You had applied for long-term disability benefits in Canada, but it was denied. What can you do now? Well, for one thing, be persistent. It may shock and surprise you to learn that many long-term disability claims that were denied initially end up being accepted.
The bad news is that you may not know what the right steps are.
The Difference Between Private Insurance and Canada Pension Plan Disability Claims
You’re need to file a disability claim through private insurance. There are many steps on filing a disability claim through Canada Pension Plan disability insurance.The reason is that the Canada Pension Plan has a completely different set of rules and procedures for filing disability claims.
Understanding LTD Claim Denials
Long-term disability claim denials are the norm.Many Canadians who file for long-term disability benefits are denied than accepted. In fact, Canada has one of the highest rejection rates of LTD claims in the world. The CPPs rejection rate is 60%, so it’s safe to assume that private insurance has an even higher rejection rate. Just remember that many people whose claims were initially denied now collect benefits. Since these are people like you, there is no reason to give up hope.
Fighting a Denial of Benefits is Normal
Denials are very common, so people expect to fight them. Just remember that you’ll be one of many thousands of people in North America if you choose to fight your denial letter. You should hire a good personal injury lawyer in Red Deer if you decide to appeal your claim. Your chances of winning will be much higher if you do.
The Denial Letter
Insurance companies will send you a denial letter in the mail if your LTD application has been rejected. Insurance companies sometimes send out termination letters. These are sent out to people who have been receiving benefits but won’t continue to do so in the future because their policies have been canceled.
The good news is that you can appeal termination letters as well. If you do receive a denial letter, be sure to look for the following:
● How your policy defines disability
● What does your policy cover?
● Why the insurer denied your LTD benefits
● Information from your medical reports to support the denial
● The date the letter was written
Believe it or not, the date the letter was written is the most important part of the letter. This date is what starts the clock ticking on the time you have left to file your appeal.
What can You do if You Lost the Denial Letter?
You should always keep a copy of your denial letter in a place where you know you can easily find it. However, mistakes can and do occur since you’re human, and you may misplace your denial letter by accident. You need to get another copy when this occurs. There are two things that you can do:
● Ask your plan administrator for a copy
● Ask your plan advisor for a copy
The process to applying for long-term disability benefits has tight deadlines so you should do whatever you can to find your original denial letter as soon as possible. Call on a lawyer to help you get the compensation you are entitled to.