Introduction to Quotes (Three Sentences)

Please remember the patients may die during the years it takes their case to get to Court and be resolved !! I asked the Federal Court to stop this crime pattern but U.S. Magistrate Judge Bryant in Nashville wrote :

“the enforcement of such provisions is the exclusive prerogative of the Attorney General”

Obama and the AG he appointed refuse to take action after receiving all this evidence multiple times via certified mailings to the White House, court documents, and personal visits to the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office !!

U.S. District Judge Richard Alan Enslen wrote these quotes in Zanny verses MetLife :

“Metropolitan Life Insurance Company has arrived at a formula for operating a profitable insurance business. It simply does not allow piddling things like facts to intrude upon its employee benefit claims decisions. Witness Zanny v. Kellogg Company and Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.”

“What is most shocking about the Report is the underlying context. In this instance, Mr. Kooi made the object of videotaped surveillance and spying at her home, on the road, and at her therapist’s offices a woman suffering extreme depression, paranoid symptoms, anxiety toward strangers and a history of repeated suicide attempts.”

“MetLife and its henchmen should appreciate that such conduct may itself precipitate the suicide death of a person who has placed implicit trust in their organization to foster mental health. MetLife should investigate the conduct of Mr. Kooi to insure that its agents are not either wittingly or unwittingly subjecting mentally-ill claimants to untoward risks of suicide death or other preventible injury.”

“This record is an open indictment of MetLife’s practices and treatment of the mentally-ill and long-term disability benefits. In this case, MetLife regularly reviewed the client’s file with an open intention to deny benefits despite the profound and compelling evidence of serious and prolonged mental illness.”

“On May1, 2002, MetLife requested Ann Tacl (a rehabilitation counselor) to provide a written report concerning Plaintiff’s employability. The Tacl report, for the most part, completely ignored medical information supporting disability, psychiatric hospitalization records, or the reports of examining psychologists and previous rehabilitation counselors who concluded that Plaintiff was not employable at any occupation nor able to operate a for-profit business. (Id.)”

“Tacl’s report is dated May 14, 2002. In it, she concludes that there is “no objective evidence that she [Plaintiff] has cognitive deficits . . . .” This conclusion is wildly inaccurate and wholly ignored the opinions of every psychiatrist or psychologist who has physically examined Plaintiff, including the most recent such examinations.”

“And What About those “Independent” Medical Exams and Reviews? Overall, the Tacl report is explainable only as the product of a professional who has been directed to reach a conclusion, has focused on data only in support of such conclusion, and who has scrupulously ignored all contrary data.”

(Quotes from Case 4:05-cv-00074-RAE Document 55 Filed 06/30/2006 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN SOUTHERN DIVISION, Case No. 4:05-CV-74)

Judge William Acker asked Metlife this question about cardiac patient Frank Blankenship :

"Can a heart patient with angina, working under severe stress, be expected to earn up to 60 percent of what he earned before his heart condition, that is, until he drops dead?"

Reimer and Associates website shows the court wrote this quote in the case of Winkler v. MetLife, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 5447 (2d Cir. 2006).

“An administrator may, in exercising its discretion, weigh competing evidence, but it may not, as MetLife did here, cherry-pick the evidence it prefers while ignoring significant evidence to the contrary.”

In the case of Palmiotti V. Metlife, 2006 U.S. Dist. Lexis 13598 (S.D.N.Y. 2006) Reimer and Associates quoted the court as writing the following :

“MetLife's decision on Palmiotti's appeal was unsupported by substantial evidence because it was not based on a full and fair review of the initial decision and because material information was either ignored or was not solicited, and the information upon which MetLife did rely was fraught with errors.”

Here are three important quotes from Judge Judge Terrence McVerry in the case of SCHWARZWAELDER verses Metlife :

 “Her treating/evaluating physicians assessed the stressful nature of that position, deemed it causal to her mental health symptoms and diagnoses, and concluded that (a) Plaintiff was unable to continue to perform under the conditions of that occupation and (b) to attempt to do so would risk serious further consequences to her health. The Administrator's failure to meaningfully address these considerations was arbitrary and capricious.”

