• The administrative appeal process is a pre-litigation, internal (directly with the insurance company) review procedure that is imposed on benefits claimants under ERISA.
• It is not necessarily a simple, efficient or quick process — in fact, in some cases the administrative appeal can take from six months to a year to complete.
• You have just 180 days to submit a request for review pursuant to the administrative appeal process.
• If you are dealing with a denied ERISA disability claim, contact a qualified Chicago attorney for help with the administrative appeal process. Attorney guidance is critical, even at this stage, as a favorable resolution to the dispute may be possible.

Every plan is different and may impose different procedures. For example, some plans may extend or contract the typical deadlines. Others may have different factors for determining the person who will be reviewing the claim denial.

During the administrative appeal process, you will send comments and evidence that supports your argument that the claim should have been accepted and benefits awarded. In doing so, you will have to evaluate the plan documents, as well as other relevant documentation — such as medical records, file physician review reports, and vocational opinions. Once a decision has been made (regarding your appeal), you will receive a written decision that describes the specific reasoning on which the denial (or acceptance) is based.

At this point, if the administrative appeal process has led to a denial (in whole or in part), you will have exhausted all available remedies and will be entitled to bring a civil action against the defendants.