Assurant Long-Term Disability Attorney

Unfortunately, Assurant is often more interested in returning people to work than paying them disability benefits. This quote is taken from Assurant’s website:

Our integrated WillReturn® program is a unique blending of demographic and psychographic information processing designed to get employees back to work more quickly. WillReturn® combines information from two studies commissioned exclusively for Assurant Employee Benefits, the Menninger return-to-work study and the Gallup will-to-work study, to help case mangers identify the rehabilitation services and training interventions most appropriate for each individual.

Assurant’s goal is clearly to get employees back to work quickly. Assurant uses its custom “return to work computer programs” to create artificial recovery periods for disabled policyholders. Assurant’s claims handlers are trained to rely on computer data to determine how long a claimant “should” be out on disability based on the claimant’s medical condition.

Assurant’s analysts are further trained to look for specific medical documentation concerning specific medical conditions. The analysts are trained to deny claims if the documentation is unavailable in the claimant’s medical record. This is no small operation. By some estimates, Assurant Employee Benefits has more than 1,000 employees, including medical consultants, vocational consultants, and private investigators.

Again, Assurant’s website gives clues that it is looking for more reasons to deny claims than to approve claims:

Assurant Employee Benefits integrates medical and disability claims analysis to target cases that are under medical case management and identifies cases appropriate for early intervention with disability management practices. Our in-house special investigations unit assists in examining potentially fraudulent claims. Having this unit in house assures that investigators understand the LTD contract, protect the confidentiality of the claimant and their relationship with the policyholder, and assures that surveillances are complete.

Assurant Long-Term Disability Plan Options

Assurant does give employers options to choose from to custom-build their LTD plans.

• One key feature is selecting the most appropriate definition of disability to meet the needs of different employee groups. Assurant offers three definitions of disability, including a distinctive “dual” definition that triggers benefit payment based on a loss of duties or earnings. A loss of both is not required.
• Assurant’s Critical Illness benefit provides a lump-sum payment, in addition to disability income protection, to claimants who suffer specific critical illnesses such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, or trauma resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia.
• Assurant’s Activities of Daily Living Benefit (ADL) pays an additional benefit that will increase the policy’s overall benefit rate to either 80% or 100% of pre-disability pay to claimants who suffer from a severe disability. This benefit was designed to help those severely disabled claimants pay the additional expenses they often incur.
• If an Assurant disabled insured dies while receiving long-term disability benefits, the Survivor Benefit provides income to the insured’s survivors while settling the estate.
• Assurant’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) gives employees access to confidential short term counseling and referral services designed to help them deal with family, legal or financial concerns.
• Assurant’s Business Income Benefit provides an additional benefit to the policyholder if one of the organization’s primary income-generating employees becomes disabled.

Appeal an Assurant Long-Term Disability Denial

If you have a group plan Assurant Employee Benefits disability policy, your policy is likely governed by ERISA. ERISA does have strict appeal procedures and deadlines. ERISA requires an internal or administrative appeal if your benefits are terminated or denied. The time limit to file an appeal is usually only 180 days. Under some policies, you may have a second, voluntary appeal. You should consult with an experienced disability attorney to determine your legal rights.

Get a Free Case Review with an Assurant Long-Term Disability Attorney

Disability attorney Nick A. Ortiz offers the following legal services for disability claimants that have a long-term disability insurance policy purchased from Assurant:

• ERISA appeal of an Assurant denial of group LTD insurance benefits;
• ERISA appeal of an Assurant wrongful termination of group LTD insurance benefits; and
• ERISA lawsuit against Assurant after final denial of group long-term disability benefits.

Contact us today to speak with an experienced Assurant disability attorney. Call Ortiz Law Firm at (888) 321-8131 for a free case review.