rossiya segodnya ( russian : россия сегодня , tr . rossíya sevódnya ; ipa : [ rɐˈsʲijə sʲɪˈvodʲnʲə ] ) is a news agency wholly owned and operated by the russian government , created by an executive order of the president of russia on december 9 , 2013 .

" rossiya segodnya " directly translates from russian into english as " russia today " , but should not be confused with the tv network rt , which was known as russia today prior to 2009 .

however , the station is sometimes referred to as " russia today " or the " new russia today " in foreign media .

rossiya segodnya incorporates the former ria novosti news service and the international radio service voice of russia ( formerly radio moscow ) .

according to the decree of the president of russia , the mandate of the new agency is to " provide information on russian state policy and russian life and society for audiences abroad . "

vladimir putin 's chief of staff , sergei ivanov , said that rossiya segodnya was being created in order to increase the cost efficiency in russian state media .

however , ria novosti 's own report about the move speculated it was an attempt to consolidate state control over the media sector and western news outlets stated that this was also a move by putin to propagate a more pleasant image of russia abroad .

according to a report on the rt news channel , rossiya segodnya is " in no way related " to the rt news channel despite the similarity in name ( rt was known as russia today prior to its rebranding in 2009 ) .

however , a report by the bbc states that it " seems likely [ ... ] that [ rossiya segodnya ] will complement the work of the state-funded foreign-language tv station , rt. " on 31 december 2013 , margarita simonyan was appointed editor-in-chief of the news agency , as well as being rt 's news channel editor-in-chief .

she will serve in both positions concurrently .

on 10 november 2014 , the agency launched the sputnik multimedia platform with radio sputnik as its audio component , replacing the voice of russia .

the radio service is available internationally on fm , digital dab/dab + ( digital radio broadcasting ) , hd-radio , as well as mobile phones and the internet .

within russia itself , rossiya segodnya continues to use the ria novosti brand as its russian-language news agency using the website ria.ru .

rossiya segodnya

rossiya segodnya <EOT> moscow ( rossiya segodnya press service ) - - on the birthday of rossiya segodnya photojournalist andrei stenin , who was killed in southeastern ukraine , the andrei stenin international press photo contest for young photographers opened its 2018 entry period .

the rossiya segodnya international information agency launches a new project aimed at telling people about revolutionaries from a new perspective .

ahead of his visit to india , vladimir putin gave an interview to rossiya segodnya international news agency and ians news agency .

the rossiya segodnya international information agency will name the winner of the andrei stenin international press photo contest on september 7 at an awards ceremony in moscow .

the liquidation of ria novosti and establishment of rossiya segodnya in its place last december was widely seen as the kremlin tightening its grip on the media .

state - run news agency rossiya segodnya is set to launch a new media project this month in dozens of different languages , rbc daily reported wednesday .

the international press association ( api ) slams estonian decision to deny accreditation to the rossiya segodnya international information agency reporters for the eu foreign ministers ' meeting .

the russian embassy in tallinn on wednesday condemned estonia’s refusal to grant accreditation to three rossiya segodnya international information agency reporters for the eu foreign ministers ' meeting in estonia’s capital .

sergey startsev , the director of the office of the rossiya segodnya international information agency in italy , was awarded the constantinus magnus international award in the field of journalism on sunday .

poland will be the next venue after madrid to host the exhibition of the winning entries of the 2017 andrei stenin international press photo contest , organized by the rossiya segodnya media group .

ticket sale revenues at koktebel jazz party in crimea will allow the local school to become the best in the region , the festival’s founder and the rossiya segodnya ceo dmitry kiselev said saturday .

the rossiya segodnya international information agency on friday launched thematic news wires in the russian , english , spanish , chinese and arabic languages , dedicated to the upcoming presidential elections in russia in march 2018 .

rossiya segodnya ' s focus on building up russia abroad could solidify putin ' s grip on information by further limiting sources of news for russians , whose tv screens are dominated by state - controlled channels .

moscow ( sputnik ) - rossiya segodnya international information agency has launched a website , operating in russian and english , for the russian and foreign media outlets not accredited to the 2018 fifa world cup matches .

the other arm of the kremlin ' s international media operation , the news agency rossiya segodnya ( russia today ) , also got a big rouble boost . it now gets the equivalent of $ 89m .

the new aim of rossiya segodnya , according to sergei ivanov , then president putin’s chief of staff , was “to explain to the world that russia pursues an independent policy and is firmly committed to defending its national interests . ”

description of sources : urltoken is an estonian - language news portal owned by russian state media company rossiya segodnya [ russia today ] . according to the annual report of estonia’s internal security service , rossiya segodnya was established in december 2013 to replace the russian news agency ria novosti and the radio network golos rossii [ voice of russia ] . rossiya segodnya launched a multimedia channel , sputnik , in november 2014 to distribute messages supporting russia’s policy via web portals , radio stations and press centers in 35 languages . sputnik’s baltic operations are led by andrey blagodyrenko of the rossiya segodnya news service . the editorial office includes viktoria jürmann , reportedly a member of the russian intelligence services . sputnik repeatedly delayed the launch of its estonian web portal , mainly because it was hard to find journalists with a sufficient command of the estonian language who were willing to engage in such propaganda . sputnik opened the website on 24 february 2016 , estonian independence day .

but rt and rossiya segodnya are by no means the limit of the kremlin ' s foreign media operations . it also has the international versions of its main domestic channels , with their powerful mixture of lavish entertainment and emotive news coverage .

] , ” rossiya - 24 , august 19 , 2016 , urltoken g ( accessed august 21 , 2016 ) .

moscow ( sputnik ) - russia’s largest information agency , rossiya segodnya , has launched a hotline for the host city press centers for russian and foreign media , which will operate until the end of the 2018 fifa world cup on july 15 .

the head of the european journalist federation ( efj ) slammed on friday the european union ' s decision not to accredit the rossiya segodnya international information agency for a top - level ministerial meeting as a " serious attack on media freedom . "

further fueling concerns of independent media being edged out altogether , the russian government last month announced a sizable increase in funding for state - run news agencies , with 6 . 48 billion rubles ( $ 170 million ) allocated for rossiya segodnya alone .

the site contains reprints of news items from inosmi , a ria novosti and rossiya segodnya site dedicated to translating western journalism into russian . and in truth , baltnews headlines are more moderate than those of the openly pro - kremlin local news media .

rossia segodnya would neither confirm nor deny the reports , saying details would be released at a launch event in moscow next month .

since 2012 , the kremlin has forced several formerly independent media outlets to toe the line through forced ownership and editorial changes . this has included the 2013 reorganization of ria novosti , once the most independent of the state - run media , into rossiya segodnya .

the move to abolish ria novosti and create a news agency to be known as rossiya segodnya ( russia today ) is the second in two weeks strengthening putin ' s hold on the media , as he tries to reassert his authority after protests against his rule .

kolesnikov also suggests rossia segodnya could potentially be used as a " cover " to improve russian espionage networks or contacts in foreign countries .

the andrei stenin international press photo contest organized by rossiya segodnya under the auspices of the commission of the russian federation for unesco will present the winning works of 2017 in shanghai between october 27 and november 5 , 2017 in the press tower of the shanghai united media group .

controversial pro - kremlin tv anchor dmitry kiselyov is heading rossia segodnya , which is reportedly planning a major international expansion . ( file photo )

estonia has accounted for its decision to refuse accreditation to three rossiya segodnya international information agency reporters for the eu foreign ministers ' meeting in tallinn , referring to an eu parliament resolution which labels the agency a pseudo - news outlet , the country ' s government said in a statement .

president vladimir putin ' s plans to create a major international news agency called rossiya segodnya , or russia today , is being seen as a significant move in moscow ' s strategy to influence world opinion . but it has also raised concerns about further curbs on media freedom in russia itself .

rbc daily cited an unidentified source with knowledge of the situation as saying the project would target an overseas audience and unite several of the news agency ' s foreign - language departments . it said rossiya segodnya had confirmed the launch of a new product , but declined to give more details .

