Checklist For Appealing a Short Term Disability Claim Denial

Short-term disability benefits have been denied. All right, what's your next step? Well, first, you have to appeal. And most short-term disability claims are governed by a federal law called ERISA. And that law gives you 180 days minimum to appeal. There's a checklist, a minimum checklist, that you have to put together certain documents in order to have a good appeal. First, start by reviewing the denial letter. Take a look at the reasons the insurance company is giving for not paying the claim. But in terms of the checklist, here's a minimum of what you need to put together. One, get all your medical records, everything. Two, ask your treating physician to write letters of support. The more, the merrier. Three, get letters of support from friends or colleagues at work. This corroborates your disability and gives firsthand accounts of how your medical condition has impacted your functionality. When you have all these together, then you have to sit down and prepare your appeal letter and enclose all of this. But it's also good to consider whether you need a disability insurance attorney. This is a very specialized area of the law. And as someone that has been practicing only as a disability insurance attorney my entire legal career, I can tell you that this could be a last chance to prove that you're disabled. So you should consult an expert in the field. It's too important not to.