I did everything right – at least on paper.

I purchased disability coverage from a private insurer in the event I encountered a health issue.  Combined with coverage through my employer, I was prepared for whatever harm might come my way.

At least that’s what I thought.

Trust me, I had no illusions an insurance policy is designed for my protection. I’d heard enough horror stories to know I could be in for a rough ride.

Nothing prepared me for just how bad the industry has become.

In the initial stages of burnout, preoccupied with red tape from my employer while navigating my workplace insurance application, I missed the 3-month window to open a claim.

Despite missing the deadline, I applied and was approved.

Looking back, filling out reams of paperwork through overwhelm was the easy part.

This particular insurer doled out payments every 2 months on the potential 2-year claim.

I channeled Oliver Twist as he begged “Please sir, I want some more”.

I began to dread any communication because I was never sure what was coming next. And there was always something coming.

It’s a fact that you are a low point when making an insurance claim.

The hurdles. The wild goose chases for this or that request. The cold calculated moves to stall or avoid paying.

Like tracking down the date a bank account was first created which had nothing to do with my claim.

Or requiring my entire work history. I scribbled “Fail to see the relevance” and refused to complete that section of the form.

Or overburdening the crumbling healthcare system to complete form after form after form within weeks of each other.

At one point, I was notified my claim was canceled because I refused medication. Not to be confused with refusing treatment – I was simply relying on other acceptable methods. I scoured the fine print. Refusing medication was not a valid reason to deny my claim.

As a retired real estate appraiser, I am accustomed to reports that describe a subject property.  I will never get comfortable being the “subject” of my own life. Reading report after report that described my wellbeing in the third person was hard to take.

On more than one occasion, I engaged a therapist to provide a letter outlining my difficulties. (Please note – some charge for this service). I insisted they document how difficult I found encounters with the insurers. Also how these dealings were an impediment to my recovery.

There’s no denying – each interaction set me back. It’s counterintuitive. They were paying me but also hindering my progress with their tactics; thereby extending the duration of the claim. How does that make sense?

I’m not sure anyone was listening. Certainly, no one cared. I was one more faceless, voiceless claimant on a policy number.

Perhaps, I thought, if I could connect with a person, there might be some humanity.  An hour on hold – only to be advised the claims analyst does not take calls – dashed any hope of that.

Things got so bad last summer, I was ready to give up.  I don’t quit easily but the constant requests and phone calls from two insurance companies simultaneously nearly broke me. I sobbed on the phone with one insurer while frustrated and angered by an email from the other.

Before you can ask, I had some brutally honest conversations with the agent who sold me the policy. I threatened to go public. Legal action was the nuclear option.

It was along this time that I heard about a Crown corporation called The Insurance Advocate of New Brunswick.  They answered my questions, provided clarity and offered advice at no charge.

It was the Insurance Advocate’s office who urged me to keep going and I’m grateful. My monthly “allowance” was several hundred dollars – no pocket change.

I rarely got responses to any of my correspondence until I cc’d The Insurance Advocate of New Brunswick.

The insurer concluded each communication with “if this information is not received by xxx date, your claim is considered closed”.  The information requested usually relied on someone else’s availability – doctor or therapist – adding further stress.

When challenged by the Insurance Advocate about the claim being closed, guess what?  We were advised it wasn’t really closed. It would be reopened when the information was received.

That’s not what the wording led me to believe.

Was my experience more challenging because I’m recovering from burnout?  I have my suspicions. When I questioned some of the obstacles I faced, I was advised that an invisible illness is more difficult to access. 

One of the most disappointing parts of this journey is how powerless I have felt. I put my trust in systems to support me in times of trouble and they let me down – in a big way.

Burnout requires rest and the last two years have been anything but restful. My nervous system has been on high alert waiting for the next shoe to drop.

My battle with insurers is far from unique. Insurance claims filed for property damage or loss, health and disability claims face similar challenges.

Why is this behaviour allowed to continue? I wish I knew. Insurance is big business in Canada and a major contributor to Canada’s economic growth.

According to the Insurance Industry in Canada – statistics & facts | Statista https://share.google/2wYaSjS8tBRn00RvR , the assets of Canadian Insurance companies is $932.5 billion USD as of December 2025.

Yet the everyman is often denied or stonewalled on a claim bought in good faith. That tells me something isn’t working right.

Thankfully, my saga with this insurer has ended. The final payment was deposited; the claim was closed. The policy has been canceled.

While I wish I could report that my battle with insurance companies is over, a new chapter began this week and I faced something unfathomable. More on that at a later date.

This world keeps hitting but I won’t stop fighting.

I’ll offer the same words I received from others who’ve been down this path, read the fine print and don’t take “No” for an answer.

Do you have an insurance story to share?

For those in New Brunswick, Canada: you can reach the Consumer Advocate for Insurance at 506 549 5555 for insurance related issues, complaints, and information. They are there to help.

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Do you have a theme song that gives you strength when you need it?