With unique product offerings and strong sales and service support, disability insurance brokers say Unum (NYSE: UNM) is a carrier they are likely to recommend, according to a survey by JHA, a leader in reinsurance, consulting and research.

JHA asked disability sales professionals to rate carriers in a number of key categories from “being easy to work with” to “claim service.” Unum did better or exceeded the industry average in 20 of the 23 of the categories measured, with significantly higher scores in nine areas. Specifically, Unum excels in:

• Likelihood of brokers to recommend to their clients
• Uniqueness of product offerings
• Keeping brokers updated on market trends
• The quality, timeliness, completeness and readability of its proposals
• Ease of installing or new case, and of the renewal process.

“We have made significant investments in product development and enrollment enhancements with a focus on meeting the needs of the small to mid-sized market,” said Steve Meahl, senior vice president of sales for Unum. “These investments – particularly in our Simply Unum bundle of benefits and services – are helping our sales partners deliver strong, yet flexible solutions to their customers during an extremely challenging economic environment.

“Clearly our broker partners appreciate what we offer and the support we provide as evidenced by our stellar results in the JHA survey,” Meahl said.

The Simply Unum offering was created specifically for employers with fewer than 500 employees. It provides a base of group disability and life insurance coupled with voluntary benefits. With more than 28,000 product combinations possible, an employer can offer benefit options that best meet the specific needs of their workforce. The single-technology platform simplifies administration of benefits, creating one path from benefit package design to enrollment to ongoing billing and administration.

“Sales professionals value Unum’s unique product offerings and commend us for excellent sales and service support,” Meahl said. “Simply Unum helps brokers deliver cost-effective solutions to their customers, and the enrollment tools and ongoing administrative support that are standard with Simply Unum are setting new benchmarks for the industry.”

Earlier this month, Unum announced enhancements to its Simply Unum employee benefits platform, including new voluntary disability coverage and the availability of employer-funded Benefit Credits^SM that employees can apply to the cost of the coverage they choose.

“Employers and their advisors are looking for creative solutions to provide meaningful benefits while managing costs in the face of rising health care premiums,” said Mike Simonds, Unum senior vice president of products and marketing. “The new Benefit Credits^SM provide funding options that help employers approach cost management in a more predictable way.”

The new voluntary disability coverage and Benefit Credits^SM launched recently in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The products will be expanded nationally in 2010.

About Unum

Unum (www.unum.com) is one of the leading providers of employee benefits products and services, and the largest provider of group and individual disability insurance in the United States. Through its subsidiaries, Unum paid $6 billion in total benefits to customers in 2008.

About JHA

JHA is the Disability and Group Life reinsurance, risk management and research division of General Re Life Corporation. Through its research practice, publications, and industry events, JHA is the leading source for information and insight about the Disability and Group Life markets. General Re Life Corporation conducts business as Gen Re LifeHealth, and is a Berkshire Hathaway Company.