoned me back the following day, the 16th. I tried to explain my frustration at getting through to live people and just trying to get an answer to my questions. Charlene did not appear terribly interested in my plight, but apologized and asked me what my phone call was about. I explained to her that I had questions regarding the payout of my claim. She informed me she would look after it.

I did not hear back from Charlene on the 17th of May or the 18th of May, nor the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, or 23rd, so on May 23, I phoned Charlene’s number again and found out that she had gone on holidays. Nevertheless, I left yet another message.

Finally, on May 24, I received a call at work, this time from Charlene Gaynor. She was looking after Charlene King’s case load while Ms King was on holidays. I once again explained my situation and she tried to explain how my claim was processed. She was unable to do so because she didn’t understand it herself, and put me on hold for 5 or 6 minutes while – I assume – she went to get some help to find out how my claim was calculated. When she came back on the phone, she said that she was unable to provide me with the information on how my claim was calculated. She said that she would call me back the following day with the information.

On May 25, I received a call from Joanna Gonzales who was able to explain how the claim was calculated. She determined that the amount I had received was in error because someone had entered the incorrect start date for my claim. Joanna assured me that this would be corrected and another cheque sent out.

I am at an absolute loss of why these things take so long and why it was necessary to leave so many (unreturned) messages. By my count, it took 19 days and it was necessary for me to call 14 times and leaving 11 messages to finally get this matter resolved. I can’t imagine that you would consider this good service or that it is an efficient use of your staff.

I feel that I have been treated scandalously and that if I were to treat my customers that way I would be fired immediately. It is unacceptable that I should have to have gone through this. and the only reason I deal with Sun Life is because it is through my employer’s health care plan.
Just to update, I did receive another payment later on for $65.00

Received a very real looking check from Costco Wholesale for $3875 drawn on the Bank of America General Disbursement Account with a letter from Sun Life Financial (150 King St. W. Toronto Ont, MSH 1J9, Canada saying that I had won a Shoppers Sweepstake Lottery for $125, 000. Checked here and discovered (as I thought) that it was another lottery scam.

My husband passed away on April 1, and Sun Life denied his Life Insurance claim, stating that the conversion papers were not filled out properly from when he went on Disability from work, however they new he was on disability and not working because they were paying his disability payments, but when he died they refused the claim, even though they were taking our premiums every month. Never once told us that the forms were not filled out properly by his employer.

I received a letter from Sunlife-Financial in London, Ontario saying I had won $125, 000. Enclosed was a check for $3, 980 drawn on Foxxhole Records, Inc., c/o Gordon & Associates, Encino, CA. The letter said I needed to pay taxes of $2, 980 first and submit proof of that and then I'd get the balance.
What is to stop me from merely cashing the $3, 980 check?

I recently sent in a claim for eye glasses for my wife my benifits cover $250.00, my wife has an insurance policy from her work as well so I we sent in the claim to her insurance first and we received the cheque, so I made copies of the information from her insurance company and sent in the claim to Sun Life and they denied my claim saying that I need to send this to my wifes plan first which I did and sent all the pertanent information to them. I am not sure what they are doing there but it seems to me that they are dening every claim I send in is this some kind of company intiative to deny claims and see if they can get away with it. I am considering looking into getting legal advice because this sure looks illegal to me.

I am paying for comprehensive service which means I am covered for major dental work, I called Sun Life to see if the procedure I was considering was covered and the person on the phone said yes so I proceeded with the procedure. Once my dentist submitted the claim it was denied because they indicated that I have already had a major procedure done in the last 4 years and I have to wait until 5 years and this is combined with other procedures which means I am paying for benifits that I am not receiving (does Fraud come to mind). No one expained this to me and there is nothing on their web site that indicates what is covered under these rules how can they take my money and not provide coverage isn't there a ruling body that governs this kind of insurance scam!

I WORKED FOR A SUPERCONDUCTOR COMPAMEY CONDUCTUS AND WAS BEING TREADED AT THE TIME FOR SOMETHING UNDIAGNOSTED, WHICH
TURNED OUT TO BE NARCOLEPSY. OVERWORKING MYSELF MY SYMTOMS BECAME MUCH WORSE. I HAD A CHOISE WAS GETTING VIOLENT, GIVE ME MY VACATION TIME OR RESIGN. I RESIGNED FROM MY JOB MID 2002.
I HAD TO SUE FOR EDD WHICH TOOK A YEAR BUT WON. THEN EDD DISABILIY WICH TOOK ANOTHER YEAR. THEN SDI WITH TOOK ANOTHER
YEAR. I WAS LOOKING AT MY PAY CHECKS ONE DAY AND THEY DEDUCTED LIFE INSURANCE. IT TOOK ME A YEAR TO FIND CURRENT INSURANCE
NOT "STANDARD" BUT "SUNLIFE". THEY WOULD NOT RESOND FOR A YEAR.
FINNALY GOT A HOLE OF THEM, IT WAS APPOVED BUT DOCTOR SIGATURES, PAYED 300 TO GET THEM (STANDFORD).
NOW THEY SAY IT'S TO LATE. THEY CANNOT PROCESS IT. IT IS HARD FOR ME TO DO ANYTHING, WITH THIS PROBLEM I HAVE.
THIS IS SO UNFAIR CONSIDERING WHAT I HAVE. I HAVE SPENT MY ENTIRE NESS EGG AT SANDFORD.
MY NEPHEW HAS SAME PROBLEM HE IS TEN. OLD MEDICLE BOOK SAY'S IT CAME FROM SOLDIERS THAT DID OVERSEAS SERVICE
IN EUROPE. WORKED SO HARD AND NOW CANNOT DO ANYTHING. SERRAQUILL NIGHT AND ADDERALL DAY TIME.
THANKYOU SUNLIFE.

Despite having paid for disability benefits through my employer for 15 years, I have been cut off short-term benefits after 8 weeks for what they claim is insufficient medical documentation. Sun Life has made me jump through all kinds of loops to provide what they feel is adequate medical documentation, only to continually tell me it is not enough and they cannot grant further benefits, despite a disability preventing me from returning to my job. I am PISSED OFF, and my doctor is angry as he is adamant that I cannot return to work until I get a specialist opinion. The staff at Sun Life have been rude and unreasonable, and I have now sought legal advise. RIP OFF!