Migraine headaches can be a real problem for many Americans, and these painful headaches can become so unbearable that sufferers are unable to reliably work. Despite their incapacitating limitations, headache disability claims are often fraught with claim hurdles. Here are some facts and tips to consider before filing an individual or group long-term disability insurance […]

Nurses and nursing professionals dedicate their lives to helping and caring for others, but the occupation has significant disability risks. In 2015, NPR published a multi-part series on the injury epidemic among hospital workers, giving us an inside look at the physical demands of the profession, the long-term effects, and the causes behind them. Although […]

Offsets Can Affect Your Group Short- and Long-Term Disability Benefits People who are eligible to receive short- and long-term disability insurance should know that any benefits they receive from other income sources could seriously reduce their monthly disability benefits. Offsets are policy provisions that permit your insurer to deduct other sources of income you receive […]

On behalf of DarrasLaw, posted in Disability Insurance on Wednesday, June 7, 2017. When many people think of disabilities—and even disability insurance—physical disabilities come to mind. While physical injuries and chronic pain conditions surely qualify as disabilities under certain circumstances, they are not the only ones. Mental illnesses may also fall under the provisions of […]

A disability insurance policy financially protects the policyholder by making wage replacement payments, usually at the level of two-thirds of earnings, if the person cannot work because of disability. Many disability policies have a pre-existing condition clause, which excludes coverage if the insured has been seen for a medical condition during a determined timeframe called […]

In September, we discussed changes in federal regulations that will revise how employer-sponsored disability plans will handle claims and appeals. These regulations, issued by the United States Department of Labor (DOL), apply to plans that fall under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). These changes – scheduled to take effect January 1, 2018 – […]

In October 2017, a U.S. District Court judge in New Jersey issued a blistering opinion, finding that a disability insurer had been arbitrary and capricious in the termination of disability benefits. At the time of denial, the insurance company had already paid benefits for seven years under an own-occupation disability insurance policy. The unpublished opinion […]

Did you know that nervous systems disorders like Parkinson’s disease are a leading cause of long-term disability claims? Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, and this estimation does not include the thousands of cases that go undetected. Over time, this disease is known to make daily living – and working – […]

The need for long-term care is expected to rise. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70 percent of people who reach age 65 will need LTC services at some point in their lives. Even more troubling is the prediction that the prevalence of Alzheimer’s will rise as well. More than five […]