" the main focus of … rossiya segodnya is to highlight abroad the state policy and public life of the russian federation , " said a decree signed by putin . sergei ivanov , the president ' s chief of staff , told reporters that the changes were intended to save money and improve the state media .

the man spearheading rossiya 1 ' s attacks on the gay community is dmitry kiselev , anchor of the channel ' s flagship weekly news review vesti nedeli .

rfe / rl ' s tajik service reported in august that rossia segodnya was set to open a branch in dushanbe that would be staffed by 25 locally hired reporters .

as part of re : baltica ’s ongoing investigation into propaganda sites , especially those with a pro - kremlin slant , reporters found documents that link baltnews to the russian - state multimedia conglomerate rossiya segodnya . this fact is obscured by a chain of owners , seemingly designed to make it appear as though baltnews arose from local organizations .

media capital’s company’s sole owner is a russian - registered company , media - kapital , which is owned by the russian newspaper moskovskiye novosti , which is in turn owned by the state - owned news service ria novosti . ria novosti is now part of the rossiya segodnya state - owned media company , which includes the sputnik news .

a former ria novosti top manager told human rights watch that with rossiya segodnya , the editorial mission of ria novosti changed “from reporting news and facts with professionalism , to becoming servants of the state . no one was forced to quit , there was no purge , but many people [ including me ] chose not to stay . ”

putin created rossiya segodnya ( russia today ) out of ria novosti ( already state - owned ) russia beyond the headlines ( already state owned ) and voice of russia ( already state - owned ) will come under russia segonya ' s management . rt ( formerely known as russia today remains as is and is state - owned .

rossia segodnya , or " russia today , " is a different organization than rt , the lavishly funded pro - kremlin tv network that broadcasts in english , arabic , and spanish .

dmitry kiselev told another programme on rossiya 1 in 2012 that the hearts of homosexuals killed in car accidents " should be buried or burnt as unfit for prolonging anybody ' s life " .

he may seem extreme , but kiselyov apparently has the blessing of the kremlin : he ' s been selected to head the new russian state media conglomerate , rossiya segodnya , that is due to replace the well - respected ria novosti . he also has a point . russia is still a major nuclear power , with an estimated 8 , 500 nuclear warheads , more than the united states .

the liquidation of ria novosti and establishment of rossiya segodnya in its place last december — and the appointment of the outspoken kiselyov to the helm — was widely seen as the kremlin tightening its grip on the media . the reshuffling of staff at independent news websites like urltoken has also sounded alarm bells , as longtime editors known for their independent coverage were replaced by editors with known ties to the kremlin .

the euromaidan in kyiv ( late autumn 2013 ) became a watershed that dramatically changed both the course and essence of russian anti - western / european propaganda . the new era in the history of russian disinformation was ushered in on december 9 th 2013 when vladimir putin signed an executive order giving birth to the rossiya segodnya multilingual news agency that was to become the main outlet of russian propaganda for external audiences . in 2014 , the sputnik news agency ( operating in more than 30 languages ) comprised of news websites , radio broadcast services and directly controlled by rossiya segodnya , was introduced . in 2013 , another russian news website lifenews ( consisting of a news website and 24 - hour television channel ) emerged . it has been repeatedly accused not only of being extremely biased , but also suspected of being connected with russian security services .

in december , mr putin appointed dmitry kiselyov , a conservative television presenter with outspoken views on homosexuality , as the head of the new state news agency rossiya segodnya . mr kiselyov had previously made statements that gay people should be banned from donating blood , sperm or organs , telling a television audience in 2012 that " their hearts should be burnt or buried in the ground as unsuitable for the continuation of life . "

mr kiselev himself told state news channel rossiya 24 he saw his " mission " in his new job as restoring a " just attitude to russia as an important country in the world which has good intentions " .

another staunchly anti - gay voice on rossiya 1 is senior journalist arkady mamontov , who on a prime - time talk show suggested that russia was in danger of being engulfed by a " homosexual sodomite tsunami " .

known back in the 1990s as one of the faces of " independent journalism " , mr kiselev has recently become notorious for his extreme and sometimes bizarre diatribes in his role as a top anchor on official channel rossiya 1 .

the three news portals’ web addresses are registered to the company media capital holding b . v . it is located in a tiny two - story red - brick building in small town of hilversum , netherlands . real estate website identifies it as a residential flat . the company was registered in 2013 with core capital of 1 eur . e - mails sent to an e - mail address indicated in the domain registry and to the press service of rossiya segodnya went unanswered .

rossia segodnya was established by a kremlin decree last december . the media holding company integrates the state news agency ria novosti and state radio station voice of russia into a single media monolith helmed by controversial pro - kremlin news anchor dmitry kiselyov .

dmitry kiselyov , the controversial head of rossiya segodnya , will unveil the new project together with margarita simonyan , the agency ' s editor - in - chief , at a private presentation on nov . 10 , the newspaper reported . the project , which reportedly has the working title " sputnik , " will be presented to the press at a later news conference , it said . simonyan is also editor - in - chief of the state - sponsored english - language news channel rt .

rossiya segodnya ( formerly ria novosti ) photo library was founded in the 1940s and offers a collection of over one million images related to russia and the former soviet union . the archive covers all aspects of russian and soviet history and experience . main subjects include : personalities ( historic , political , cultural and foreign ) ; ballet , music and film ; paintings and posters ; space exploration ; world war two ; defence ; geography ; politics ; economy ; stock images of russia today .

the media monitoring organisation medialogiya says the number of news reports referring to homosexuality on official tv channel rossiya 1 has skyrocketed over the past few years . in 2011 , there were just 11 , whereas in 2013 there were more than 160 .

not all of russia ' s state - controlled tv channels share rossiya 1 ' s taste for gay - bashing . channel one ' s news programmes , for example , refer to homosexuality far less frequently and never in the same derogatory terms .

he is best known as presenter of vesti nedeli ( news of the week ) , a weekly news programme on the domestic rossiya 1 television network . his show is accused of being a soapbox to promote the kremlin ' s policies , disparage homosexuality , denigrate the west and speculate about western - led conspiracies as well as attack the political opposition to putin . prior to rossiya 1 , dmitry was employed by soviet central television as well as the ukrainian television channel ictv between 2000 and 2003 .

andrei kolesnikov , a political analyst and columnist for the opposition - minded " novaya gazeta " newspaper , says the rossia segodnya expansion is intended to complement the kremlin ' s use of rt as a " propaganda " tool to burnish russia ' s image abroad .

the decree , effective immediately , transfers all ria novosti property to a new conglomerate called " rossiya segodonya , " which means " russia today . " russia segodonya will provide " coverage of russian state policy and public life in the federation , " the decree said .

moscow - - rossia segodnya , russia ' s state - run media conglomerate , is reportedly preparing to open local bureaus in 29 world capitals , a move expanding the kremlin ' s global media presence amid what senior russian officials call an " information war " with the west .

“this week the coalition has shown its full strength , ” mr . kiselyov said on his weekly talk show , “vesti nedeli , ” or “news of the week , ” on the state television network , rossiya . “it looked like a thirst for revenge for poltava . ”

the controversial kiselyov , known for espousing anti - gay and anti - american views , will head russia today . he most recently served as the deputy head of state - owned rossiya television channel , where he anchored a show every sunday featuring vitriolic attacks on opposition politicians .

he cited the recent case of leonid sviridov , a russian reporter working for rossia segodnya in poland , who on october 25 was stripped of his accreditation at the request of polish security services . kiselyov has demanded an explanation for the move , though polish authorities have yet to make such an explanation public .

russia has increased spending on its foreign media operations , earmarking 15 . 38 billion rubles ( $ 362 . 2 million ) for rt in 2015 , an increase of nearly 30 percent from last year . next year ' s budget for rossia segodnya has been almost tripled to 6 . 48 billion rubles ( $ 152 . 6 million ) .

the two agencies will be absorbed into a new state media organization known as rossiya sevodnya , or russia today . in a separate decree , mr . putin appointed dmitry k . kiselyov as executive director of the organization . mr . kiselyov , a television executive and host , is an avowed pro - kremlin figure who has provoked controversy with starkly homophobic remarks and virulent commentary suggesting foreign conspiracies are threatening russia .

