Have you had a disability claim denied? Youâre in good company, as the Social Security Administration denied 53% of claims between 2001-2010. That average seems to hold 10 years later.
You may have had a private insurance company to deny your claim, which is also common.
In order to get the funds that you rightly deserve, you will need to know how to win a disability case. You may have to take your case to court and what you do each step of the way will help you prove your case.
Keep reading to discover more about disability insurance and how to win your case
How Disability Insurance Is Supposed to Work
Thereâs a big mystery around disability insurance and how itâs supposed to work. There are a few types of disability insurance programs that you should know about.
The first is the disability insurance that you pay into with each paycheck. This is Social Security Disability Insurance, and itâs administered by the Social Security Administration. Itâs also called SSDI.
You pay 6.2% of your income for Social Security. Your employer pays another 6.2%. Self-employed people pay both halves for a total of 12.4%.
Thereâs also disability insurance that you can get through a private insurance company. Some states require employers to offer disability insurance to their employees. You pay a monthly premium for disability insurance, just like you would for health insurance or home insurance.
If youâre in a position where you can no longer work due to a disability, you can file a disability claim. Your disability insurance will pay a percentage of lost income.
You can collect both privately held disability insurance and Social Security Disability.
Why Claims Are Often Denied
In order to understand how to win your disability case, you should know why claims are denied, to begin with.
Claim Resubmission
Many people will resubmit their claim with the insurance company or Social Security Administration after itâs been denied.
Thatâs only going to cause your claim to get denied again. Instead, go through the appeals process.
Lack of Proof
Collecting disability insurance means that you physically cannot work. You may know that you canât work, but you have to have enough medical proof to back up your claim.
You may have a letter from your doctor, but thatâs not enough.
You need to collect your medical records that show your disability and how itâs impacted your ability to do your job.
Keep records and document everything related to your health. Your medical records, doctor’s appointments, referrals, discussions, and notes that excused you from participating in some activities.
The more documentation that youâre able to collect, the better. It will help you with your claim, and if it goes to court, your disability case.
You Still Earn Money
Some claims are denied because you can still earn an income. For example, letâs say that you can no longer do hard labor jobs, such as construction.
However, you found a new career in blogging that earns money. If you earn more than $1,260 a month, your claim could get denied.
You Didnât Listen to the Doctor
This is a big deal because a lot of people donât follow through with the doctorâs orders. If you go you your primary care physician and they give you a treatment plan, follow it exactly as planned.
Your doctor wonât be able to tell if you canât work because of the disability or because you didnât follow instructions.
How to Win a Disability Case
There are a lot of things that you need to do right throughout the process of getting a claim accepted and winning a disability case.
The entire process is long and, at times, painful. You have to be patient and persevere. Itâs a frustrating process, but you canât give up. Youâre walking away from money that you have a right to.
You may just have to work a little harder to get it. Here are a few other things you can do to help yourself win a disability case.
Find a Good Attorney
You need to have a fantastic disability insurance lawyer by your side throughout the process. You may want to consider hiring an attorney before you even apply for disability insurance.
Some insurance lawyers will help you fill out your application and make sure that every possible reason for denial is addressed. Having them handle the paperwork also improves your chances of success.
If your claim gets denied, they can assist you in the appeals process. Theyâre already familiar with your situation and will have a good understanding of the steps required.
Look Sharp and Professional
When you have a disability hearing, you want to make sure that you look professional. First impressions do matter, and you want to create the right one.
Put Your Pride Aside
When you have a disability, itâs human nature to try to hide it and fit in. What youâre doing to yourself is hurting your case because youâre letting your pride get in the way.
Saying things like, âitâs not that bad,â or âIâll be alright,â minimize your disabilities. If you do that in a court case or hearing, then experts can easily dismiss your case.
Win Your Disability Case
You pay into disability insurance, whether you have a private insurance company or pay through Social Security taxes.
You have a right to collect on disability insurance. You just need to prove that you have that right.
Now that you know how to win a disability case, you should start by documenting everything and hiring an attorney before you start your application.
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