Several people every year lose their job and ability to work due to certain medical conditions sustained sometimes from accidents, sometimes from natural causes. However, there are ways that the law can help you secure your financial future even if you are out of work. So for people who lose their job because of a disability, there is a policy known as ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act).
LTD or Long-Term Disability is a security policy launched by federal law to help the ones in need. There are some programs under which that help everyone from adults to children. The primary condition to qualify for LTD is to prove you faced a loss of wages and that your ability to work in the future is gone for some time and maybe even forever.
You need to take care of the only thing you do is not to violate or make any mistake that can breach the policy. If you come across ERISA, contact your disability lawyer and confirm the medical conditions that qualify for LTD so that you do not violate any rules.
Nevertheless, you must know some common mistakes people make while applying for ERISA. Go through them carefully, so you do not repeat them in your case.
Three mistakes to avoid in ERISA long-term disability benefits application
- Taking your employer’s word for you are unable to work as enough evidence.
Whether you are unfit to work or not might be your employer’s decision; however, whether your disability is terrible enough never to let you work again or generate a source of income for yourself is for the insurance company to decide.
So it is incorrect to entirely depend on your employer when they declare you unfit for work. Ensure you gather enough evidence to convince the insurance company to take care of your future financial needs.
- Trusting the human resources department away too much
While the human resources department does have a lot of experience, they are not experts with insurance policies. So, relying entirely on their word to interpret your insurance policy is unsafe.
Moreover, the HR department doe not have many contacts or a knack for tackling the insurance company. So if you want to apply for ERISA and live with the benefits, you must take the matter into your hands.
- Not listening to the doctor and going ahead with the prohibited activities
After your claim, you are on your insurance company’s radar, which means they will constantly keep track of your activity.
So indulging in any kind of health practice that is not advised by the doctors and giving out the wrong message, such as misleading the insurance company.