A lot of negative energy is directed at insurance companies these days. Mostly health insurance. Nearly all of us have dealt with it at some point, and have encountered the Catch-22 of, say, not being able to get coverage for an ambulance ride unless it is pre-authorized by the insurance company. I swear I am not making this up.

But health insurance isn’t the only racket out there. Anyone who’s had something stolen, or, God forbid, had a family member die, knows all about the evils of insurance in general. Life insurance isn’t as commonly maligned as health insurance, but it’s just as bad.

And I have proof.

ReliaStar Life Insurance Company, which deserves every bit of negative publicity it’s getting, is launching their own independent investigation into Heath Ledger’s death. They don’t buy the mexical examiner’s conclusion of “accidental overdose,” are are instead convinced that Ledger took his own life - which would invalidate the $10 million that his daughter Matilda would otherwise be entitled to.

(Despite the fact that Ledger’s will was not updated to include Matilda, under Australian law, she is still considered his heir.)

ReliaStar sold Ledger a policy. They made a contract with him to pay out $10 million in the event of his death, with certain provisions for things like suicide. What do they really think they’re going to dig up that the medical examiner didn’t take into account? Ledger was not depressed, and the only evidence of suicide is that he took a cocktail of drugs for things like sleeplessness and anxiety.

So, of course, ReliaStar is being sued. Unfortunately, they are entitled to investigate the claim as much as they want - it was taken out a short six months before his death, which means they’re allowed to be as suspicious as they want by law. But that doesn’t make it any less slimy.

I know I shouldn’t be surprised that insurance doesn’t want to pay up, but this still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And I know that no matter how much money Matilda gets, it will never even begin to alleviate the grief of growing up without a father.

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