Mental Health Resources offered by Insurers May Be Used to Terminate Benefits
Deciding when, or if, it is safe to return to work after filing a disability insurance claim can be difficult and nuanced, including for mental health claims. Insurance companies, of course, have an incentive to push claimants back to work, so they may place pressure on an insured to do so.
Recently, MetLife announced that it was partnering with Lyra, a provider of workforce mental health services, to provide employees with access to mental health services as part of their recovery when they file a disability claim.
According to a recent news release, the collaboration will connect eligible individuals to Lyra’s providers at the beginning of their claim. The same release indicated that the partnership would provide claimants with more “comprehensive well-being services” during leave, “while also helping employers with the administrative tasks associated with disability claims and mental health resources.”
Depending on the circumstances, this may be helpful and beneficial for individuals facing mental health challenges. However, in our experience, mental health providers connected to a disability insurer can sometimes push for a “return to work” date before the individual is actually ready to do so. Accordingly, it is important to be mindful of ongoing limitations and communicate them effectively throughout the process.
This is important in every mental health claim, but even more so if you are working with a provider that is connected to the disability insurance company. For physicians and dentists filing disability claims, returning to work prematurely can not only be bad for their own mental health, but can also put patients at risk. If you feel that a provider or the disability insurance company are not accurately documenting or considering your limitations, it is a good idea to at least consult with a disability insurance attorney to ensure that your claim is handled fairly.
MetLife and Lyra Health Expand Access to Workforce Mental Health Solutions, Business Wire, June 14, 2023, https://finance.yahoo.com/news/metlife-lyra-health-expand-access-120000267.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGIragDWvkC4OZlVEAoxh4wEOUspIJauIqPRA2zqzmS2Lr8KXNTggfTilfJ6iUSCGBNnY1YXsMbE9CDPeP6-tGCO7GzGy4BsIl04FE9QxIFlGiObS6yh62gvcdsbl69XomDSPNW5BtJi21BfOurMn6Ty8rlaIHRIF0FmimAj2Y0S
