What to Expect When Filing a Disability Claim
When it comes time to file a disability claim, many professionals believe that they’ll just submit their claim forms, have their doctor sign a statement verifying their disabling condition, and start receiving their monthly benefit checks. But filing a disability claim is much more involved than that.
The process begins when you give notice to your insurer of your claim, and request the initial packet of claim forms. Many insurers now require you to call-in to request the forms, as this gives them the opportunity to conduct an impromptu interview, catch you off guard and collect as much information from you as they can before you have a chance to see the claim forms, review your policy or talk with an attorney about the proper scope of a disability claim investigation. And this interview is only the beginning.
Once you have the forms, there are trick questions on the forms that can prejudice your ability to collect if not answered precisely and correctly. After these first forms are submitted, the investigation continues based upon your responses on the claim forms, and the insurance company will likely have several follow-up questions as they look for ways that they can deny your claim, or limit their liability (by, for example, paying you partial/residual disability benefits, instead of total disability benefits).
It’s also important to remember that this is not a one-time process. You will have to continue to provide satisfactory proof of loss to your insurer on an ongoing basis for as long as your claim is active, and your insurer has a right under your policy to continue to investigate your claim at any point until your maximum benefit period is reached and your policy expires.
While each claim is different, insurance companies will typically:
Speak with your treatment providers, family, friends and co-workers about your condition. The insurance company will have you sign authorizations that grant the insurance company sweeping authority to speak directly with a host of individuals (e.g. any physician you have ever been treated by, pharmacies, benefit plan administrators, insurance agents, financial institutions, the Social Security Administration, family, friends, co-workers and employees, among others).
Request a wide range of personal information. Most authorizations also allow the disability insurer to request virtually any information not otherwise barred by law–not just medical records. The information can include medical records, tests, or consultations, prescription history, mental health records, HIV/AIDS treatment information, records for any substance abuse treatment, court records, occupational data, employment history, driving history, financial statements, and your earning history.
Schedule face-to-face interviews with you. Many insurers seek to interview you in your home, so that they can view your surroundings to see if they can find discrepancies in the claim, or learn more about you so that it is easier for them to conduct surveillance. These interviews can be stressful if you’ve never experienced them before, and they can be particularly difficult if you are expected to discuss your medical conditions and the facts surrounding them with a complete stranger who you have never met.
Order an In-Person Exam. The insurance company may claim that the exam is used to verify a disability; however, insurers also use these exams as a means to criticize your provider’s course of treatment, or dispute your own provider’s conclusions and diagnoses. Most disability policies also provide that refusal to participate in an exam allows the insurance company to deny a claim or terminate benefits.
Use a private investigator to conduct surveillance. The insurance company may employ a private investigator to conduct photo, video and/or online surveillance, in an attempt to find discrepancies in your claim, or evidence of “malingering.” This can pose a particular challenge for dentist and physician claims, as oftentimes a dentist or physician’s symptoms may be significantly alleviated once he or she steps away from the demands of practicing.
This process can be very invasive and, if you have never experienced the claim process before, it can be hard to tell whether your insurer is taking things too far. If you feel your insurance company is being too aggressive, an experienced disability insurance attorney can assess the scope of the investigation and advise whether the insurer’s conduct is proper.