that an official news agency could be considered hostile to its own government reflected some deep divisions within russia’s political elite . the new agency’s name , rossiya sevodnya , is the original name of the kremlin’s international television network , now re - branded simply as rt and known for its jaundiced view of the united states and other western countries . the decree , which takes effect immediately , did not link the two organizations .

a totally different turn is visible in propaganda for “domestic consumption” . the notorious pro - kremlin journalist , zealous anti - semite , open xenophobe and homophobe dmitry kiselyov ( head of rossiya segodnya and deputy director of russian state tv holding company vgtrk ) became the living embodiment of anti - european propaganda . his weekly media appearances on the russia - 1 television channel were filled with misanthropic ideas and hatred amply permeated with anti - ukrainian , anti - european , anti - american and anti - jewish sentiments . in his allegations kiselyov extensively relied on pseudo - historical and quasi - scientific facts and data . for instance , his anti - eu rhetorical escapades resulted in a wild revelation about an existing anti - russian “alliance” between the “european russophobes” . according to kiselyov , lithuania , poland and sweden “are still dreaming of taking revenge on russia for the poltava battle in 1709” . this and other numerous preposterous allegations completed the overall atmosphere of obscurantism and paranoia to which the russian audience is being subjected .

the new agency is to be headed by dmitry kiselev , one of russian tv ' s most notorious anchors , known for his extreme anti - western and homophobic views .

mr putin ' s decree liquidating state - owned news agency ria novosti and the kremlin ' s international radio station , voice of russia , and replacing them with russia today came like a bolt from the blue .

both ria novosti and voice of russia have been stalwarts of the media scene for several decades . they were founded way back in the soviet past , in 1941 and 1929 , respectively .

ria novosti has been a particularly valued outlet which , although state - owned , has reflected a diversity of opinion in some of its output . its court reporting service rapsi also recently won an award for , among other things , its live transmissions of the trial of opposition leader alexei navalny .

pro - kremlin commentator sergey markov wrote on facebook that the agency ' s demise may be linked to its coverage of anti - putin protests in 2012 and the apparent sympathy of some of its journalists for the opposition .

mr putin ' s decree states that russia today ' s role will be to transmit to foreign audiences information about the " russian federation ' s state policy and public life in russia " .

it seems likely , therefore , that it will complement the work of the state - funded foreign - language tv station , rt , which when it was launched in 2005 was also known as russia today .

the new agency will be a " huge machine for propaganda in the west " , tweeted liberal website editor roman fedoseyev .

the new russia today does not appear to be directly connected with its namesake - rt ' s editor - in - chief margarita simonyan said on twitter that she found out about its launch from a moscow radio station . still , the choice of name for the new agency can hardly be a coincidence .

mr putin has made no secret of his admiration for the work of ms simonyan and her colleagues at rt , which since a revamp following the 2008 russia - georgia war has become one of the world ' s most controversial and talked - about international news channels - primarily thanks to its relentless diet of anti - western reporting on such issues as the conflict in syria .

during a visit to rt ' s studios in june , mr putin congratulated the staff on their successful efforts to " break the monopoly of anglo - saxon media on the world ' s news " .

earlier , in october 2012 , he vetoed finance ministry plans to reduce rt ' s annual funding of more than $ 340m ( £250m ) .

the most controversial aspect of russia today ' s launch was the appointment of mr kiselev as its director - general .

he has likened kremlin opponents at home and abroad to the nazis , used a swedish children ' s tv show about toilet training to exemplify " western values " , and repeatedly demonised homosexuals .

arguably his most controversial outburst was when he said that russia ' s controversial law banning the promotion of homosexuality among children was not tough enough on gays .

" they should be banned from donating blood and sperm , and if they are killed in a car crash their hearts should be buried in the ground or burnt as unfit for helping to prolong anyone ' s life , " he told viewers .

opposition leader alexei navalny noted ironically on his blog that mr kiselev was the " ideal " man to front the " state propaganda machine " .

but anna kachkayeva , dean of media and communications at moscow ' s higher school of economics , called his appointment " odious " . she also told editorially independent radio station ekho moskvy that the launch of the new russia today appeared to mark a return to the " soviet and propagandistic past " .

the kremlin has long controlled russia ' s leading tv channels ( still the main source of news for most russians ) , and it has further tightened its control on the media scene with a series of laws passed since mr putin began his third term as president in may 2012 .

opposition commentators think the demise of ria novosti and its replacement with russia today could be another ominous sign for media freedom in russia .

" we are getting closer and closer to total censorship . they will deal with smaller media even more shamelessly , " tweeted ekho moskvy presenter vladimir varfolomeyev .

bbc monitoring reports and analyses news from tv , radio , web and print media around the world . for more reports from bbc monitoring , click here . you can follow bbc monitoring on twitter and facebook .

the foreign secretary quits , telling theresa may " needless self - doubt " is leading to " semi - brexit " .

valdimir putin has the power to appoint and dismiss the chief of russia today . photograph : alexei druzhinin / ap

the russian president , vladimir putin , tightened control over his country ' s media on monday by dissolving the main state news agency and replacing it with an organisation aimed at promoting moscow ' s image abroad .

most russian media outlets are already loyal to putin , and opponents get little airtime , but the shakeup underlined their importance to putin ' s hold on power and the kremlin ' s concern about the president ' s ratings and image .

the head of the agency to be built from the ashes of ria novosti is a conservative news anchor , dmitry kiselyov , who has proved a loyal putin supporter , at times making provocative remarks . in 2010 he said homosexuals should be banned from donating blood or sperm and last year he said they should also be banned from donating organs .

but the new organisation has strong similarities to apn , a soviet - era news agency whose role included writing articles about " the social - economic and cultural life of the soviet people and items reflecting soviet society ' s point of view on important internal and international events " .

ria said in an english - language article : " the move is the latest in a series of shifts in russia ' s news landscape which appear to point towards a tightening of state control in the already heavily regulated media sector . "

putin ' s decree appeared to have little effect on the two other major russian news agencies , the state - run itar - tass and private interfax , but it could benefit both by making ria ' s replacement less of a competitor domestically .

itar - tass is the successor of the soviet - era official tass agency , while interfax has more leeway as a private agency but is restricted by the kremlin ' s dominance .

the kremlin extended its grip over radio and television broadcasting on november 26 when the media arm of state - controlled gazprom bought mining tycoon vladimir potanin ' s profmedia .

through the deal , the former soviet gas ministry – now russia ' s largest firm by revenue – will add tv and radio stations , cinemas and film production and distribution assets to a sprawling portfolio built up around commercial channel ntv .

the kremlin already funds an english - language tv channel called rt , which was initially known as russia today . it is not clear whether the two will operate separately and rt ' s head , margarita simonyan , said she had been unaware of the move .

the new organisation will be created in ria novosti ' s headquarters in central moscow , but the fate of the agency ' s journalists and other employees was not immediately clear .

ria novosti was created as the soviet information bureau in 1941 , after nazi germany invaded the soviet union , and issues reports in russian and foreign languages .

singer has previously said he felt obligated to perform in russia : ' as a gay man , i can ' t leave these people on their own . '

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the editor of russian international broadcaster rt , margarita simonyan , is to head a new news agency , as the kremlin consolidates its media hold .

simonyan , 33 , will merge her rt post with the role of editor - in - chief at russia today , which will replace state - owned news agency ria novosti .

president vladimir putin shut down ria novosti , which was respected for its news coverage , earlier this month .

under her leadership , rt has developed into a major international broadcaster with services in english , arabic and spanish , but is regarded by many as solidly pro - kremlin .

the channel recently said its signal was carried by 22 satellites and more than 230 operators , allowing for some 630 million people to watch it in more than 100 countries .

russia today ' s managing director will be controversial journalist and keen kremlin supporter dmitry kiselev , who is known for his ultra - conservative views , such as saying that gay people should be banned from giving blood , and that their hearts should be burnt rather than used in transplants .

