What Happens to Your Employer-Sponsored Insurance When Your Employment Changes?
Employment changes can be a stressful time whether it’s your choice or due to termination. Either way, you’ll have to navigate changes in your benefits such as health insurance coverage, retirement savings, and potentially disability insurance benefits. Illinois does not have a law requiring that employers continue sponsored life insurance, long-term or short-term disability insurance …
Can I Get Short‑Term or Long‑Term Disability for Alcoholism or Substance Abuse?
Substance use affects every social, economic, and demographic group. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), millions of people in Illinois struggle with the misuse of substances. When alcoholism or other addictions impair your ability to work and support yourself or your family, it may feel like you’re facing a financial …
What Is a Bad Faith Insurance Claim?
When you buy an insurance policy—whether it’s health insurance, long‑term disability, or other coverage—you justifiably expect the insurer to treat you fairly. You pay premiums, you follow the rules, and when you suffer a loss or need benefits, you expect insurers to do their part: investigate reasonably, make payments when due, and communicate in good …
Going from Short-term Disability to Long-Term Disability
Going from Short-term Disability to Long-term Disability When you file for short-term disability benefits, it’s usually with the expectation that you’ll recover quickly and return to work. For many people, this turns out to be true. But for others, the road to recovery can be longer and more complex. Most short-term disability plans only pay …
Can Short-Term Disability Be Denied for Mental Health?
In our fast-paced world, the pursuit of success can come at a cost—the silent struggles of mental health. For countless professionals, the demands of work, the pressures of daily life, and the weight of expectations take a toll on mental well-being. Sometimes, that toll is acute enough that it may be impossible to perform your …
Going from Short-Term Disability to Long-Term Disability? Avoid These Pitfalls
If you’re nearing the end of the coverage period for your short-term disability insurance—and you still can’t work—you might be expecting a smooth transition from short-term benefits to long-term benefits. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way—even if both policies are with the same insurance company and provided through your employer. Although your insurance company …
Are Migraines a Disability? Getting Long-Term Disability for Migraines
If you are one of the estimated 12 percent of Americans who get migraine headaches at least occasionally, you know exactly how painful, debilitating, and frustrating they can be. Health experts, including those at the World Health Organization, have ranked migraine headaches as one of the most disabling medical conditions. The statistics are grim. Most …
Denied ERISA Short-Term Disability Benefits? Follow This Appeal Checklist
No one wants to get a claim denial letter from the insurance company for their short-term disability benefits. Unfortunately, it’s a far too common occurrence. Many people with legitimate disability insurance claims are denied benefits and then have to appeal their insurer’s decision. If you’re thinking about filing an appeal with your short-term disability carrier, …
Can I Get Short-Term Disability for Carpal Tunnel Surgery?
Millions of Americans suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), with hundreds of thousands of new cases developing each year. Unfortunately, many who suffer lose their ability to work, sometimes for months at a time. When symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome escalate to the point of preventing everyday tasks, it can be hard to know what …
Can UNUM Deny Short-Term Disability Benefits Due to a Pre-Existing Condition?
Pre-existing condition clauses and limitations are relatively rare in short-term disability insurance policies. However, you should never assume that UNUM did not sneak exclusions and exceptions into the fine print of your disability insurance policy. UNUM is the largest disability insurance company in the United States, and they have a history of wrongfully denying short-term …