APD Officer Says Health Claim Was Denied

A police officer who suffered a heart attack while patrolling his northwest Atlanta beat got turned down when he filed a claim for benefits. Sergeant Jack Ludwig said the city's third party provider gave him an "unbelievable" explanation for why he was denied coverage.

Ludwig, a police supervisor, was three hours into his shift and responded to a call. A short time after clearing the call, Ludwig said he started feeling chest pains.

Ludwig said he drove himself to a firehouse. Atlanta firefighters were credited with saving Ludwig's life by giving him medical treatment until he could be transported to the hospital.

Ludwig said when he spoke to a claims representative, he was told the heart attack may have come on before he reported for duty and his claim would be rejected.

At Atlanta City Hall, employee claims are handled by a third party provider called Nova Pro. A phone call to the company to apply for benefits left Sergeant Ludwig in a bad mood.

The company denied Ludwig's claim. Mayor Shirley Franklin said she couldn't discuss individual cases, but this isn't the first time the mayor has heard police officers complain about the third part provider.

Pat Cocciolone, who suffered a catastrophic injury after being shot in the head, is one of five disabled officers who have gone public about being turned down on claims.

A manager at the provider's claims office said privacy rules prevented him from discussing Ludwig's complaint, but he rebutted a common complaint that the company routinely denied claims at the outset as a negotiating tool in order to fashion a compromise settlement later.