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all kick - off times local . kaliningrad = utc + 2 , samara = utc + 4 , ekaterinburg = utc + 5 , moscow and other venues = utc + 3

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on the eve of venezuela ' s independence day , which was celebrated on july 5 , a news report published by ap , specifying donald trump’s remarks on invading venezuela , has once again raised concerns in the latin american country .

dawn sturgess and her boyfriend , charlie rowley were taken to a salisbury hospital a week ago . according to the police statement , mr . rowley who was also taken ill following exposure to the nerve agent remains in critical condition .

the us national and federal debts are unlikely to spell doom to the country ' s economy while the us dollar maintains its status as a dominant reserve currency , american economist , author and former civil servant dr . paul craig roberts told sputnik , shedding light on more pressing issues for the us economy .

while the authorities in brussels are preparing for the annual nato leaders meeting , peace activists from all over the world have also gathered in the city to protest against the alliance’s plans and to voice their concerns at a counter - summit . sputnik met with co - president of the international peace bureau reiner braun to discuss nato’s policies .

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the russian authorities have been widely criticised for enacting a law banning the promotion of homosexuality among children .

a rising tide of homophobia in parts of the media has accompanied and followed the adoption of that law , including attempts to implicate homosexuals in a recent series of terror attacks .

the controversy surrounding the so - called " anti - gay " law passed by the state duma ( parliament ) last june had the paradoxical effect of dramatically raising the profile of homosexuality in both social and mainstream media . but it has also led to an upsurge in homophobia .

on twitter , for example , the incidence of the main pejorative terms used to describe gays ( " pidoras " and its variants ) increased ten - fold between the beginning of 2011 and the second half of 2013 - from around 7 , 000 a month to more than 70 , 000 .

the incidence of the more educated but no less offensive term " sodomite " also soared - from being used just two or three times a day at the beginning of 2011 to more than 100 times at the end of 2013 .

these increases may in part be attributable to the overall growth of twitter in russia during this period , but similar trends can also be observed in the mainstream media .

almost all of these reports displayed an attitude that was either outright hostile or else noticeably negative towards homosexuals .

the programme ' s attacks on the lgbt community have been remorseless . it has portrayed them as an " aggressive minority " opposed to " parents fighting to give their children a healthy upbringing " . it has also suggested that " 40 % of children brought up by homosexuals have venereal diseases " .

some of its programmes have exhibited a much more positive attitude to homosexuals . a recent drama series about the soviet film industry featured a sympathetic gay character being cruelly persecuted for his sexuality .

still , there is no doubt that hostile attitudes to homosexuals have the blessing of the kremlin . in december , dmitry kiselev was appointed head of russia today , a major new news organisation tasked with communicating moscow ' s message to a global audience .

liberal commentators are deeply troubled by the rising tide of homophobia . russian - born us activist larry poltavtsev writes that just as everything jewish was anathema to the nazis , so " now everything that stands apart from president putin and his team is deemed to be ' gay ' . "

he cited a news agency report referring to a " gay jihad " , which suggested that homosexuality was rife among the terrorists responsible for the recent bomb attacks in the city of volgograd .

this is not the only instance of fingers of blame being pointed at the gay community over the blasts . controversial orthodox clergyman andrei kurayev suggested that one of the bombers may have converted to islam because of the " cancer " of homosexuality in the russian orthodox church ( roc ) in the russian region of tatarstan .

russian orthodox church clergy have in general supported the hostility towards homosexuals . one tv presenter , olga bakushinskaya , dubs it " orthodox fascism " .

in december an actor and former orthodox priest , ivan okhlobystin , outraged liberals by telling an audience in siberia that he would " shove all gays live into an oven " . mr okhlobystin is one of russia ' s most influential voices on social media , with more than 790 , 000 followers on twitter .

laws targeting homosexuals and mounting media homophobia are making life ever more precarious for russia ' s beleaguered gay community .

a recent report by the russian lgbt network said lgbt people were facing a climate of " general discrimination and violence " . it said a survey showed that over the past year 53 % had faced " psychological violence " and 15 % actual physical harm . in at least two cases in 2013 , this violence proved fatal .

jeremy hunt is named as the new foreign secretary after boris johnson quits over the pm ' s brexit strategy .

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moscow — president vladimir v . putin exerted new control over russia’s state news media on monday , dissolving by decree one of russia’s official news agencies , ria novosti , along with its international radio broadcaster as he continues a drive to strengthen the kremlin’s influence at home and abroad .

the decision shutters a decades - old state - run news agency widely viewed as offering professional and semi - independent coverage , while putting a reconstituted news service in the hands of a kremlin loyalist . since returning for a third time as president last year , mr . putin has taken several steps that critics have denounced as a strangulation of political rights and open debate , concentrating power in an ever tighter circle of allies .

the decree comes at a time when russia has become increasingly assertive on the world stage , most recently in the tug of war with the european union over political and economic relations with ukraine , a country with deep historical and cultural links that mr . putin and others here believe bind it to russia , not the west .

the kremlin’s intense lobbying and strong - arming of ukraine’s embattled president , viktor f . yanukovich , have been a principal grievance of the hundreds of thousands who have poured into the streets in the last two weeks . the reorganization of russia’s state news media occurred only days after a meeting between the two leaders — and unconfirmed rumors that they had reached a secret deal to forge a strategic partnership — served to intensify the protests .

mr . putin’s presidential chief of staff , sergei b . ivanov , said the decision to close the news service was part of an effort to reduce costs and make the state news media more efficient . but ria novosti’s report on its own demise said the changes “appear to point toward a tightening of state control in the already heavily regulated media sector . ” its executive editor , svetlana mironyuk , the first woman to lead the agency , appeared before her stunned colleagues and apologized for failing to preserve what she called the best news organization ever built by state money , according to a video recording of the meeting .

the decrees caught the agencies’ employees , its executives and even some government officials by surprise . mr . putin made the changes without prior notice or public debate , as is often the case here . his decree said that the new agency would focus on providing news about russia to an international audience ; the agency’s directors will be directly appointed by the president’s office .

the reasons behind the timing were unclear and , to many , puzzling . ria novosti is one of the official sponsors of the winter olympics to be held in the russian resort of sochi in february , and its employees have been deeply involved in organizing preparations for news coverage there . there have been some calls for boycotting the games , citing russian policies , including a new law prohibiting advocacy of nontraditional sexual relationships , that have prompted harsh criticism from rights organizations .

“russia has its own independent politics and strongly defends its national interests , ” mr . ivanov , a close ally of mr . putin’s , said in remarks to reporters , according to ria novosti . “it’s difficult to explain this to the world , but we can do this and we must do this . ”

he suggested that russia had had some difficulties in successfully explaining its views abroad . “we must tell the truth , make it accessible to the most people possible , and use modern language and the best available technologies in doing so , ” he added .

ria novosti’s roots extend to world war ii , when it was founded as the soviet information bureau two days after the nazi invasion of the soviet union . according to the agency , it has correspondents in 45 countries and provides reports in russian and 13 other languages .

dmitry k . kiselyov , a kremlin backer , was appointed the head of a new news agency .

it was renamed after the collapse of the soviet union in 1991 , and while it continued to serve as an official news agency , its reporting earned greater respect for its balance and diversity of viewpoints .

that troubled at least some here . maxim l . shevchenko , a prominent television personality , called the reorganization “a sensible step” in a post on twitter . “the nest of anti - russian media forces has been destroyed , ” he wrote .

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aleksei a . navalny , the anticorruption blogger and opposition leader , lamented the demise of a “strong soviet brand” in his own posting on twitter and said russia today , as a brand , was “something repulsive . ”

andrei miroshnichenko , an independent media critic here , said ria novosti and the other state news agency , itar - tass , had in effect competed for resources and influence .

he said ria novosti had become the most respected news agency in the former soviet union , one he associated closely with the presidency of dmitri a . medvedev , who has served as prime minister since mr . putin returned to the presidency last year . in that way , dismantling the news service is another step by mr . putin to erase any legacy of mr . medvedev’s presidency , and his “modernization initiative . ”

the new agency , mr . miroshnichenko said , would now revert to its mission before the dawn of “the post - soviet era” as an arm of “foreign propaganda , ” while itar - tass would focus on domestic news .

the most pointed criticism of mr . putin’s decrees focused on the choice of mr . kiselyov as the new agency’s director . he is known for sharp commentaries in defense of mr . putin’s russia that often reflect his belief that there are foreign conspiracies aimed at weakening the nation . he has described the current protests in ukraine as a provocation by a coalition of sweden , poland and lithuania like the one that peter the great defeated in 1709 in the battle of poltava in what is modern ukraine .

remarks he made last year resurfaced during the recent debate over the new prohibitions on “propaganda” of nontraditional sexual relationships . “i think it is too little to fine gays for homosexual propaganda , ” he said . “they should be forbidden from donating blood , sperm . and in the case of an automobile accident , their hearts should be buried in the ground or burned . ”

there were calls for a criminal inquiry for his remarks , but none were undertaken . mr . kiselyov denied that he or the remarks he made were homophobic .

his views on journalism , he acknowledged in a recent interview with the online news organization lenta . ru , had evolved significantly , particularly after he worked in ukraine during the previous political protests there that became known as the orange revolution .

