Disability Insurance is usually provided through a group benefits plan to offer the support that an employee needs when they are unable to work. Disability can be claimed for a vast and diverse range of physical impairments or psychological conditions that prevent an employee from performing their job. These may include debilitating mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress disorder, etc.), serious injury, chronic pain or critical illnesses. Disability claims can be made for short-term or long-term benefits. Short-term disability typically begins providing financial support from the first day that a disability leave begins. This type of disability benefit is intended to immediately replace the lost income of the injured or incapacitated individual for a specified time (usually between 10 and 26 weeks). Depending on your insurance policy, you may receive 50% to 100% of your weekly income. Long-term disability benefits are also intended to replace the income of an injured or otherwise incapacitated individual, but for much longer periods of time. To qualify for long-term disability, there is typically more documentation and proof required. Depending on your insurance policy, you may be entitled to receive between 50% and 85% of your monthly income for an indefinite period. It is not uncommon for insurers to deny short-term and long-term disability benefits or to terminate coverage abruptly, leaving you in an uncertain financial situation that threatens your ability to take care of yourself and your family. If you are incapable of working and left without adequate income, being denied or losing your disability benefits can be frightening. However, there are channels through which you can contest these decisions and receive the benefits that you are entitled to. The insurance provider may offer various reasons as to why you have been denied or coverage has been halted. If this has happened to you, you likely know that insurance policies are complex legal documents that are ambiguously worded to the benefit of the insurer rather than the insured. If your claim has been denied or your benefits terminated, you should seek the advice of a professional who has the experience, knowledge and advocacy skills to gain what is rightfully owed to you. Strict limitation periods on filing lawsuits against disability carriers may act as additional barriers to making your claim. Act today and call Vishal Sharma if you have been denied disability benefits or if your benefits were terminated without sufficient cause.
