Typically, employers offer Long-term disability (LTD) insurance coverage to their employees. This insurance protects you when you suffer total or partial disability based on a qualifying condition through your policy. Thus, if you cannot work, your LTD insurance provider pays you benefits for a specific period or indefinitely, depending on your coverage’s terms.
A major aspect of qualifying for LTD is to prove your inability to perform daily activities and job functions as you normally would. But, working with a disability lawyer can help you clear hurdles as you try to seek the benefits you deserve. Also, your lawyer will inform you about the conditions that qualify for LTD in the United States and ensure you comply with waiting periods or other factors that determine your eligibility.
How to Prove Your Disability
To file an LTD claim, you must understand the terms and conditions of your policy as they relate to your disability. Insurers define total disability as being unable to work because of an injury or medical condition. Partial disability refers to the inability to do all the duties of your job or perform at work at the same level that you were at before you became disabled.
To prove your disability, you must depend on your doctor’s reporting and opinion. They offer a written statement that describes your condition. Also, the insurance company’s claims adjuster may review clinical data that supports their determination such as laboratory results, surgical reports, examination findings, clinical notes, and X-rays and MRIs.
Moreover, ongoing visits and care from your doctor also prove your condition’s long-term nature. To continue getting benefits, you need to comply with the orders of your doctor during this period. If you act against medical advice, your condition may worsen. And the LTD insurance company may not pay benefits if you could return to work with adequate treatment.
Proving Your Medical Condition Qualifies for LTD
Medical conditions should be serious enough to cause a person to become unable to perform their occupation. The majority of LTD claimants attribute disability to a combination of factors instead of to a single injury or illness.
In addition, you may experience chronic pain, adverse reactions to medications, and fatigue, possibly complicating your LTD claim. Such elements combined can create a breeding ground for total disability and insurance companies must take into account your condition’s overall impact. Because every condition carries its own symptoms, you must understand the effect of your medical condition on your daily life. You should show how they impact your ability to work. Common conditions that qualify for LTD benefits include those that affect the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, immune system, mental health, respiratory system, and more.
Johnson