Top Five Reasons Insurance Companies Deny Florida Long-Term Disability Benefits
Long-term disability insurance is an important benefit provided by many Florida employers. It protects you if you suffer chronic health conditions or non-work-related injuries that prevent you from working.
When filing for benefits, remember you are dealing with insurance companies who are quick to dispute claims. Our Jacksonville long-term disability lawyer shares five reasons insurers frequently deny disability benefits in Florida.
Long-Term Disability Claim Denials And Why They Frequently Happen
The Insurance Information Institute reports that about half of all large and mid-size employers offer long-term disability insurance coverage to employees. It kicks in when short-term disability stops, covering conditions that prevent you from working for a year or longer.
Florida Blue, MetLife, and other major insurers provide long-term disability benefits in Florida. Benefits typically cover up to two-thirds of your lost wages. However, insurers represent one of the most profitable industries in the United States, raking in billions of dollars per year. One way they protect their profits is by disputing and denying claims. The following are five common reasons:
- You are not eligible for benefits.
Just because your employer provides long-term disability insurance does not automatically mean you are covered. Policy terms may require that you work for the company for a minimum of years, put in a minimum number of hours per week, or only cover managers and other higher-level employees. Check your policy documents, which, under The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), employers must provide free of charge and at your request.
- You don’t have a qualifying condition.
Even if you are eligible for Florida long-term disability benefits, your claim can still be denied. You may not have a covered condition, or it may otherwise fall under what is typically a long list of policy exclusions.
- There is not enough medical evidence to support your claim.
Visit your doctor regularly and keep copies of all your medical records, test results, and other documents. Failing to document your condition is a leading cause of benefit denials. Insurers can also use a lack of medical evidence to dispute the severity of your condition and whether you are unable to work.
- There were mistakes in your claims form.
Take your time when completing long-term disability claims forms. Errors and omissions are a common cause of denied disability benefits in Florida and one of the most easily preventable.
- You did not respond promptly to additional requests from insurers.
Insurers frequently request additional documentation or other evidence as part of the long-term disability claims approval process. Respond to these requests right away. Not doing so gives insurers an easy excuse to deny your claim.
To Protect Your Rights To Benefits, Contact Our Florida Long-Term Disability Lawyer
Farrell Disability Law protects the rights of those denied long-term disability benefits in Florida, fighting greedy insurers to get the maximum amount you are entitled to in a claim. To schedule a consultation with our Florida long-term disability lawyer, call or contact our Orlando or Jacksonville office online today.
Sources:
iii.org/article/will-my-employer-provide-disability-coverage
dol.gov/general/topic/health-plans/erisa#:~:text=The%20Employee%20Retirement%20Income%20Security,for%20individuals%20in%20these%20plans.
