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Susie Weitzenkamp v. Unum life insurance company of America

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ARGUED MAY 11, 2011

Before ROVNER and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges, and LEFKOW, District Judge.*fn1

After being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression, Susie Weitzenkamp was awarded long-term disability benefits under an employee benefit plan (“the plan”) issued and administered by Unum Life Insurance Company (“Unum”). Benefits were discontinued a little more than twenty-four months later, when Unum deter-mined that Weitzenkamp had received all to which she was entitled under the plan’s self-reported symptoms limitation. Because Weitzenkamp had retroactively received social security benefits, Unum also sought to recoup equivalent overpayments as provided by the plan. On appeal, Weitzenkamp challenges the application of the self-reported symptoms limitation to her case and argues that Unum’s claim for overpayment is barred because the Social Security Act prohibits attachment or garnishment of social security payments. On July 11, 2011, we issued an opinion affirming in part and reversing in part. Unum filed a petition for panel rehearing, and we requested an answer, which was filed. By separate order we granted the petition and vacated the original opinion and final judgment. For the reasons that follow, we reverse the district court’s judgment as to Unum’s application of the self-reported symptoms limitations and affirm as to the social security overpayment claim.

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