Canadian woman loses benefits over Facebook photo

BROMONT, Quebec – A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on Facebook in which she appeared to be having fun.

Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from insurance giant Manulife.

But the payments dried up this fall and when Blanchard called Manulife, she says she was told she was available to work because of Facebook.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on Facebook, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday.

Blanchard said Manulife told her it's evidence she is no longer depressed. She's fighting to get her benefits reinstated and says her lawyer is exploring what the next step should be.

Blanchard told the CBC that on her doctor's advice, she tried to have fun, including nights out at her local bar with friends and short getaways to sun destinations, as a way to forget her problems.

Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but did say they would not deny or terminate a claim solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook.

 

getting monthly payments for being depressed is BS anyways. my wife's half-sister's ex-boyfriend used to get social security payments for being a pothead, guess it is cheaper to pay him $12,000 a year to smoke pot rather than have him steal and go to prison and cost us $35,000 per year. it's a justified budget but not promoting ethical behavior...

 

fcking trashes in this world... this is where communism works better.

 

I won't lie. I've been through stages of depression, and she's kinda in the right: sometimes you go out per someone's advice, and even if you "look" like you're having fun, it's actually worse because you really don't want to be there, and other people are trying to make you act some way that you can't. it's kinda hard to describe if you haven't gone through it.

but then again, I'm not a weak woman. nor canadian. I never took government money and skipped out on work. I just went into the bathroom and cried like a man

 

It's insurance fraud and the canadian part is irrelevant. She's a scammer.

 

I'm pretty sure all Canadians are depressed I sure would be *ducks*

 

You're right. We've already agreed she's a pansy, so there's no need to reference the Canadian factor again.

 

 

I thought depression was a myth.


Kidding aside, I never knew insurance agents were also clinicians.

 

reasons like these i dont have myspace or facebook