Resource Center

For Immediate Release PHILADELPHIA, May 12, 2017 – The Law Firm of Seltzer & Associates is honored to announce that Ethan F. Abramowitz has been recognized as a 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Mr. Abramowitz represents disabled professionals and executives in individual and long-term disability insurance claims, ERISA, breach of contract, and insurance bad faith cases. About Seltzer & Associates Seltzer & Associates is dedicated to helping professionals and executives suffering from physiological, […]

For professionals and executives, having individual disability insurance and group long-term disability insurance from your employer is often the best bet. The key is to understand what each of your polices does for you, and make sure you have the coverage that meets your needs.

Mark Seltzer will be presenting today at The ASAM Pain & Addiction Course at The ASAM 48th Annual Conference. A Legal Perspective will present legal issues that may impact you as the treating addictionologist / addiction psychiatrist / addiction psychologist / licensed healthcare professional and what steps you can take to protect yourself in view of those issues. Additionally, your patient may have a variety of legal issues for which you should be aware.

In most states, healthcare providers and facilities are permitted to charge a patient or their representative for copies of medical records. The cost of copying medical records is generally controlled by statute or regulation in each state. Additionally, federal law requires “covered entities” to limit fees for medical record copying to “a reasonable, cost-based fee.” Below is the fee information for each state. Some states update the fees annually, while others have codified the fees in statute or regulations. We try to keep the information below as up-to-date as possible, please check the appropriate source if you believe the information […]

Seltzer & Associates represents professionals and executives, including dentists, in all aspects of individual and long-term disability insurance claims. See our ad in the January/February 2017 Pennsylvania Dental Journal and explore our website to learn more about how physiological impairments, psychiatric and psychological impairments, and addiction can force dentists to stop working or reduce how much they work, therefore entitling them to potential disability benefit. If you need assistance filling, appealing or maintaining your disability claim, call our office at 888-699-4222 to speak with one of our attorneys today.

In December, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) released its Final Rule amending the Claims Procedure rule regulating claim handling for ERISA governed disability benefits. In conjunction with the release of the Final Rule, the DOL released a Fact Sheet explaining the changes to this rule, 29 CFR 2560.503-1. Beginning in January 2018, ERISA governed plans will be required to make a number of changes to their claim handling that should be beneficial to disability claimants. Below are highlights from the fact sheet, along with an explanation of how these new rules affect you, the claimant. Improvement to Basic Disclosure […]

Welcome to the newly redesigned SeltzerLegal.com. We look forward to continuing to keep you up to date on legal developments regarding Individual Disability Insurance, Long Term Disability, and ERISA matters in the area of disability. Additionally, you can read more about the legal services we provide and select publications from some of our attorneys throughout our website. If you believe you have an Individual Disability or Long Term Disability claim that we can help you with, please contact our office today at 888-699-4222 to speak with one of our attorneys.

In a November 4, 2016 ruling, The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a Central District of California ruling when it concluded an individual who cannot sit for four hours a day cannot perform sedentary work. In 2011, Avery Armani suffered a back injury while at work. He was covered under a group long-term disability insurance policy issued by Northwestern Mutual provided by his employer. Following his back injury, Mr. Armani sought treatment from chiropractors, pain specialists, and physicians. Each treatment provider confirmed Mr. Armani was not capable of sitting more than four hours per day because of his lumbar […]

When planning for the future, most people focus on family security and their retirement. They purchase insurance policies, invest in 401Ks and seek other ways to ensure their financial security through their career and into retirement. They do so with the hope of smoothly transitioning into their golden years. However, a plan is only as good as its implementation. Understanding the terms and conditions of your disability insurance policy is crucial to protecting your financial security. This is especially true given that the Social Security Administration reports that 25% of the American work force will become disabled prior to reaching […]

Orthopedic Surgeon John Duda filed a claim for disability benefits with The Standard for his long-term disability (“LTD”) benefits and Lincoln for his individual disability benefits due to a wrist injury. Both Standard and Lincoln determined Dr. Duda did not qualify for disability benefits under each of his policies. However, each company cited different reasons for their decisions. Following the denial of disability benefits by each company, Dr. Duda sued each Standard, under federal ERISA law, and Lincoln, under Pennsylvania breach of contract and bad faith law, for disability benefits. The United States District for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania […]