Many of our clients are shocked to learn that they must wait a period of time after becoming disabled prior to receiving benefits for Long Term Disability. Most insurance companies have a long term disability elimination period of at least ninety (90) days, but some may be only thirty (30) or sixty (60) days. The elimination period is the period of time between the beginning of an injury or illness and the point in time in which benefits for a valid claim for disability benefits may begin.
What Forms are Required for a Long Term Disability Claim?
Insurance companies offering policies for Long Term Disability benefits commonly require the completion of forms such as an Attending Physician Statement by your primary disabling physician. As part of the contractual relationship entered into by you and the insurance company, they are entitled to this input by the medical professionals establishing your medical disability. Without it, they are unable to ensure they are paying benefits to those claimants that are indeed disabled.
What is the purpose of the Elimination Period in a Long Term Disability Plan?
The purpose of the elimination period in a long term disability plan is to allow the condition(s) a potential claimant is suffering from an opportunity to respond to treatment. The elimination period also allows the insurance company time to consider the potential validity to your claim that you are unable to work from the stated injury or illness.
The timeline involved at the outset of a disability is usually very unclear. For some conditions, the disease process may be fairly typical. However, for the vast majority of potentially disabling conditions, the prognosis is much murkier and will require time to accurately assess the timetables that will be involved. You may not require as much time out of work as you or your physician initially believed. In contrast, your recovery may proceed much more slowly or not at all, derailing your career objectives.
What to do while I wait for the Elimination Period to run during my Long Term Disability claim?
During this time, it is important to begin accumulating the relevant medical records from your treating physicians. This is also the time to begin your claim paperwork, the application, and request a copy of your plan documents, among other action items.
By the expiry of your elimination period, it is preferable that the insurance company has already made a determination that you are indeed disabled and entitled to benefits. If on the other hand, your claim for Long Term Disability benefits is denied at the juncture, please give our office a call to help begin the process of submitting an Administrative Appeal. It is imperative to proceed at this point with the strongest case for your disability so that no more additional time after the Elimination Period has run, is wasted prior to your receipt of these income replacement benefits.
If you need help or have questions about your Long Term Disability claim, contact our office today. We would be happy to help.