“The Court is also highly concerned by the Administrator's rejection of evidence self reported by Plaintiff to her treating/evaluating physicians where (a) MetLife had no basis for rejecting those observing-physicians' conclusions that Plaintiff's evidence was credible”

Judge Terrence McVerry wrote this about another psychiatric cases quotes written by Judges in another Court:

“In Sheehan, the Court concluded that where MetLife's determination of the claimant's psychiatric condition was limited to obtaining a paper-review opinion from Dr. Givens, it was procedurally flawed. 368 F.Supp.2d at 255.”

The next quotes concern Dr. Tracey Schmidt who is paid by Metlife. Dr. Schmidt is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine that certified Dr. Greenhood who is mentioned in multiple cases in this Brief.

Here are quotes written by the Honorable Judges in the UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT :

“Dr. Schmidt's analysis was unsatisfactory in other aspects as well. Contrary to her assertion that the file lacked mention of "any restricted ROM of joints other than the right foot abnormality," a February 2002 exam revealed that Audino's "wrists [were] swollen bilaterally with pain on range of motion of the left wrist" and her "left ankle was swollen with pain [on] range of motion." Although she noted in summarizing the evidence that Audino's physician had observed severe arthritis around the trapezius in August 2002, Dr. Schmidt failed to evaluate that finding in her analysis of whether Audino's impairments constituted disability under the plan.”

“Regarding Audino's rheumatoid arthritis and optic neuritis, Schmidt concluded that Audino's file lacked "objective evidence of a physical functional capacity impairment to a full time sedentary job."

GLORIA AUDINO versus RAYTHEON COMPANY SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM DISABILITY PLAN; METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY; No. 04-10729


You’re about to see quotes written by Honorable Judge Malachy Mannion in the case of JAMES KNOBLAUCH v. METROPOLITAN LIFE.

Judge Mannion wrote the first quotes regarding the questionable relationship Metlife has with the company Metlife pays to perform FCE’s that evaluate the claimant’s ability to work. Judge Mannion also details how there are far more limitations on the patients than Metlife is reporting :

“The court has noted, however, that there are several documents in the file which appear to contradict the defendants’ assertion that there was no questionable relationship between Isernhagen and Metlife or Synchrony. For example, there is a document titled “Isernhagen Work Systems Functional Capacity Report” which is on Metlife letterhead.”

“There is another document titled “Isernhagen Quality Providers/
MetDisAbility (sic) Referral Form” which gives specific directions to the FCE provider as to how Metlife FCEs are to be handled procedurally. This form requires the reviewer to“[C]ontact MetDisability with a verbal report 1 day after the FCE is completed.”

“There is a Metlife/Synchrony log entry dated April 5, 2002, which states:

...telephone call on voice mail from Cindy from Isernhagen
at 2:52 pm. FCE done 4/3 and 4/4...ee (sic) did pretty well. He
was compliant, cooperative, no self limiting. Unstable BP first
day, said she had to call MD his pressure was so high. On the
second day his heart rate was unstable and he was having
abdominal pain, so limitations were more medical [than] strength
factors...” (Doc. No. 20, p. 42)(emphasis added).”

“This more contemporaneous statement of the FCE results is telling in that it suggests far more limitations on the part of the plaintiff than later statements made by Metlife/Syncrony to the plaintiff in support of its decision to terminate benefits.”

“Also disturbing is the fact that Ms. Oxendine testified that she had not been provided with a copy of the plaintiff’s job description prior to performing the FCE. Ms. Oxendine stated, “...I did not have available to me at the time of his FCE a job description...[It] was not available at the time I performed the FCE.”

“Ms. Oxendine’s testimony also undermines the post-termination, post- appeal records review performed on July 9, 2002, by Joseph M. Nesta, M.D. For example, Dr. Nesta assumed that the plaintiff’s job description was before Ms. Oxendine at the time the FCE was performed.”

“After the plaintiff appealed the determination, the
defendants had a physician consultant, Joseph M. Nesta, M.D., review the record. No independent medical examination was performed.”

“When Dr. Nesta did his records review, he stated, “...[B]y July 20, 2001 this individual was cleared by his surgeon to return to work.” He either did not know, or failed to include, the fact that the plaintiff’s surgeon, Dr. Scagliotti, released the patient “to return to light physical activity...as tolerated,” and that the plaintiff was “instructed to progress as tolerated.”. No interpretation of Dr. Scagliotti’s records could suggest that he was released to return to unrestricted full time work.”

