Get Long Term ERISA Benefits for Disabilities!
Unfortunately, thousands of disabled Americans are not familiar with the relatively new policies covering ERISA long term disabilities. ERISA, or the Employment Retirement Income Security Act, was designed specifically for those individuals who are having a great deal of trouble getting their employer and/or insurance company to give them the benefits they need and deserve in the case of a disabling injury or illness. ERISA covers both long- and short-term disability and frequently helps pay the cost of medical expenses.
Knowing that ERISA exists, however, is simply not enough. You need to understand how to make this act work for you. While you can quickly learn a lot about ERISA after you become disabled, the most effective way to combat distress is to make yourself familiar with the basics of ERISA before you need to use it. In either case, the following paragraphs will give you a basic understanding of the most important ERISA concepts.
Education Makes ERISA Long Term Disabilities Understandable
There is no question that education makes ERISA long term disabilities understandable. The first thing you need to know about ERISA is that there is no set way to go about receiving benefits. Your individual employee benefit policy should have a written protocol for ERISA; if you are unable to find it, feel free to contact either your employer or the insurance company directly. Once you have written documentation, read it very carefully! There is often a time frame during which your ERISA appeal can be filed, and there may be nothing you can legally do if you miss this deadline. Additionally, ERISA provides your insurance company with a deadline to respond to your appeal. If they, for any reason, miss this deadline, your chances of winning the appeal greatly increase because of their delay.
Remember that even though ERISA does provide you with certain legal protections and a way to appeal an initial denial of benefits, filing a claim with ERISA in no way requires that the employer or insurance company actually grant you the benefits you are requesting. If your appeal is denied and you feel that your financial life seriously depends on receiving benefits, you might want to consider hiring a lawyer that specializes in ERISA cases. If financially possible, it is not a bad idea to hire an attorney before filing your initial ERISA claim.
Perhaps the only thing more frustrating than dealing with a long term disability is dealing with employers and insurance companies who wish to take advantage of your situation. Hopefully, however, a basic understanding of ERISA can help make this difficult process much easier. Good luck!
Disability Insurance Articles
- Appeals are Necessary When Disability Benefits are Denied
- Rights Relating to a Disability
- Disability Reduced Your Income? Get Help from Insurance!
- Long Term Disability: When Your Benefits Are Denied
- Disability and Insurance Claims: Prepare for Long Term
- Disability Insurance: Making the Best Claims
- Suffering from a Disability? Get Your Rightful Benefits!
- Long Term Care: When Disabilities Last
- Long Term Claims and Disability: Details of ERISA