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Disability is not an “all or nothing” phenomenon. If you’ve been hurt in an accident or suffered a serious illness, you might recover some, but not all, of your former abilities. While you might not be confined to your bed all day, you might not be able to put in the long days that used to be a standard part of your practice. There’s a gray area of partial disability, and it is huge. It hits professionals particularly hard, and among them, dentists are often affected the most because of the physical demands of the profession. A problem like chronic back pain […]

When you move money into your retirement investment accounts, it is easy to envision a secure and enjoyable future.  But it is difficult to get enthusiastic about the prospect of paying for disability insurance, especially long-term disability insurance. No one wants to think about a future where a physical or mental disability has such a significant impact on their life that they are unable to practice the profession that they’ve built their life around. But that future is a real possibility for professionals in every field. Statistics from a variety of sources show that approximately 20-25% of adults will suffer […]

Hidden inside every long-term disability insurance policy is a clause that can cause tremendous problems for policyholders who don’t understand the insurance company’s requirements represented in the terms of art of that clause. The language will specify in some way that a policyholder is required to receive “appropriate care” for the condition that has led to a disability. If you fail to receive care that satisfies the insurance company’s requirements, then you may be considered to have violated the terms of your policy, and you could lose your eligibility for benefits. As a legal team focused on protecting professionals who […]

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 […]

You could have access to millions of dollars in benefits to protect you from the vagaries of an unknown future. Or you might find yourself holding an empty bag. The time to find out is right now. Nobody wants to think about using long-term disability insurance. The thought of being saddled with a mental or physical disability that interferes with your ability to practice your profession is not one most of us spend time dwelling on. And that’s a fine approach—most of the time. But every once in a while, it is important to give the issue some thought. When […]

While filing a successful claim for long-term disability insurance benefits is almost always a challenge, it is particularly difficult when the disability affects mental or emotional health rather than physical health. Documentation, which is so crucial in disability claims, can be more difficult to obtain and more frequently subjected to challenge by insurance companies. Proving your limitations in a disability claim involving mental health impairments requires a concerted effort and an understanding of the evidence and arguments that insurance claims evaluators find the most persuasive. In our decades of experience helping professionals obtain disability benefits for mental health disabilities, we’ve […]

When you’ve paid an insurance company for a long-term disability policy and a time arrives when you need to use the policy you’ve paid for, it is extremely frustrating when the insurer denies your claim. Unfortunately, it’s not at all uncommon. Insurance companies make money by paying out as little as possible, so they rarely miss a chance to say “no.” And they’ve become quite adept at presenting legal arguments to suggest that you have no hope of succeeding if you file an appeal. But the fact is that it often takes legal action to get the benefits you are […]

Professionals often need so many different types of insurance that it can be challenging to understand just what types of coverage you have and where you may be vulnerable to gaps in coverage. Disability insurance is one of those areas. The Social Security Administration provides disability insurance to individuals who pay tax under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), but professionals often elect to purchase private individual disability insurance policies or take advantage of group disability insurance offered through an employer. It is important to understand the differences between private disability insurance coverage and SSA disability programs to determine your […]

Whether you are shopping for a private disability insurance policy or need to file a claim, it is important to understand how long the disability insurance benefits can be expected to last. The answer depends on a variety of factors. Often, the fine print in your disability insurance policy will provide the information you need to assess the duration of benefits, but sometimes the factors that affect the duration of benefits are not well-defined within the policy itself. If you believe an insurance company has wrongfully discontinued benefits, an attorney who focuses on private disability insurance can help you recover […]