“Dr. Nesta further stated in his report, “This individual also has had a chronic pancreatic insufficiency. This is treated with pancreatic replacement therapy.” As can be seen from Dr. Brislin’s above referenced report, the plaintiff’s ongoing pancreatic insufficiency was stated to be very difficult to control despite high doses of pancreatic supplements, and enzyme supplements.”

“There was never any discussion concerning the plaintiff’s other medical complications including the inability to control the pancreatic insufficiency with medications, or fatigue. Fatigue is documented profusely in the FCE, but never mentioned by the defendants. There is no acknowledgment that neither of the plaintiff’s treating physicians ever released him to full time work. In fact, the only treating, or examining physician who released him without restrictions was the orthopedic physician, whose actual name was never mentioned, and who clearly was referring only to the plaintiff’s shoulder capsulitis problem.”

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA CIVIL ACTION NO. 3:02-1801

Here are quotes written by the Honorable Judges in the 6th Circuit in the case of Janice Spangler, v. Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc.; Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., No. 01-5770, File Name: 02a0424p.06.

“Why Met Life did not also send Dr. Rice's report or the rest of Spangler's file to Crawford for review by the vocational consultant is inexplicable. Indeed, we can only conclude that Met Life, as Spangler contends, "cherry-picked" her file in hopes of obtaining a favorable report from the vocational consultant as to Spangler's ability to work.”

“Met Life's action in sending only Dr. MacKay's September 14, 1999, report to Crawford was arbitrary and capricious. Met Life should have provided Crawford with all of the medical records relevant to Spangler's capacity to work. As a result, the report by Crawford's vocational consultant was an incomplete and inaccurate representation of Spangler's ability to work.”The following quotes were written by the Honorable Judges from the 6th Circuit in the case of Wanda Glenn verses Metlife, (Case Number 05-3918)

“This inappropriately selective consideration of Glenn’s medical record was compounded by the fact that the occupational skills analyst and the independent medical consultant were apparently not provided with full information from Dr. Patel on which to base their conclusions.”

In the case of Wright verses Metlife U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer Guerm wrote these quotes :

"MetLife relied on clearly erroneous findings of fact in making its benefit determination. MetLife’s review of Plaintiff’s appeal consistently omitted or misrepresented relevant information in several ways. On October 18, 2004, Dr. Barnett wrote a letter to MetLife stating:

"I am gravely disturbed by your misrepresentation of the facts with regard to my discussion with your independent physician consultant and your lack of due diligence in collecting further medical information regarding Mr. Wright’s health condition. Indeed, Mr. Wright has ongoing cardiac disease including ischemia and loss of function due to previous myocardial infarctions."

** Please remember I found all of these case quotes searching Google, and less than one percent of cases are posted on the internet !!!!

U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner won the Thurgood Marshall Award of the American Bar Association in 2008. 

Here’s three important quotes Judge Gertner wrote about Metlife: 

“It misquoted Whitehouse’s doctors and cherry-picked or took out of context statements made. The denials continued to press factual inaccuracies even after being informed of the errors.”

“Perhaps most egregious of all, it misquotes Dr. Bhan as stating that Whitehouse “[was] able to function” AR 116 when, in fact, he said “she was not able to function.” AR 121 (emphasis added). 

“Anderson stated that he was “surprised” that his and Dr. Bhan’s reports were not taken to support Whitehouse’s “serious functional limitations . . . . Mrs. Whitehouse was NOT able to function professionally (or personally), with such a major formal thought disorder as major depression with psychosis.”

In the case of Joanne Vick verses MetLife, Honorable U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland wrote that Metlife and their paid consultant Dr. Greenhood ignored a foot that Ms. Vick broke in 5 Places after she developed diabetic kytoacedosis following childbirth.

Here are two exact quotes Judge Cleland wrote in this case :

“Noticeably missing from Dr. Greenhood's report is any mention of Dr. Al-Kassab's November, 2001 office notes, Dr. Churchill's November 13, 2001 office notes, and Dr. Churchill's March 14, 2002 office notes. This is particularly significant in that Dr. Greenhood's August 2, 2004 report specifically noted that "[t]here is no indication of seizures or falls." Dr. Churchill's March 14, 2002 report, however, indicates that as a result of her right sided weakness, Plaintiff broke her left foot in January 2002--in five places, no less.”

