What the Insurance Investigator Doesn’t Want You to Know During a long term disability case, it is common for the insurance investigator to request a “field interview”. First, they will call you and ask you casual questions about your health and your daily life. Do not be fooled! They are not calling to check on you because …
Additional Parts Of A Claim That Do Not Happen in Every Case
An Independent Medical Examination (IME) by an Independent Medical Physician
What is an Independent Medical Examination? First of all, we don’t like the use of the term “independent” when referring to a medical examination ordered and scheduled by a long term disability insurance company. An independent medical evaluation (IME) is an exam conducted by medical professionals that are not associated with your case currently. The …
An Independent Medical Examination (IME) by an Independent Medical PhysicianRead More
What is Doctor Shopping and How Can You Protect Yourself?
Doctor shopping is the practice of seeking out multiple doctors – often to either: (1) obtain a specific diagnosis or medication or (2) find one that agrees with you on your disability or illness. Doctor shopping is not just a practice that some patients participate in, but also the insurance companies. In this article, we …
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US Circuit Courts Of Appeals
United States Courts of Appeals and ERISA Disability Claims The United States Courts of Appeals (or circuit courts) are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system. That means they are the level between federal district courts and the Supreme Court of the United States. A court of appeals decides appeals from …
Types Of Surveillance And How To Protect Yourself
Long term disability companies are well-known for hiring third-party investigators to put claimants under surveillance. They spend millions of dollars on surveillance to save billions in claims. They want to “catch” you doing something you “shouldn’t” like taking out the trash or enjoying your grandchild’s birthday party. The goal is to get footage that they can …
Social Media Of Claimants Being Used To Deny/Terminate Claims
Social media has become the way that we share our lives with the world. Long gone are the days of printing and mailing pictures to family and friends. Now, with the click of a button, you can share photos or even live stream videos to social media, which creates a way for families to stay …
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Settlement Offers v. Buyout Offers
For the purposes of this article, we’re going to separate out buyout offers, which are offers that are made by the insurance company while you are receiving long term disability benefits, and settlement offers. Settlement offers occur when you’ve been completely denied benefits and you’re trying to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company either right before …
Multiple Disabilities: The LTD Insurance Company Must Consider Combined Effects
Are you suffering from multiple disabilities? You may think that if you are suffering from a set of combined aliments that your claim should get approved even faster than if you only suffered from one ailment. But in fact, the opposite is true. When claimants suffer from multiple disabilities, the insurance company will use sneaky …
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Individual Policies: Review Your Application For Disability Insurance Coverage Before Applying
So you are eager to rush in and file your claim for long term disability benefits. That’s good. You do not want to wait too long to file your claim as you only have a limited time to file the claim, but STOP FOR JUST A MINUTE. There is one thing you must absolutely do …
Eleventh Circuit Long Term Disability Claims
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction (authority to hear appeals) from the following district courts in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia: Middle District of Florida Northern District of Florida Southern District of Florida Middle District of Alabama Northern District of Alabama Southern District of Alabama …