How Long Can You Be on Disability Insurance for Depression and Other Mental Health Conditions?
Jul 28, 2020 | Blog | ShareWhen you live with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or another mental health condition, it can be hard to maintain employment. At Bryant Legal Group, we know how frustrating it is to suddenly find yourself unable to control your symptoms, especially if you’ve worked hard to build your career. Insurance companies, however, take a different view. Because they’re for-profit companies, insurers see long-term disability claims for mental health conditions as an expensive burden. That’s why insurance companies often add limitations and exclusions that can affect your ability to get long-term disability benefits for mental illness. Most (but not all) group long-term […]
Are There Waiting Periods for Long-Term Disability?
Jul 21, 2020 | Blog | ShareWhen you’re unable to work due to an injury, illness, or chronic condition, the last thing you want to do is wait for disability insurance benefits. Unfortunately, many short-term and long-term disability policies contain “elimination periods” that must pass before you can receive compensation. What Is an Elimination Period? Under most disability insurance policies, you must wait a period of time before the insurer will pay out your benefits. This waiting period is called the elimination period. Most short-term disability policies have an elimination period of between 0 and 14 days. Long-term disability policies have varying waiting periods, but 90 […]
UNUM’s Dirty Tricks: How to Beat an IME
Jul 17, 2020 | Blog | ShareLet’s be clear: there is nothing “independent” about UNUM’s medical examinations. The disability insurer works closely with a network of doctors and medical providers whose primary goal is building cases against you and other UNUM claimants. If an insurance adjuster schedules you for an IME (independent medical examination), you need to be prepared. However, you can beat a UNUM IME. As part of our UNUM series, Bryant Legal Group outlines the IME process, discusses some IME doctor tricks, and explains how you can protect your long-term disability claim from a damaging IME report. What Is an “Independent Medical Examination?” Most […]
UNUM Field Visits: How to Protect Your Privacy and LTD Claim
Jul 14, 2020 | Blog | Share“It’s easier if we talk this over face-to-face,” says your UNUM claims adjuster. “We’ll drive to your home to go over the paperwork.” They suggest an in-person meeting. Unfortunately, UNUM’s field visits aren’t always designed for your benefit. Like many long-term disability insurance companies, UNUM uses these interviews as an opportunity to investigate claimants, and at times, discredit them. At Bryant Legal Group, we’ve handled many UNUM long-term disability claims that involve both employer-sponsored and private insurance plans. We’ve seen most of the company’s tactics firsthand, and we can help you combat them. In the second part of our UNUM […]
UNUM’s Dirty Tricks: Tying Compensation to Denied Claims
Jul 7, 2020 | Blog | ShareUNUM is one of the United States’ largest insurers and is notorious for denying long-term disability claims. At Bryant Legal Group, we fight for disabled claimants, helping them get the benefits they deserve. Over the years, we’ve handled many claims against UNUM, both involving employer-sponsored and private insurance policies. In our UNUM series, our team of disability insurance lawyers will explore the many reasons behind the insurance company’s frequent denials. Here, you’ll learn how financial incentives can skew UNUM’s claim decisions. As UNUM Grew, It Inherited Lots of Expensive, Private LTD Policies For high-net-worth professionals, private long-term disability policies are […]
Today, more than ever, we’re painfully aware of how infectious diseases can dramatically impact your life. Whether you’re dealing with coronavirus, influenza, MRSA, C. Diff, or another disease, you’ll likely need time to rest and recover before you return to work. And, due to some diseases’ severe symptoms and long-term effects, you may become permanently disabled. At Bryant Legal Group, we want to help you regain control. Our disability insurance lawyers help people living with both acute and chronic diseases with their long-term and short-term disability claims. In this article, we’ll explain the basics of a disability claim involving an […]
Denied Because You “Hid” a Condition From the Insurance Company? You Can Fight Back
Jun 23, 2020 | Blog | ShareYou’ve paid your private disability insurance premiums on time for years. Then, when you file a claim for disability insurance benefits, you get a letter saying you “hid” a medical condition, and your policy is canceled or void. How can this happen? Most private disability insurance policies require that you tell the truth and accurately describe your medical conditions in an application. But even if you’ve been completely truthful, insurers will sometimes try to void your policy to get out of paying your short-term and long-term disability benefits. If you made a mistake on your disability insurance application or the […]
When most of us think about “disability,” we define the term simply: you can’t work because of an illness, medical condition, or injury. However, when you apply for long-term disability insurance, you’ll discover that “disability” can mean many different things, depending on your policy. Unfortunately, many disabled individuals don’t realize that their policy’s language can have a profound impact on their right to benefits. This lack of understanding can lead to a lot of frustration and denied benefits. In this blog article, our disability insurance lawyers break down the difference between “own occupation disability” and “any occupation disability.” Read Your […]
It can be hard to find reliable, understandable information about disability insurance law. Online search engines often confuse disability insurance and Social Security, which can lead to confusion and bad advice. At Bryant Legal Group, we focus our practice on disability insurance claims, handling both ERISA and private insurance issues. In this blog, we answer 10 of our clients’ most common short-term and long-term disability insurance questions. 1. What Is ERISA? ERISA stands for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. ERISA is a federal law that controls many employer-sponsored benefits, including disability insurance, retirement, and pension plans. Congress […]
5 Things You Should Know Before You File a Mutual of Omaha Disability Claim
Jun 9, 2020 | Blog | ShareMutual of Omaha is one of the country’s largest disability insurers, offering both short-term and long-term disability policies to employers and individuals. While Mutual of Omaha isn’t as notorious as UNUM or MetLife, the company still has a significant history of improperly denying disability claims. If you’re about to apply for benefits or file an appeal with Mutual of Omaha, get ready for a fight. In this article, our disability lawyers will introduce you to Mutual of Omaha, explain some of their tactics, and discuss ways you can improve your chances of getting short-term and long-term disability benefits. Meet the […]