“Moreover, both Dr. Greenhood’s and Dr. Gosline's reports contained numerous errors and inherent inconsistencies, which should have been noted by the plan administrator and resulted in less weight being given to them.

(E.D. Michigan, Southern Division. No. 03-CV-73124-DT

Here’s Dr. Greenhood again !!

The following quotes were written by Honorable U.S. District Judge Honorable Timothy J. Savage in the case of JACQUELINE ADDIS v. THE LIMITED LONG-TERM DISABILITY PROGRAM :

“MetLife relied almost exclusively upon the report of Dr. Gary Greenhood, an internist specializing in infectious diseases hired by MetLife, who did not examine Addis and did only a records review. Dr. Greenhood selectively viewed Addis’s medical records, and MetLife then selectively adopted parts of Dr. Greenhood’s report to support denial of the claim.”

“Although the denial letter listed reports of several physicians, it relied exclusively on Dr. Greenhood, the internist it had retained, and gave little consideration to Addis’s treating neurologist, Dr. Tatarian. There is no discussion of the reports or findings of any of the other physicians who are listed.”

“Dr. Greenhood selectively extracted portions of Dr. Tatarian’s treatment notes to support his conclusions, which are contrary to those of Dr. Tatarian. At the same time, he ignores parts that bolster Addis’s complaints and support her doctor’s diagnosis and prognosis.”

“In his report, Dr. Greenhood states that Addis’s physical examinations were “either unremarkable or demonstrated increased tone in the lower extremities.” Implying that these were normal findings, he ignored Dr. Tatarian’s observation that the increased tone in the lower extremities was a spinal cord abnormality.”

“Dr. Greenhood states that there were no objectively abnormal findings in the materials he reviewed, creating the impression that the absence of such findings rules out a disabling condition. He also ignores the MRI reports evidencing MS, November 2, 2000, and December 9, 2003. To the contrary, Dr. Tatarian documents a variety of spinal problems; and, MRIs consistently showed the presence of lesions and plaque on the brain. Dr. Greenhood ignores Dr. Tatarian’s report of a positive Babinski sign, which is indicative of nerve damage consistent with Addis’s complaints of stumbling and falling.”

“Both MetLife and Dr. Greenhood ignored the Multiple Sclerosis Medical Source Statement of Functional Abilities and Limitations completed by Dr. Ana Lavdas, one of Addis’s treating doctors. Dr. Lavdas reported that her patient’s prognosis was poor and she had significant functional limitations. Among the symptoms were pain in the lower extremities, fatigue, weakness and shaking in lower and upper extremities, poor coordination, bladder and bowel problems, blurred vision, and other physical problems. She noted that Addis had “significant and persistent disorganization of motor function in two extremities resulting in sustained disturbance of gross and dexterous movement or gait and station.” Dr. Lavdas concluded that her patient was “unable to work,” and could not sustain a job.”

“Significantly, there is no discussion of the records of Doctors Lavdas, McDonald, Gray, Files and McCarel, which he lists as having been submitted to him. Dr. Greenhood simply ignores them.”

“MetLife assigned reconsideration of Addis’s claim to Tammi Phillips, who was not a physician and whose qualifications are unknown.” “Her assessment ignores Dr. Tatarian’s unequivocal diagnosis that Addis was suffering from “relapsing, remitting MS with possible repeat exacerbation.”

“Disturbing, in light of the clear evidence to the contrary, is Phillips’s conclusion that Dr. Tatarian did not provide “any specific restrictions and limitations” that would prevent Addis from performing her own job. On the contrary, Dr. Tatarian specifically recommended that due to her unpredictable weakness, fatigue, sphincter incontinence, visual difficulties, and cognitive problems, Addis could no longer work.”

Civil Action No. 05-357 in The United States District Court For The Eastern District Of Pennsylvania on March 30, 2006

I can provide quotes from many more cases regarding MetLife and other insurance companies.

The evidence you’ve just seen is part of many more patterns of life threatening corporate crimes that are posted at :

www.obamasdeadlycrimes.blogspot.com

Sincerely,
Barry Schmittou
Barryschmittou@live.com