Strange

Nathalie Blanchard Loses Benefits Over "Happy" Facebook Photos

by amyellensoden | November 23, 2009 at 01:05 pm

430 views | 2 Recommendations | 1 comment

29 year old Nathalie Blanchard from Bromont, QC has had her health care benefits for depression taken away due to her posting what's considered to be "happy" photos on her Facebook account. An insurance agent for Manulife discovered Blanchard's Facebook photos of her having a good time at a Chippendales show at a bar.

Blanchard has been on sick leave from IMB for the past year and receiving monthly benefits due to her severe depression. When Blanchard posted some photos from a bar night, her situation was called in to be reconsidered.

Blanchard, who says her doctor had advised her to have some fun, is now going to court to have her benefits reinstated. Her lawyer Tom Lavin filed a suit on her behalf in Quebec Superior Court on Friday.

Blanchard's defense for the party pics is that she was following her doctor's orders to try and have some fun. She is going to fight to keep her long-term disability benefits. Blanchard has been on sick-leave from her IBM branch since February 14th, 2008.

The company in question, insurance giant Manulife, declined to comment on the case specifically but has said in a statement: "we would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook."

1 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

Yuliya Talmazan

at 13:49 on November 23rd, 2009

This is very sad. The point of providing the health care benefits to this person was to treat her condition and make her feel better. If she is fine now, and posting "happy" pictures on Facebook, that does not mean she won't need any more treatment. I think this is setting a dangerous precedent.