A frequent question we encounter is how do I appeal my long term disability claim? Most denial letters from insurance companies usually advise you that you can appeal and have the decision reviewed. However, most denials letters fail to specify what information would be helpful or needed for the appeal. Simply requesting an appeal from the insurance company is not enough, and by doing so, you are putting yourself at risk to be denied again.
After you have received the denial letter, you should obtain a copy of your claim file from the insurance company. You want to be sure you obtain a copy of their rationale, reviewing doctor’s reports, and vocational consultant opinions. After you have those documents, you want to review them carefully to see the specific reasons of why they denied your claim.
Following that, you should start reaching out to your doctors for further medical support and opinions. It is helpful to also have your doctors provide clarification and rebuttal statements against the insurance company’s doctors.
Once you have the needed medical documentation and support, you should also consider obtaining a vocational expert opinion. This opinion helps to tie everything together, supporting why you are disabled from performing your own or any occupation.
Finally, after obtaining all of the supportive evidence, you want to write a formal administrative appeal that outlines the insurance company’s errors and short comings, along with arguing your side of the medical and vocational evidence.
When working on appeals for our clients, we always consider these steps and work to obtain the best medical and vocational support possible. We use our own network of independent vocational consultants to ensure that we have unbiased opinions to support your claim. Depending upon the amount of medical documentation and errors the insurance company has committed, our administrative appeals can sometimes be up to 20 pages in length.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the appeals process or have additional questions on how to proceed with your claim, contact us for a free case review and consultation. There is no obligation to hire us and if you do, there are never any fees unless we win your case.
Speak to an attorney today by calling 855-999-1969, or chat with us online now.