Overcoming Long Term Disability Insurer Claim Denial Tactics

Long term disability insurance carriers use often use stalling tactics to delay long term disability claims or flat out deny long term disability claims - hoping that long term disability policyholders will simply give up. Some of the tactics they use include

• sending policyholders the wrong claim forms
• losing claim forms that were correctly submitted
• interpreting the term ″disability″ inconsistently
• using nurses to ″reapply″ restrictions and limitations without talking to your doctor or your employer about your job duties

To overcome these tactics, long term disability lawyers say that you should:

• Be organized. Even in today's seemingly ″paperless″ society, you're likely to have mounds of information about your long term disability claim from doctors, your insurance carrier and your employer. Keeping that information organized and at your fingertips may help to make the process of finding what you need quickly that much easier.
• Obtain a copy of your long term disability insurance policy. Your long term disability insurance policy is a contract which will define key terms and outline not only your responsibilities, but also those of your insurer. It is, or should be, the basis of any long term disability insurance denial you receive from your long term disability insurance company.
• Keep all medical records. Long term disability insurance claims are approved or denied based on the opinions of your doctor or healthcare professional. Keep all medical records you have in one place in case your long term disability insurance company ″misplaces″ a document.
• Keep track of conversations. The conversations you have with your doctor, healthcare professional, insurer or employer about your long term disability claim can be just as important as the documentation you receive. Keep track of these conversations by writing down who you spoke with, when you spoke to them (date and time), what they said and what the next steps would be. Create a phone log and keep them all together.
• Save emails. Emails are another form of correspondence and documentation to keep in your long term disability claim denial folder. Keep track of them electronically or print them out and include them with your other documentation.
• Follow through. If long term disability insurance companies approved every claim, there would be no need to follow through. Unfortunately, that's simply not the case - which is why follow through is so important. If your long term disability claims adjuster says that he or she will call you back on Monday about the status of your claim - and then doesn't - call back and follow through. As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
• Seek help. If your long term disability insurer denies your valid claim and is not treating you in good faith or dealing with you fairly, seek help. An experienced long term disability insurance lawyer or bad faith insurance lawyer knows what tactics long term disability insurers use to avoid paying your valid claim.