It has been said that one of the few certainties in life is that everyone will experience some uncertainty. That’s why insurance exists.

Long-term disability insurance can be particularly attractive because it offers workers financial protection in the event an illness or injury prevents them from doing their job and earning the money that they need to pay their bills.

Disability is more common that one might assume. According to the Social Security Administration, more than one in four 20-year-olds will experience a disability that affects them for at least 90 days before they reach the age of 67, per NerdWallet.

The Hartford claims overview

Many companies, including The Hartford, offer disability insurance to individuals directly or through their employers. It is helpful for consumers to understand how long-term disability insurance, or LTD, works in general and how The Hartford handles it.

What is the Hartford disability?

LTD insurance pays out a percentage of a person’s regular salary when a worker with an active policy becomes disabled and cannot work for a lengthy period of time, usually a year or more, according to NerdWallet.

The Hartford disability insurance covers illness and injury that occurs when an employee is on the job or at home, the company’s website says. Some of the most common conditions The Hartford’s LTD policies cover include:

• Sprains and strains
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Coronary artery disease
• Back pain
• Pregnancy complications
• Rheumatism

How do you make a claim for the Hartford disability?

Typically, a disabled worker filing a claim must provide the insurance company with information about his or her medical condition, and the reasons that medical condition prevents the employee from returning to the job. That information usually comprised statements and documentation from a doctor, according to the industry website Policygenius.

Those insured under a LTD policy are directed to begin The Hartford claims process by calling its toll-free number on any weekday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time to report the claim.

The Hartford claims representative who handles the policy owner’s report should explain the exact documentation that will be required.

What are the Hartford long term disability benefits?

Depending on the policy taken out, The Hartford pays between 50% and 60% of a disabled worker’s regular salary, to a maximum of between $3,000 and $10,000 a month after a 180-day elimination period, as stated on a Quick Reference Guide put out by the company.

The Hartford LTD policies also include a “family care” component that will reimburse an insured person who is making the transition back to work after a disability claim for the cost of “dependent care.”

According to the Quick Reference Guide, that benefit is $350 per dependent for the first 12 months and $175 after that to a maximum of $2,500 per year for no more than 24 months.

How does the Hartford claims appeal process work?

If your long term disability claim is denied, don’t lose hope — this is not the end of the process. It is not uncommon for LTD insurance claims to be denied on a policyholder’s first attempt to file for them.

The Hartford claims for LTD insurance, or claims with other insurers, can be denied for a variety of reasons, including insufficient evidence of a disability and incomplete claims paperwork. It is important to keep in mind that in some cases, an insurer will automatically deny a benefits claim. Many patients assert that insurers deny claims in order to maximize their profits at their consumers’ expense.  

Fortunately, your insurer is required to inform you of why your claim was denied, and must give you a chance to appeal. You can use the information about why your initial claim was denied to file the strongest appeal possible.

The federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA, regulates how insurance companies must handle LTD claims and appeals.

“Whatever the reason, you have at least 180 days to file an appeal,” but some insurance companies might allow even more time, according to Filing a Claim for Your Disability Benefits, a publication put out by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration.

Claims may be denied for a range of reasons. In some cases, claims may be denied for medical reasons. This can occur if your insurer does not believe that you are really disabled in a way that prevents you from working. In other cases, your claim may be denied for technical reasons. This can occur if you do not have a claim fully filled out, your claim was submitted late, or if you lack adequate information in the claim.

You can address both kinds of claim denial in your appeal. If your claim was denied for medical reasons, you will want to gather all the necessary information to help prove that you are disabled. This may include record of injury or illness, testimonies from doctors or from other people in your life, or other evidence.

If your claim was denied for technical reasons, it will be important to carefully address the reason for denial, and carefully check to ensure that each element is in order before filing an appeal. 

As mentioned above, policyholders should respond specifically to the reasons cited for their claim’s denial in their appeal, the guide for claims says, and may also want to take additional steps to strengthen their claims in general. Once filed, the insurance company is required to have a new claims reviewer consider the appeal case and review all of the information submitted by the worker.

An insurance company must review a LTD claims appeal within 45 days of it being requested unless special circumstances merit an extension, by the ERISA regulations. If that is the case, the company is required to inform the worker in writing within 45 days of the need for more time. The company must also explain the special circumstances and give a date by which a final decision can be expected.

Appeals cannot be denied the basis of information that was not included in the original denial of claim unless the applicant is notified and given an opportunity to respond to the new information before the appeal’s deadline, under the ERISA rules.

The Hartford lawsuit: Should you file if your claim is denied?

A growing number of people are claiming that they have had their long-term disability insurance claim unfairly denied. When The Hartford claims are denied, policyholders can be frustrated, intimidated, or both.

It can be difficult to know how best to proceed. It does not always — or even most of the time — lead to litigation. Consulting with an attorney who specializes in LTD claims might provide some much-needed guidance and support.

If your long-term disability claim has already been denied, an experienced disability insurance attorney can help you go through the complex process of filing an appeal. If you have not yet filed your claim, an attorney can help you with the process from the get-go. Either way, consulting a legal expert can help you maximize your chances of receiving the payments that you are entitled to.

Get help with your long term disability insurance appeal

If an insurance company denied your long-term disability insurance claim within the past 180 days, a knowledgeable insurance attorney can help you appeal.

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