Resource Center

The more skills, experience, and reputation you build as a professional, the greater the impact can be if a disability suddenly prevents you from practicing your profession. You have obligations to meet. People are depending on you. An entire business may be riding on your shoulders. Your disability insurance should provide critical resources to cover your expenses while you are unable to work. But insurance companies can make it notoriously difficult to recover the benefits that should be provided under the terms of your policy. They may insist—wrongly but vehemently–that you are still able to perform critical job tasks and […]

When you own a business, your situation is like climbing to the top of a mountain. You’ve surmounted untold obstacles and reached a pinnacle of achievement. But if something goes wrong, you can fall a long, long way down. If you get injured or sick and you’re unable to practice your profession and run your business, you need to worry not only about the loss of income for your household but also the inability to pay the ongoing expenses of your business. Many professionals who own a practice purchase private disability insurance to provide income for support in this situation. […]

Having disability insurance is a great security measure to protect you against the unknowns of the future. But it is important to understand that disability insurance benefits and terms can change, and you need to be prepared for that possibility. It is important to review policy details periodically and consider speaking with an attorney who specializes in disability insurance to determine whether your coverage is adequate to meet your needs. At Seltzer & Associates, we don’t sell insurance, so we have nothing to gain by pointing out deficiencies in your coverage. We help policyholders when they need to prepare and […]

When you’ve invested time and resources to build your career, part of your success plan includes protecting yourself from foreseeable risks with insurance. You purchase car insurance with uninsured motorist coverage to protect you in case of a collision with an irresponsible driver. You purchase liability coverage for your property in case someone should allege that they were injured on your premises. And you purchase long-term disability insurance to protect you in case an injury or illness renders you unable to work. The question is, work at what? If you have what is referred to as an “own occupation” insurance […]

Most people don’t even think about calling a lawyer until they’re facing a problem. But often, the services of an attorney are most helpful when you want to avoid a problem altogether. Think about it this way: it’s a lot faster to do something the right way the first time than to wait for a problem to occur and then figure out what needs to be done to fix it. That is often the case when filing a claim for benefits under a disability insurance policy. An experienced Philadelphia long-term disability appeal lawyer can help prevent the need for an […]

When a disabling condition interferes with your ability to practice your profession, surgery is often touted as the miracle cure. Surgeons will repair whatever isn’t functioning, your body will heal, and then you will be as good as new. At least, that usually seems to be the expectation. The reality is often far different. Surgery may accomplish nothing helpful. Or it may not be enough to enable you to regain the functionality you need to perform delicate tasks. You may still be left with pain that prevents you from moving or even sitting comfortably, so that it remains impossible to […]

It can take considerable effort to satisfy the insurance company’s requirements to receive benefits for a long-term disability claim. Once claimants receive notice that they have been approved, they often breathe a sigh of relief and assume the work is over. It isn’t. As a legal team that has focused on disability insurance claims for decades, we understand that insurance companies often seek reasons to terminate disability benefits. No matter how severe your condition and how obvious your disabilities may be, it is vitally important to follow the requirements established in your policy, or you could find your benefits discontinued at the time […]

It is critical for professionals to have disability insurance coverage not only to provide protection in case of physical injury or illness but also as a safeguard in case a psychiatric or psychological disability interferes with the ability to practice their profession responsibly. While mental health impairments can be as debilitating as physical problems, professionals often hesitate to file disability insurance claims for these conditions for a variety of reasons. When they do seek the benefits they are entitled to under their coverage, these professionals are often met with denials or endless requests for additional information that make it impossible […]

When many people hear the word “disability,” they tend to think of someone with a particular condition that fits their preconceived notion of what it means to be disabled. They may picture a wheelchair or imagine a disability that has obvious physical signs, such as an amputated limb. But there are a wide array of physiological conditions that can impair your ability to function to such an extent that you qualify for disability benefits under the terms of a disability insurance policy. (This is not even counting psychological and psychiatric conditions, which we will address next month.) In this post, […]

When you’ve been paying premiums on a disability insurance policy and the day comes when you finally need to use that policy, it seems only fair that the process of filing a claim should be fairly simple. After all, you have a contractual arrangement with the insurance company that calls for them to provide benefits when you’re unable to work due to a disability. However, professionals often find that when they file a claim, the insurance company finds reasons to deny benefits or delay the evaluation process. Often, they will insist on the need for an IME, which stands for […]