“i understood that objective journalism , distilled , is absolutely not in demand , ” he said in the interview . “the basic difference between post - soviet and western journalism is that for us it is necessary to create values and not to renew them , to produce values and not to reproduce them , as is basically done in the west . ”

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cars pass by the former russian ria novosti information agency headquarters in moscow , russia on monday .

russian president vladimir putin on monday signed a decree dissolving state - run news agency ria novosti and state - owned voice of russia radio , and appointed ultraconservative television anchor dmitry kiselyov to head a newly - formed media conglomerate .

the name of the new conglomerate has caused confusion as there is no indication the new russia today will be affiliated with rt , the kremlin - funded english - language television network formerly know by same name . rt head margarita simonyan told russian news site urltoken on monday that she was not informed of the changes before the kremlin issued its decree .

" i heard about it on the radio , " simonyan said , adding that she hoped to be informed by the kremlin about the relationship between her network , rt , and the new russia today .

sergei ivanov , putin ' s chief of staff , told reporters on monday that the changes in the state news apparatus would cut costs and make state media more effective .


standard insurance company , also branded as the standard , is an american insurance and financial company which is a subsidiary of stancorp financial group , headquartered in portland , oregon .

on july 23 , 2015 , meiji yasuda , a japanese mutual insurance group , made an offer to purchase stancorp financial for $ 5 billion .

the transaction was completed in the first quarter of 2016 .

the standard covers 8.5 million people ( june 30 , 2008 ) in the usa through and out of above 30000 employers with group and individual disability insurance , group life , ad&d and dental insurance , retirement plans products and services , individual annuities .

it is licensed in 49 states and washington , dc .

in new york it has standard life insurance company of new york .

the average loan-to-value ratio on new loans was 64 percent in 2008 .

standard insurance company has maintained an “ a ” rating or higher from a.m. best company since 1928 .

assets $ 14.56 billion ( march 31 , 2009 ) .

3,400 employees in 2008 .

in december 2005 revenue was $ 2,147,500,000 .

on february 24 , 1906 leo samuel , a german immigrant , founded the oregon life insurance company .

in 1946 the company name was changed to standard insurance company .

in 2006 , on a 100th anniversary celebration the company launched the standard charitable foundation with emphasis on helping individuals and families who have experienced a loss or setback such as a major disability or the loss of a loved one .

standard 's headquarters in portland are located in the standard insurance center .

the company also has offices in standard plaza .

it owns both buildings .

standard insurance company

standard insurance company <EOT> the standard is a marketing name for standard insurance company ( portland , oregon ) , licensed in all states except new york , and the standard life insurance company of new york ( white plains , new york ) , licensed only in new york . products and availability vary by state and are solely the responsibility of the applicable insurance company .

the domiciliary state is the state in which an insurance company is incorporated or organized .

these facts provide a quick snapshot of stancorp financial group , inc . , and its primary subsidiaries : standard insurance company , the standard life insurance company of new york , standard retirement services , inc . , and stancorp mortgage investors , llc . all information is current as of dec . 31 , 2016 , and is updated annually .

an naic number is a five - digit number assigned to every insurance company by the naic ( national association of insurance commissioners ) . because each company has its own unique number , the naic number can be used to identify a particular company .

stancorp financial group , inc . , is the holding company for businesses that provide insurance , retirement and investment products and services .

pacific standard life insurance company , domiciled in california , was a subsidiary of southmark corporation , a publicly held real estate based financial services company . in july 1989 , southmark filed for reorganization under chapter 11 of the u . s . bankruptcy code . none of the insurance subsidies were included in the filing . however , on december 11 , 1989 , pacific standard life was placed under conservation by the california insurance department . a liquidation order was issued in may 1994 .

pacific standard had a portfolio of ordinary life and term plans emphasizing universal life and other interest sensitive products . it also included the usual forms of whole life , endowment , and tax qualified products . the state life and health insurance guaranty associations helped arrange for hartford life insurance company to assume all the company ' s policies in 1994 .

you can purchase investments and insurance on your own without going through your employer .

the liquidator , by court order , becomes the sole owner of the company ' s assets and administers the estate of the company .

explore individual disability insurance : income protection for when you’re too ill or injured to work .

policies of an insolvent company are often transferred to a financially sound insurance company . if policies are not transferred to another company , the policies are continued and claims administered by either the guaranty associations or a third - party administrator ( tpa ) working on behalf of the associations . please contact the company / tpa listed below or the guaranty association in your state of residence for more information about your policy .

i have been dealing with the standard insurance company for almost 2 years now . it was fine the 1st year but when i started getting my social security disability things went to hell . the standard started sending me over payment notices . i had no problem paying back what social security back paid . i did that , then the standard insurance wanted a mother $ 1000 . 00 . so i paid that even though the letter stated my overpayment would not be more than what i was awarded from social security .

disability insurance can help pay the bills if a serious illness or injury keeps you from working .

© 2001 - 2018 all rights reserved . the national organization of life & health insurance guaranty associations

after i lost the benefits that came with my job , i looked to standard insurance for health coverage . while they were initially helpful , they kept bundling life insurance from a company called phoenix with my policy despite my protests ( i was already covered through state farm ) . they signed me up for phoenix anyway , and i had to contact phoenix a few times to receive a refund . this situation marred what had been a fairly easy process of finding cheap health insurance .

i don ' t understand why people worried about government spending . don ' t put a lid on what some insurance companies are doing , like the standard . basically anyone seriously sick and in pain doesn ' t have time to peruse lawsuits . the standard hires a company like allsup to constantly nag its policy holder for information to get the policy holder transferred to social security disability .

so the next thing that happened is that i received a letter saying that they were still " investigating " my claim , so i called the adjuster who told me that it could still take " several weeks " to make a determination . the next letter that i received was one telling me that they were also investigating my life insurance , who it happens is offered from the standard insurance company . the letter said that my life insurance might be dropped , or at the very least i would be responsible for paying for it in whole by myself .

the department has not taken enforcement action against this company in the past three years . link to enforcements page

i had water pipes under my house break . i have insurance through american home shield to fix my water pipes . but when i went to make a claim for the water damage to my floors standard insurance does not cover damage from broken water pipes or almost anything else . after researching about other complaints i find that lots of other people have problems with claims . when i called the company they said i had a policy that was called hoa . basically that ' s a policy for condominiums not for the normal homeowner . when i asked standard insurance they said that ' s the only policy they offer in texas . lesson learned you get what you pay for . . . now i ' m stuck paying for these floors that i thought i was paying for insurance to cover stuff like that . just wanted to warn you just because you hear it on a christian radio station doesn ' t mean that the company has christian morals . don ' t want anyone else to find out the hard way like i did .

your employer is offering benefits tailored to your organization . learn more about the insurance and retirement options that may be part of your benefits package .

we know dbl . standard security life has provided disability insurance for close to 60 years , covering nearly 60 , 000 employers and insuring over 750 , 000 lives . with the lowest per capita dbl rates in the industry and a management team averaging 20 + years of experience , we have you covered . standard security life is committed to providing service and guidance regarding the new pfl benefit .

had a couple of issue and asked to have automatically withdrawal out of my account for payment . was unaware i had no insurance until the bank notified me . went back to make sure this time i had paperwork drawn up to have payment withdrawn out of my account again . 9 months went by i let my son borrow my car and he happened to get a ticket . the ticket he had got was for no insurance and i was unaware i had no insurance again .

