Top 4 Mistakes to Avoid When Filing a Disability Claim
Contrary to popular belief, the insurance company does NOT have your best interests at heart. The sad truth is that they are only in it to see how much money they can make off you. Insurance companies deny disability claims ALL the time because they know that once they do that, the ball is in your court – you have to prove them wrong to get access to those benefits!
Even the smallest mistake can make them deny your claim. Here are common oversights that can help you put together an appeal that the insurance company can’t find holes in:
1)Filing a Disability Claim While Working
Even though there are no rules that prohibit you from working while filing a claim, chances are it will be denied anyway. For instance, if you are applying for Social Security Disability benefits by claiming that your condition does not allow you to work, the insurance company may cry foul because you will be contradicting yourself in their eyes. It’s possible that your claim will be more successful if you seek representation from the likes of Crest SSD, as many other claimants have done before.
2)Not Getting a Copy of the Disability Policy
If you received your disability benefits from your employer, you can get the policy from him/her or you get it from the insurance company if you acquired them yourself. Think of the policy as a contract which has terms that can be enforced except in extenuating circumstances. Therefore, before filing a claim, go through the copy of the policy thoroughly and make sure you have one to go through first! That way you can go in prepared to brush aside any ‘issues’ the insurance company has about your claim.
3)Sending in the appeal before reviewing the claim file
You will get a formal letter if your disability claim is denied but that doesn’t mean you should give up. After getting the letter, ask the insurance company to send a copy of the claim file. This will contain all of the information on why and how your claim was denied.
This file is made as soon as someone claims disability benefits and it contains everything that was reviewed before a claim was denied. This includes your medical records, doctor and nurse opinions about your condition, your employment information among others.
When you look over these details after your claim is denied, you can point out key pieces of evidence you think should’ve turned the odds in your favor. The only way to do that is to request a copy of the claim form and go through it as thoroughly as possible. Hire an attorney by visiting a legal site to look into it to increase your chances of winning.
Failure to Follow Treatment Plans
If you do not follow medical treatments as a Social Security Disability applicant for instance just because you think it would aggravate your condition, you are doing yourself a disservice. That’s because failure to follow prescribed treatments is grounds for denial.
The fact is that the examiner who is reviewing your claim will want to check how well you respond to treatments that were prescribed to you by your doctor. If you don’t follow them, your claim will probably be denied since you deliberately failed to increase your chances of healing.
These were just some of the mistakes you should avoid while filing a disability claim. An attorney can help you fine-tune it.
