Was your disability claim for a mental disorder denied by Social Security, an insurance company, or the VA? Do you worry your monthly LTD benefits might be terminated? As a national disability benefits law firm, a large portion of the cases we handle involve mental health-related claims. Mental illness affects every walk of life and […]
Category: Depression
My Doctor Does Not Support My Mental Disability Claim. What Do I Do?
How Insurers Limit Disability Benefits in Group LTD Claims
Our video discusses how disability insurance companies can reduce or limit disability benefits in group, or employer-sponsored, LTD plans. This is achieved through the wording and terms written into the disability insurance policy.
Do you know what benefits are limited in your disability plan?
Was Your Claim for Depression Disability Benefits Denied?
Disability insurance attorneys at Marc Whitehead & Associates help depression disability claimants across the United States get the benefits they need.
If you or a loved one suffering from depression or other mood or mental disorder are being denied benefits, call our law firm for prompt legal help.
Whether your claim is with your disability insurance company, Social Security or the Veterans Benefits Administration, we can assist you.
As with physical injuries, not everyone with depression qualifies for disability benefits. Yet severe depression can significantly interfere with a person’s daily activities and ability to work. In fact, depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide.
ERISA Law Provisions in Your Long Term Disability Policy
I began this series on understanding your long term disability policy by saying that it’s not as simple as merely paying your premium and filling out the application after you start suffering from problems. Every policy has specific requirements that you have to meet in order to qualify for benefits, and so far we’ve covered some of the most common provisions.
After detailing the definition of disability in the first part of the series and covering elimination periods, earnings caps, and more in part two, today the focus is going to be on policy limitations and appeals issues.
VA Disability: 8 Categories of Compensable Mental Disorders (Update 2023)
What Are the 8 Categories of Mental Disorders Eligible for VA Compensation Claims?
Whether the inflicted party is eligible for VA compensation claims or not, mental disorders are a truly awful thing for anyone to have to live with. But establishing a mental disorder as service-connected can certainly make things somewhat easier by giving the veteran access to care. However, in order to qualify for these veterans benefits, the mental disorder in question must first fall into certain specific categories.
Definition of Important Terms in Mental Disorder VA Claims
Definition of Important Terms Used in Mental Disorder VA Claims
When dealing with VA claims regarding mental disorders, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs uses a certain specialized language. In order to more effectively argue mental disorder claims, a veteran and the VA disability attorney who represents them should make themselves familiar with some of these special terms.
Here are some common terms that anyone involved with VA claims should learn:
Disability Policies-Mental Health & Subjective Symptom Limitations
Most long term disability insurance companies try to limit benefits to the disabled by writing policies that have a mental health limitation. Usually mental health disability benefits are limited to only a short period of time, typically only 12 to 24 months. This means that benefits for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder will only be paid for a limited time period. Many claimants develop depression secondary to chronic pain. The insurance company will try to classify the claimant’s impairment as mental, so that benefits will be paid for only 24 months. The insurance company may also try to classify a cognitive problem or side effects from narcotic pain medications as a mental impairment. Therefore it is very important to make sure the insurance carrier does not mischaracterize a claimant’s lifetime physical disability as mental.