the standard company lied ! the records were sent to the standard on jan 4th of 2017 . mind you this case started in september of 2016 . and 2 days later i received a call from the company release point that the standard works with and was informed . i need to resign a release for the medical office because the standard accidentally requested records from the wrong date , as well as they need records from my pharmacy . how can they do this ? this is clearly being done to purposely stall my claim . they knew who my pharmacy was for months and those records should have been requested , and how do you request the wrong date of records . it was suppose to be january 2016 through april 2016 . they requested october 2016 . and now they are requesting records from january 2015 to current .

the company that you were employed with is complacent in this as it brings down their rates . then the standard sends you paperwork so that any money coming to you or your children ( even though they told me my children ' s money wouldn ' t be effected ) must be turned over to them . in essence : you pay your premium and the standard never has to pay a cent . it really needs to be stopped . when you work for a large company , they don ' t provide you with a copy of your policy .

warning ! ! i listen to klty on my car radio , about 4 years ago i heard a commercial that advertised standard insurance agency . . . have people on there testifying how much money they save on their auto and home insurance . so since the office was located near my home i took my current policy that i had with farmers into the location and ask for a quote on the insurance that i currently had . . . and lo and behold they came back with a quote my auto and home that saved me several hundred dollars a year . thought i was getting a good deal until i had to make a claim . . .

you are leaving urltoken to visit a website hosted by ameritas . com . the standard uses ameritas as its partner for dental and vision coverage .

the standard requires you to have paperwork filled out by your doctor and in every month the standard states they have not received it . my doctor faxed it twice , i called and they still have not received it even though the transmission states it has . correct fax number but they don ' t seem to get the faxes causing a delay in my payment ! ! it takes a representative to be in a three - way call with your doctor ' s office in the line , the standard rep , and myself , then my doctor ' s office faxed over the paperwork and ebola , the standard rep gets the fax . don ' t deal with this company . it has the worst customer service ever ! ! !

however , i do not understand the reason for the denial because standard will not provide me with the basis for the denial . if it has attempted to advise me it is not specific enough to do any good ! i still " work " because if i didn ' t , then i would go bankrupt ! this company , which has gladly taken my premium for years , is creating quite a problem because if i stop work , thinking that standard will fulfill its obligation to me , i have no way to believe it will pay for my disability . this company has operated in " bad faith " regarding my claim and i am now going to do something about it ! this really is a terrible company !

my experience with standard has been very disappointing . i have been a customer for approximately 20 years . during that time i have never missed a premium payment . then , i became disabled with m . s . honestly , this illness has been devastating to my business and to my income . i have submitted claims twice and this company ( standard ) seems to be going out of its way to find reasons to deny the claim .

then more information was requested and more information was sent it to them and they were reviewing more information all the while saying that i have a " claim " . i have correct claim numbers and information and that it will be processed promptly . and then after 9 months , i was told i have been requesting my claim from the " wrong company " . i was told that my claim should have been processed through a company called " the reliance standard " .

i ' ve had it . i ' m not quitting my quest . i am going to send out a mass mailing to everyone in my workplace to ask if they ' ve been screwed over by the standard . there are two women on my unit who have had various bad experiences so there must be many more who can testify that they ' ve been shafted . i ' m doing this to pressure my employer to get a new insurance company . this is going to be hard because i work for a state entity . i ' m also going to contact my state and federal legislators to ask for help . this has worked in the past for other concerns that i ' ve had about impropriety in government and / or insurance companies .

standard did say they will reimburse me for the cost of the rental , but how can i trust they won ' t drag their feet on getting the correct to me ? never mind the fact that when i told the new person handling my claim that i could not afford the cost of a rental . all i got from him in response was an " oh well that ' s how we do it here . " i guess i ' m expected to not have a vehicle while my car is being repaired ? do yourself a favor and if you ' re ever hit by someone with standard insurance just go get a lawyer and let the professionals handle this company . you ' ll thank me in the long term .

i contacted the standard to cash out my life insurance policy . they said that it was term life so i would receive nothing for all of the payments that i have made . this is the policy that my last employer ( uams ) provided to retirees as long as we made the payments . well , i won ' t be making any further payments . what a ripoff ! i will say that the lady who answered the phone was pleasant . i hope that she is able to find a legitimate job soon instead of representing such a shoddy company .

my son went to court a month later in regards to the situation . he ended up getting a fine for $ 200 for no insurance . what a surprise they did not back the three days . they started a new contract three days later so when he went to court there was no insurance . surprise . i then called the company back in regards to the situation . she informed me that she had brought it to my attention . i told her " yes you did " but whether it was going to be benefited to him or to me you still messed up strike three because of the ticket was in my name . i still had no proof of insurance because it wasn ' t dated back 3 days prior to when the ticket was issued so that ' s strike three that they still did not do their job .

this company is not yet accredited . to learn more , see reviews below or submit your own . want to know more about consumeraffairs accredited brands ? check out consumeraffairs for brands .

according to the reviews on the consumer affairs website , multiple copies of the same information has been requested by the insurance company . i am requesting a prompt resolution and payment of my claim for short - term and long - term disability benefits as all information has been sent to both companies and it appears that they don ' t have a problem with delaying their payments to the detriment of me the consumer that purchased their product for the protection of myself and my family .

as a consumer , paying my premiums through payroll deduction in a timely manner , expecting a product in the form of an insurance policy , that has been fully paid for , i would expect that this would be a simple and clear transaction and that " the standard " should honor their responsibility as the recipient of the premiums and they have benefited from the payment of these premiums . but it appears that there is a problem with the handling and mishandling of the confidential patient and employee information .

it ' s only fair to follow up that the agent i am currently working with has spoken with my provider and myself multiple times since my first review and the service is greatly improved . i think this improvement has more to do with the individual professionalism and skill of the agent and perhaps not so much with the standard operating procedures of the standard , but there you have it . i will continue to update these reviews as my claim proceeds .

i worked for my current employer for a year when i was diagnosed with colon cancer . i was so glad that i opted for the short and long term disability insurance . boy , did i learn a lesson . i contacted the insurance company before i went on leave figuring that i could expedite things and to get all of my ducks in a row . i was handed over to the man that was in charge of my short term disability claim . he turned out to be a nice guy . he did , however , inform me that i would receive short - term disability for four weeks upon which time i would be handed over to the long - term disability department . i thought that to be odd since i was only going to be out for seven weeks .

the standard is quick enough to take your premium , but they are experts at saving money by denying claims . ( hmm , taking money , not providing what was promised , sounds like theft , doesn ' t it ? ) . talk about kicking someone while they are down : out with a disability , no money , as the standard refuses to pay what they owe . if you hire an attorney to try to collect , the money will end up in legal fees .

just today i got another letter saying i have a overpayment of $ 395 . 00 for the month of february . i am confused because i did not even get a check from them . when i went to have my taxes done we couldn’t do them because the standard insurance w - 2 shows i paid into them more than they paid me . when my tax lady call the standard insurance the guy kind of laughed and said ( wow i don’t know what to tell you ) . we asked if there could of been a mistake and he said no that the w - 2 was correct . i am suppose to be getting 90 % of my wages but with them taking more than they should i only have my social security to live on . i wish something could be done as i paid into this for many years thinking it would ease the worries if i ever got sick , well here i am worried . how i am going to keep coming up with money every month to pay them back on their so called overpayments . it sickens me that they can get by with this .

i went on ltd following an industrial injury . the standard sent me a check for over $ 7 , 000 that i did not think was correct . after calling them and verifying that i had that amount coming i cashed it and paid tax on it . the following year they contacted me demanding i pay it back asap . i could not recover the lost tax as you need to go long form and my tax man could not recover any of it . the standard ' s mistake cost me thousands in taxes for payment i had to return . they didn ' t so much as apologize .

