Long Term Disability Doesn’t Necessarily Mean a Short Fuse is Required
Disabilities > > Long Term Disability Doesn’t Necessarily Mean a Short Fuse is Required
The statistics for those experiencing a long term disability are daunting, but the way we respond to such a condition does not have to be. With a few preventative measures, or, more aptly defined, a few proactive moves, we might avoid the plight of the numbers. Or at least be able to cope with it if it happens.
Over five million long term disability sufferers—between the ages of 18 and 68—have seen 50% of their homes foreclosed on because of unexpected illness, disease-onset, and accident that led to a long term disability that required devastating expenses be paid. Even though in many instances the disability left no income or less income than usual.
One of the problems with filing a claim for long term disability support is that we likely don’t know how to complete the claim forms. This results in a denial of benefits to even the honest claimant who is not just embellishing or exaggerating to get a free ride (which I have seen too many get away with too many times, and which is why, I imagine, why claims are so demanding of information).
It’s important to keep on top of the following, then, when preparing the paperwork for a long term disability claim:
*When describing your typical duties on the job, be sure to include every kind of duty you were able to perform (whether you did each activity daily or not). Otherwise, if you leave out the administrative, social, and sales capabilities you had, even though you mostly designed advertising, for example, then your claim may be denied or only partially honored—as the assumption will be you are now only partially disabled.
*Know the definition of long term disability…or disability. If your description of your disability does meet the definition, you will easily be left without compensation. For discussion purposes here (but by no means meant for perfect legal or other proof), the definition disability management experts use for a “disability” is as follows: “an impairment that restricts the ability to perform normal daily activities—one of which is work—where impairment is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function” (according to ceiu.org).
*When you get physically examined by a medical professional, be sure at least one exam is done by an independent doctor. Be sure it is legitimately an IME, Independent Medical Examination. In other words, complete, unbiased medical examinations are required as part of a long term disability claim. But some less ethical insurers might try to get you to take an exam done by a medical professional who is chosen and/or employed by
These are just three areas to be sure to cover in your defense, to keep you from being thrown into unrecoverable debt and losses because you have been thrown into the category with the ones who cheat the system, beat the system, and cost you your much deserved long term disability protection.