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 […]

While all insurance policies are complex, those that are designed to provide assistance when you are unable to work due to a disability seem to be among the most complicated. One reason these policies are often so hard to employ is that they are governed by different laws depending on the specific type of disability insurance policy you are trying to enforce. The federal ERISA laws establish obligations that apply to certain types of disability insurance but not all policies. If you are reviewing your disability insurance coverage, need to file a claim, or want to appeal a denial or […]

As a physician, psychologist, dentist, chiropractor or other healthcare professional, you have dedicated your life to helping others recover their physical and mental abilities. You have invested years of intense effort and significant financial resources to gain the education and experience to be able to provide much-needed services to the community. You may be carrying debt from education and certainly have regular financial obligations associated with your professional practice as well as your personal life. So, what happens when it is you, rather than one of your patients, who suffers from a condition that makes it impossible to work? Many […]

A recent episode of The Dental Amigos podcast featured attorney Mark Seltzer sharing critical insights about disability insurance claims, revealing the complex challenges dentists face when filing for benefits. Seltzer, who has spent over 40 years representing healthcare professionals in disability cases, warned that many dentists are dangerously unprepared for the claims process. Listen to the full podcast below:  

When you file a claim with your car insurance company or health insurance provider, the process is pretty straightforward, and usually, you don’t need legal assistance to get the benefits you’re entitled to receive under your policy. Long-term disability insurance is different. The benefits are much more substantial, and insurance companies often deny or undervalue claims. At a time when you are unable to work and most in need of resources to rebuild your life, insurance companies delay or deny your benefits. At Seltzer & Associates, we’ve seen this problem first-hand over and over through the years. We have dedicated […]

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 […]

Although lawyers are often referred to as “officers of the court,” in reality, most legal matters are resolved outside the courtroom, and many practicing attorneys have no idea how to handle litigation. The legal world is highly specialized. If you are involved in a dispute about your private disability insurance policy, there’s a good chance that you will be able to resolve the conflict through negotiation out of court. But what if that doesn’t work? What if your case needs to be litigated? On the insurance company’s side, their transactional attorneys will turn the matter over to a trained litigation […]

Addiction is a disease just like cancer, and it eats away at your physical and mental abilities in the same way that cancer does. However, disability insurance providers often make it much more difficult to collect the benefits you’re entitled to when the condition that prevents you from working stems from an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or prescription medication. As a legal team dedicated to helping professionals receive the full amount of disability benefits they are owed under their policies, we know how reluctant insurers can be to pay claims that have any connection to addiction and the rationalizations they use to […]