i had sought treatment by a medical doctor and explained to him my increasing concerns for my health and well - being . my doctor felt that i needed to be treated and he put me on disability and he completed claim forms for both short - term and when eligible for long - term disability paperwork . i have gotten nothing but a run - around . ( it appears by reading the comments , that many other people that have filed claims also have had the same treatment ) . in august of 2016 , i filed a claim for short - term disability with a company named , " the standard " . the standard said they received the claim information , then they said they needed me to send it again ( first one was sent certified mail and received by them ) and then they said it was being reviewed , then reviewed again , then again , through several levels of reviewers .

i was struck by lightning in 2014 . i received long term disability check from the standard until my social security went through . i have ptsd therefore after 24 months i could not draw my long term check from the standard due to a clause in the policy so they started withholding my entire check several months before the checks were to stop . i received a very ugly letter requesting the entire balance that i am and was not in a position to pay due to being disabled and a very low income . they demanded that i pay a $ 100 . 00 a month or they would destroy my credit .

i have been working for my employer since 2014 and added the standard ' s short and long term disability to my benefits package . the premium has voluntarily been deducted from my paychecks . in july 2017 i became disoriented and dizzy on a regular basis . since i was unable to drive or complete my tasks at work i sought assistance from my regular doctor along with two neurologists , a rheumatologist , a neuropsychologist , and a gastrointestinal doctor within the last seven months ; all the while unable to work . i have had mri scans , ct scans , and numerous blood tests , all of which were provided to the standard .

the standard paid a $ 1600 . 00 benefit for july through september . i requested an extension of benefits and , although my health had changed and the doctors were still searching for a diagnosis , my claim was denied . i requested a review of the decision in early november 2017 and continued to provide the standard with all medical documentation . i have been informed today 3 / 29 / 2018 that my claim will remain closed and denied . although the doctors have been , until now , unable to diagnose an exact illness of the symptoms i am experiencing i still am unable to drive and work . i am confused as to why i was paid with no diagnosis at the beginning of my claim but denied benefits from then on when there ' s been no change in symptoms . i believe this is an unethical practice and have found this to be a pattern of this company . they ' re happy to take your premium , but don ' t stand behind the individual paying it .

in the past , i personally viewed one of my claims adjusters profiles on fb . this is what she said , " i love my job , working for one of the greatest companies ( something to that effect ) ! " this infuriated me as i took out a supplemental plan with this company through my employer in 2005 just as a backup if i became unable to work . they had no problem drawing my premium monthly without fail ! once i became disabled due to major surgery and complications after , stopped paying any benefits when they desired to do so . very , ruthless , deceptive , unethical , bogus company that i ever encountered in my entire life .

the standard is the only long term disability company my institution works with so i applied for coverage which is a lengthy process ( a state institution with change of benefits once yearly ) . this was advised me by a financial advisor and i’m in a professional position . from november 2017 i prepared my application and received a denial dated january 4 in mail . based on medical records from my primary care physician they denied covering me due to a “shoulder disorder” as i had injured my left shoulder at the gym last year ( where i go regularly or as an alternative go for 3 - 4 mile runs 2 - 3 times a week ) that cleared up in a month’s time .

i informed them i did not start seeing the doctor until may 2016 so they are requesting non - existing records and no possibility for preexisting condition . and this can be confirmed by the doctor ' s office via phone call as i signed a release form . it is january 12th 2017 . and nothing is being done . worst company filled with lies ! ! !

the strategy suggests that their business paradigm is to delay the claims as long as possible and in the event the customer gives up or fails to prove that the documents have actually been sent multiple times , they are actually able to deny the claim . my doctor ' s office has documented and supplied copies of every fax - - but apparently the standard hasn ' t received them ?

standard , ltd benefits . . . get a good attorney . i ' m disabled type 1 juvenile onset diabetic . . . 30 + years… neuropathy from my hips down . . . multiple injury related surgeries and so on . 3 of my doctors concur with permanent total disability . yet they use their paid for drs that have never even met you to evaluate your medical records in an attempt to deny you .

the thing is that companies like the standard do things like this to people to make them so frustrated that they just give up and move on . i ' m not that way , i ' ll see this through to the end . i ' m working again and i can afford to be a fly in their ointment and a burr under their saddle . they ' ve messed with the wrong person this time .

i called the company . i got ahold of corporate . they told me they would get back to me and check on the situation . i got a call back in regards to the situation a hold and she told me it was corporate ' s mistake and if i had the $ 900 for the back pay that they would go ahead and continue my insurance . i told her i did not have the $ 900 . she told me that if i had payment each month for the last 9 months that i should be able to pay the $ 900 back . i told her it was corporate mistake that i did not have 900 in my bank . i then told her that it was two weeks before christmas and that if she wanted the money that bad i would take back all of my grandkids christmas presents and take a picture of the empty tree so they can have their $ 900 that they messed up on .

i now owe over $ 5k in taxes to the irs and when i called to rectify the issue , no one can give me an answer . i asked to speak with a supervisor . . . 2 days later , he ' s still on the other line . i continue to leave messages and no one calls me back . from the stopped payments , to the tax issues , to the unbelievably bad customer service , this company is an absolute nightmare to be covered by . hope you never need these guys .

i had some questions about the ending of my std leading up to ltd and called into their offices and got lisa on the phone . during our conversation she overspoke to me - talked over me - wouldn’t let me ask any questions - was militant - belligerent - rude and abrasive . during the end after i let her run her tangent for over 15 minutes and disrespecting me i asked to speak to her supervisor and she hung up on me . i complained to her supervisor karen and now i am getting denial information in the mail about my life insurance after i had requested karen to assign my claim to someone else - i feel like i am being discriminated .

this is the worst company to deal with in your time of need . i got my short term disability no problem . i started working on my long term disability weeks before the st was to run out . i spent over 2 1 / 2 weeks trying to figure out what was going on with my long - term disability . i spoke to somebody and they said that that i had to fill out a separate form from the one that they got - which is what they included in the packet . i signed the form and they sent it to my doctor who said it was not hipaa compliant . every time i speak to somebody different they say they don ' t have any information on it . i was also told that my records go to another company that they outsource for this . now it ' s three weeks without a check and they ' re still screwing around . now i ' m at the point where i have no money still and a hurricane is coming . i can ' t go anywhere because i don ' t have a cent to my name . they don ' t give a crap !

in may of 2016 my doctor took me off work and i filed a claim for short term through my job . on june 20th 2016 i was approved for short term disability through the company that i had been paying through my job . i had constant stopping and delaying of payments due to needing records every month even though my doctor stated and i explained wouldn ' t even review me to be able to go back to work until feb of 2017 . still they stopped and delayed my payments for weeks to request and receive the same records over and over again .

then i called the standard to ask if it was ok to roll over my retirement into a ira . i was told that it was fine as long as i sent prof showing i did not keep it . then about 9 months later i get a letter stating they wanted $ 780 . 00 for me rolling it over . then a week later i get a letter stating they would be taking anywhere from $ 200 . 00 - $ 300 . 00 out of my checks each month as a penalty . they are still subtracting $ 350 . 00 too much from my social security .

i am only giving a one - star rating because there is no zero or negative number option . this company sends repeated notices that they have not received the appropriate paperwork , repeated notices that customer has not submitted appropriate information or forms and telephone directives that supply different fax numbers than official forms . they cost my doctor ' s office and physician ' s time and money in duplicating forms and re - submitting every request . they send repeated notices that if they do not receive further documentation of fulfilled " requests " they will " decide your claim without them " within 30 days .

i have been disable since 5 / 16 and i applied for disability through the standard . my employee has a group policy and i purchased additional coverage . have been paying for 20 years or more . . . at first after a few minor setback with " i am waiting for info from your employer . " for example group policy number . . . like they did not already have it . so i made a call and put them on a 3 way . ok so i thought i can focus on getting better . . . no every time i looked up they needed more info . no one could give you any info , one representative told me perhaps i should not continue to go to the doctor due to my claim was not approved . the biggest nightmare is long term disability .

prior to having surgery , all of my disability forms were completed and sent to the standard . on page 1 , it states that they are required by law to withhold 28 % of my benefits , unless a w - 4 form is submitted . i submitted my w - 4 with all of my other forms and had my surgery . checks began coming , then stopped and i was not given any notice . i called to ask why and was told that they needed the doctor to fill out forms . 3 - 4 weeks later i began getting paid again . after 3 months , my checks were significantly less . i called again and i was told that they forgot to withhold my federal income taxes . no one gave me any answers as to why and i was told that they made a mistake .

