What Can I Do If My Long-Term Disability Claim Was Denied?

If you have recently filed for long-term disability and were denied, you can still appeal.
Don’t be surprised if you get a denial letter, these are actually quite common. Did you know that people who apply for long-term disability insurance have some of the highest rejection rates?

While there are no proven statistics regarding denial rates for long-term insurance applicants, they are definitely much higher than the rejection rates are for those who apply for insurance claim.

There are many people out there who have successfully appealed their long-term disability denials. There is something that you should know if you decide to appeal. It’s a long and drawn-out process. That’s why your best bet is to hire an injury lawyer in Ottawa, who specializes in long-term disability denials.

Denial Letter

Insurance companies will mail this to you. It’s important, so don’t throw it away! You’ll receive it when your application for long-term disability benefits has been denied. There is also a termination letter that some people receive. It’s another type of denial letter. It effectively cancels future disability benefits from someone who is currently receiving them.

The good news is that you can appeal both the denial and the termination letter. All denial letters have the following sections:

• How your policy defines disability
• What your policy covers
• The reason the insurance company denied your application
• Information from your medical records to prove the denial
• Denial date

The date that your policy was denied is the most important section of your denial letter. It sets the clock ticking for the deadlines that you’ll have to meet should you decide to appeal your denial.

• What if you lost your denial letter?
• While this is not good news, don’t panic since it’s not the end of the world. You’ll need to get a copy of your denial letter, and you have several options.
• Ask your plan administrator for a copy
• Ask your plan advisor for a copy

When you make an internal appeal, it’s a formal request to the insurance company to look at your long-term disability application and reverse their initial denial. Keep in mind that insurance companies are loathed to do so, even if you do present them with sound and compelling new evidence.

What you should be doing is looking at the reasons why your application was denied. They will be listed in your denial letter. You’ll gain insights as to why your initial application was rejected and the types of new evidence you’ll need to include if you want to have a shot at having your appeal approved.

You must have either your original denial letter or a copy of it with you if you decide to appeal your denial. Since the deadlines for appealing your denial are tight, you don’t want to miss them.

You should hire an injury lawyer immediately after you receive a denial letter. It would help improve your chances of winning an appeal.You can win appeals so don’t get discouraged if you get a denial letter. Hire a good lawyer and explore your options.