In an ideal world, taking care of yourself would be easy. Unfortunately, that’s often not the way it works. Even if you plan ahead and take advantage of employer-offered long-term disability (LTD) insurance, you may find yourself in a tough spot: with a denial letter, even though you are unable to continue your work.
With that in mind, here are three common reasons a claims administrator may deny your LTD claim.
1. A missed deadline
While this may sound like nitpicking, insurance companies are sticklers for rules. If you forget to mail something by a due date, or don’t notify them of something within a specific window, they may use it as an excuse to deny your long-term disability claim. Always write down important dates, and do everything in your power to ensure you stick to the timeline.
2. You need to provide more medical evidence
When you file a claim under your long-term disability policy, you need to include evidence that proves your ailment. This might include:
- Appointment records showing you’ve received regular care
- Notes from your doctor or specialists
- Medical records that demonstrate how your health has changed
- Other records that document your health condition
If an insurance company doesn’t have enough of this evidence, or can not get a hold of certain documents, they might deny your claim.
3. Your medical condition doesn’t fit the plan
This is among the worrying trends we see in long-term disability claims. Policies include language excluding certain conditions from being covered, or have very specific requirements for what is considered a “disabling” condition. Because of this, it is vital to look over your long-term disability plan as soon as possible.
By understanding the types of ailments or conditions the policy will not cover, you can be better prepared when you do have to submit a claim.
You can appeal
Remember, you can appeal a rejection. Usually, you will have to go through whatever internal appeals process the insurance provider has before you can consider any direct legal action.
If you are considering an attorney, it is important to loop them in as soon as possible, ideally even before filing a first internal appeal. Not only can they help you avoid some of these costly mistakes, their familiarity with the process means they can help gather evidence that can become vital if the case continues to the courts.
If you received a LTD claim denial and want to explore your options, reach out to the law office of Alan C. Olson and Associates as soon as possible.