granted i do have mild chronic right shoulder pain that is muscular ( i type often for work and commute several days a week 3 hours of driving round trip which leaves my right shoulder tight ) . i deal with it with exercise ( work the muscle at least once a week through weights , yoga , pilates , and or barre ) and massage therapy ( twice monthly at most ) . apparently they characterized that as a “shoulder disorder” and denied coverage to a healthy and fit professional who enjoys her career and considers cause for disability as needing to be something that limits my ability to teach , write grants and publish manuscripts , for example , suffering a bad accident with loss of use of upper limbs and / or brain damage . i plan to appeal this decision and read up on other entries in consumeraffairs on the standard .

i went out on disability and was told that i would get 60 % of my pay but that it may be a little less because of my retirement . all the paperwork was filled out with the county that i worked for and submitted , everything was ok for a little while but then they came back and said that they did not know that i was receiving retirement . my retirement is only a little over $ 300 . 00 a month . then they came back and said that i owe them all this back pay and that i will not receive a check until it is all paid back . i ask if i could pay payments on it but was told that i cannot . what am i supposed to pay my bills with and get my medications with ? why do we even pay for insurance when they are not here for us when we need them ? this is so wrong and from what i am reading about these people , i seriously doubt that i owe them anything !

i had hail damage to the roof of our home and when i received the estimate the company depreciated our roof as they said we have an acv policy and need an rcv policy to receive the replacement cost . none of this is mentioned when you sign up . however when you need it you get " you need to add coverage . " next none of the damages to the interior of the house are covered as they say this is all due to a poorly built roof that has a valley above the garage . 3 of the rooms with additional damage are upstairs above the " valley " . i was then told it was condensation that caused the issue . i told the adjuster that the towel i placed on the window ledge was ringing wet after the last rain and the carpet below was wet as well . he said i should get additional coverage after i called his bluff twice . very dissatisfied .

for the first 16 or less months i had no problems with this company and then i receive a letter stating they are cutting off my benefits due to their doctors ( mind you who have never seen me ) who believe i can work at my old job but with restrictions . i have acute heart disease and acute vein disease where they took veins to do quadruple bypass which have closed back up . after the surgery i became so infected pa of surgeon thought they would have to go back in to redo work and clean out infection so i lay on couch for seven days a week with only being able to go to doctor twice a week and in - home health care three days a week . but now i have not been released to go back to work and i have no money to pay bills ( they don ' t care but karma is a * * and what goes around comes around guys ) .

on oct 31st i received a letter stating in order to complete my investigation , i must analyze all pertinent medical , vocational , and financial info and additional info that is needed has been requested . since then i have received forms needed 3 1 / 2 weeks after the date of the letter , and only after calling multiple times and leaving messages of what is the hold up . and the response of " hmmm not sure what happened there . it was suppose to be with you last check , it was just resent recently . " no returned phone calls . and an explanation by both a letter , analyst , and a supervisor , in december that only one more record is needed to finalize my claim . the office takes up to 30 days to process record requests so i could understand a partial delay . but when i called the office and explained that the standard told me they sent the request over 5 weeks ago , the office informed me that they had just receive the request 1 week prior to me calling .

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i have been a customer for over 25 years . my son just passed away at age 28 and i was informed he was not covered because he was over 21 . no one ever informed me of this but took my money for the premium . in a time of loss and then find out i can ' t bury my child is very hard .

i was hoping by their insured on a rainy day , she was drive extremely fast when she lost control and after sliding all over the highway she hit my car . fast forward a few weeks , i had to wait for the police report to get her information , and i put the claim in to have my car repaired . fast forward almost 4 months and i just learned the person handling my claim no longer works there , which is why my claim was never process . now i at least know that much but i learned that i have to pay out - of - pocket for the rental car .

all things considered , the short - term paid off well . i got four checks and then a letter came from long - term disability saying that they needed to investigate because they suspected that my colon cancer may be a pre - existing condition . so i filled out the permission form for them to get information from my current provider . next i received a request to sign a permission form for a previous provider group . bear in mind , this was happening in may of 2017 and they wanted the information from january 01 , 2016 . i sent in the permission form . next i received a permission form request for a pharmacy that we used and a week later they wanted a permission form for a pharmacy that i used maybe twice . also bear in mind that i was never seen for any cancer related issue before this year , ever .

so , today , which is august 02 , i get two more letters , both telling me that they need more information . although the adjuster told me that he had received all of the information from my current provider , the letter stated that they have never received that information . i was also told that they have never received information from that one pharmacy that i used a couple of times . they are basically requiring me to call these entities to provide the information to them .

i have to ask other people who have had experienced these folks . i have literally sent in everything they sent to me and gave them info they needed . they are the worse to deal with ! ! ! every time i call i get someone different who has no clue and i explain it over and over as if i ' m starting over . then they just out of nowhere stopped my checks , with no notice at all . so now i ' m screwed on paying my bills with the money i worked for since i was 16 years old , is that even allowed ? can they stop my check without giving me any notice ? and since i have not a penny to my name , my phone was cut off and usually the automated system will call me to let me know if my check went out . does the automated system generate a check ? maybe i didn ' t get it because of my phone being cut off ? can someone please help .

i paid them $ 100 . 00 only in july 2015 . i as agreed or they would put it on my credit . after that my husband and i wrote them a letter and told them that we could only pay $ 50 . 00 . then my ss went down due to medicare so we wrote another letter stating that all we could afford is $ 25 . 00 a month . they have been accepting my payments for 10 months now . today i get a letter from a collection agency stating that i owe more than is owed and a judgment is being put against me .

i purchased both short - term disability and long - term disability policies in good faith and shortly after excitedly starting my new job . i was enrolled in these policies without any lapses for more than two years . my employer had many administrative problems and those problems caused many of the workers to seek treatment for a variety of medical conditions including stress and depression and work - related ptsd , being required to do , perform unethical and dangerous business practices sometimes endangering patient safety as well as employee safety .

i sought treatment from a medical doctor regarding my situation . i explained to him that there were safety issues and physical threats as well as dangerous working conditions as the temperature had reached 89 degrees without any ventilation and without windows and working in a security controlled records department . i was also required to perform an increasing workload that was previously performed by 4 full - time employees . i was feeling very overwhelmed and stressed and under a lot of pressure by administration that was constantly requesting me to complete the ever increasing amount of work and to complete management tasks that took me away from my desk to attend hours of meetings while still completing all of the work and some of the work was patient related information . i was the only employee running and working in a vital to patient safety department that was previously staffed by 4 employees .

after months and months of stress and grief and sleeping trouble i decided to dive into who these people really are . . . omg . they are worse than greasy used car salesmen . they lie for a living . they push people to the brink and hope that person gives up . note . . . these people are already disabled , wtf . they lie about everything , from receiving faxes , medical records , mail sent . they laugh at my despair . if you’re unlucky enough like me you will be assigned to a senior case analyst . this is a person that has worked their way up in screwing disabled people out of their benefits . if you ' re like me i have nothing . . . but the will to fight these people until the bitter end , with a good attorney . . . good luck . . .

the analyst have been reviewing my paperwork since 12 / 28 / 16 . i faxed and called several times for her to tell me laughing in my face i must add , she not sure and a outside person need to look at my claim . this person called my doctor ' s office stated that the info and x - rays were not readable . i took a copy to my doctor , he called and called no answer , i explained that my medical coverage depends on her approval . . . i just received a letter on 2 / 18 / 17 ( a day before my birthday . what a present ) , that i needed to request a formal review in writing after about 60 days of just holding it . . p . s . you only have 180 days . which i was lead to believed that all my physician had to do was to complete the attending physician form that was enclosed .

now my employer is sending me bills that i have to pay almost $ 400 for coverage to continue my pt . . . wow . i also have high blood pressure and anxiety disorder which i also was being treated for . my question how can i pay for the coverage when they won ' t pay my claim and had they approved my claim i would be covered ? sincerely totally stressed out and in a lot of pain .