When I purchased my F-350 I also purchased a health and disabilities protection plan from Central States Health & Life Company of Omaha. In September of 2013 I injured my back and due to the poor condition of my spine they determine that my injuries were beyond repair. After almost a year of struggling to keep my truck current I was getting behind at which time I was talking to Ford Credit who informed me that at the time of the purchase of my truck I had also purchased a protection plan in the event I became disabled. Ford was able to give me the information I needed to open a claim with Central States Health & Life of Omaha. I contacted CSO at which time they sent me the claim forms and also forms for me to sign to release medical records to them. I signed the release and sent back to CSO, I also filled out the claim form and had my doctor fill in the medical parts and sent this back to them. There were some records they wanted faxed to them so the doctors office made many attempts to fax the information they wanted. It seems their fax stays down more then up and running. We did after many attempts get the paper work faxed off to the number CSO had faxed from being the other was not working. It took almost a month for them to acknowledge they had received the paper work. At this time I get another form from CSO saying they needed this form back to start the claim process. I make a doctors appointment and take the form in with me and after I filled out my part I had the doctors office fill in their part of the form and mailed it back to CSO. After a couple more weeks I called to get update on my claim and was told they were waiting on more health records and that it was my responsibility to get them the paper work they needed. When I would ask about the release form I had signed for them to obtain my medical records I could never get a straight answer. My health insurances will cover my medical condition but it does not cover the expense of the doctors completing the needed forms that CSO requires. After being off work for over a year with a very limited source of income I could no longer afford the expense of extra doctors visits and form fees. My truck is now in the repossession status and still no help from CSO. I am now on permanent disability but this seems to not matter with CSO. They claim they have their own guidelines as to what is considered permanent disability and the lines seem to change each and every time you meet their demands. At this point keeping my truck is no longer an option. CSO at some point in February or March of 2015 contacted Ford Credit Disabilities department and my account was put on hold, at that point I was only 1 month behind. I was unaware that it was only on hold and not being keep up to date. Ford contacted me after 6 months to let me know that CSO had not been making payments and that they could no longer keep it on hold. After they released it it was 6 months behind therefor putting it into the risk of repossession. I can not pay the back notes at this time being my only income is disability and its not much. CSO has documentation from my regular doctor and a neurologist that my disabilities are permanent but yet still denies my claim.
I still think that health & life insurance is a wise choice when making a major purchases but you need to do your homework as to where you purchase such a policy. After checking online into the many companies that offer such a policy it seems CSO is by far the leader in complaints and dissatisfied customers.