Disability Insurance Articles

What To Do If Your Disability Insurance Claim Is Rejected

2011-08-08

Disability insurance is meant to protect livelihood if an injury or illness results in the inability to work. However, when a disability insurance claim comes back denied, suddenly this protective shield feels useless. It is really easy to feel overwhelmed with financial issues and medical issues stacked up at the same time. However, it is very important to understand this is not the time to panic. Too much has to be taken care of quickly to allow any time for panic.

The first important thing to understand about disability insurance is that it is riddled with fraudulent claims. Regardless if one has 'cried wolf' or not, so many have before that it has ultimately shaped the system. This means that disability insurance claim denials are extremely common. It is likely that anyone who has filed a claim has already been warned of the high chance of denial.

A claim denial is far from being the final verdict. There are several steps to remedy the problem. The first step is to make two very important phone calls, one to set an appointment with the doctor, and the other to a disability insurance attorney.

One wants to immediately move, as most denials are time stamped and dated with a window of opportunity to appeal. Once this window closes, it is locked and unlikely to open again. The court is unforgiving when it comes to tardiness, and procrastination can be a catapult to disaster. Most denied disability insurance claims allow 180 days to appeal.

A disability insurance attorney knows all the tricks to a tricky system, and will be the best bet to turning the claim around. Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking they are so right that they don't even need legal assistance. It's likely that they will find out they were in fact so wrong. Any legal process can be confusing, and this is no exception.

The appointment with the doctor is to address the insurance claim denial through a medical examination. What is important to remember, and likely will be reminded by the attorney, is that records mean everything in winning an appeal for disability claim denial. Whatever needs to be said has very little weight if it isn't able to be said through documentation and medical records.

The best advice is to be prepared for the worse before a claim is denied by keeping great records including insurance terms, all doctors' visits, a time-line of the medical issue, and photographs of the injury. Understanding how commonly disability insurance claims come back denied is an important part of the process. It must be met with swift and well-planned action.