UnumProvident Corporation received more troubling news last week when a federal jury in Arizona ordered the insurance provider to pay $84.5 million to a former policyholder. Cardiologist Joanne Ceimo filed suit against UnumProvident after two of its subsidiaries, Paul Revere and Provident Life, and a third insurer, General American, systematically denied her claim even though her disability policy entitled her to $12,000 a month for the rest of her life. A neck injury had caused her hands to shake, forcing Ceimo to discontinue several surgical procedures, including angioplasty.

Hundreds of policyholder lawsuits have been filed against UnumProvident over its propensity to unilaterally deny claims without any basis. According to former employee and company physician interviews, UnumProvident, which reportedly insures 25 million people and issues one out of four disability policies in the United States, intentionally withheld benefit information, destroyed critical medical reports and used biased doctors to deny claims in an effort to increase profits. In March, Georgia's state insurance commissioner levied a $1 million fine against UnumProvident after determining the company fraudulently handled claims.