If you’re sick and unable to work, figuring out how to pay the bills can feel overwhelming. Long-term disability insurance can relieve a lot of that stress, but if your condition isn’t covered – or it’s not deemed severe enough – your bills won’t get paid.
So how do you know if your policy covers your illness?
Most people just contact their insurance provider, explain their condition, and are advised to file a claim. Sometimes, they’re advised to get checked out by one of the insurance company’s own medical providers. This is something you definitely want to avoid since these providers are looking to find reasons to deny your claim.
And even if your medical condition qualifies you for long-term disability, you still have to prove to your insurance company that you can’t work.
It falls to you to prove to them that the symptoms caused by your condition or injury are severe enough to prevent you from effectively performing full-time work.
So How Do I Prove to the Insurance Company That I Can’t Work?
Gathering the strongest evidence that shows you cannot work is your best chance at getting the long-term disability benefits you need.
To do that, you need to start journaling your symptoms right away.
Keeping a daily journal helps you keep track of the way your symptoms interfere with your ability to perform everyday tasks and work assignments. It allows you to show your doctor through specific written examples why you can no longer work.
To help you do this, Tucker Disability Law is offering you a FREE Capability Journal that you can download immediately. This journal, complete with instructions, created by our experienced disability attorneys, is a proven tool to help you gather the evidence needed to win your disability case. Use this journal daily and bring it with you to your doctor’s visits so your provider can see for themselves how your symptoms limit your ability to work.
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Proven-to-Work
Capability Journal NOW
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What Else Do I Need To Do To Get My Long-Term Disability Benefits?
You’ll need to provide the insurance company with solid medical evidence that shows your limitations and proves your inability to work full-time. This evidence comes in the form of your medical records that will include testing and lab results, as well as a form (Attending Physician Statement) signed by your doctor.
Filing a proper claim is difficult and time-consuming, and the vast majority of people doing it on their own fail at this stage of the process.
That’s where we come in. If your illness or injury qualifies you for a long-term disability claim, we can handle it for you. We do it every day, and we have a 98% win rate.
Based on your conditions, after a brief FREE conversation, we can tell you if you qualify for a claim. And, if so, we use our own doctors to examine you and run tests.
It’s better to use our objective skilled physicians than the medical personnel and testing facilities provided by your insurance company. They’re biased…against you. The insurance companies use a lot of tricks – and we know all of them – to deny a claim. You need a battle-ready team in your court, working to secure that long-term disability claim for you.
In fact, not having professionals like us working on your behalf creates a high likelihood of failure. Why go it alone and take that risk?
And it’s also a race against time. If your claim has been denied, there is a limited window of time to appeal that denial, and you only have a certain number of appeals. Your first appeal should be buttoned-up, with no gray areas, and we know how to do that for you.
Here are 3 simple steps that will ensure your success:
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
How Much Will This Cost Me?
Our initial consultation is FREE and the majority of our cases are done on a strict contingency basis, meaning that you don’t pay a dime unless we win.
We also offer different fee-based programs to help with initial claims or claim maintenance. We’ve handled thousands of cases just like yours and we have a 98% win rate.
Is My Condition Covered Under My Long-Term Disability Policy?
There are two types of long-term disability policies.
- Individual Disability Insurance Policies: This is a policy that you purchase on
your own, outside of your employer or employer group. - Group Disability Insurance Policies: This is a policy that is offered through your
employer or groups. These policies are subject to a federal law called the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
When it comes to long-term disability policies, one size does not fit all. Every policy is different so it’s important you read your policy carefully to understand what conditions are covered. We can review your policy with you after our initial conversation.
Here is a comprehensive list of common medical conditions that may qualify you for long-term disability.
Please note that this list is not exclusive. If you are disabled and unable to work, it is important to consult with one of our expert disability attorneys to better understand your options.
Long-Term Disability For Musculoskeletal Disorders
Musculoskeletal Disorders or MSDs are disorders or injuries of the muscles, bones, and joints. These conditions can range from mild to severe and can cause pain and discomfort that interfere with everyday activities.
Doctors who specialize in MSDs are orthopedists or orthopedic surgeons.
- Arthritis
- Back Pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Cervical Stenosis
- Chiari Malformation
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Degenerative Joint Disease
- Other Joint Disorders
- Dislocations
- Fibromyalgia
- Herniated Disc
- Inflammatory Arthritis
- Lumbar Stenosis
- Marfan Syndrome
- Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Pectoralis Major Injury
- Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
- Polychondritis
- Reflex Sympathetic Disorder
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Ruptured Disc
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Soft Tissue Injury (Burns)
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Arachnoiditis
- Spine Disorders
- Tendinitis
- Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Special Senses and Speech Disorders
These are disorders that involve a disruption in the senses, such as sight and hearing loss.
Typically, these disorders are seen by specialists such as otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, and neurologists. Your primary physician can guide you to the correct specialist.
- Eye Disorders
- Blindness and Visual Impairments
- Hearing Loss
- Speech Loss
- Meniere’s Disease
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Respiratory Disorders
Respiratory disorders are conditions that affect the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. This can lead to fatigue and severely limit your mobility.
Typically, these conditions are diagnosed and treated by a pulmonologist.
- Asthma
- Bronchiectasis
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Chronic Lung Infections
- Emphysema
- Lung Transplant
- Pneumoconiosis (Asbestos and other dust inhaling diseases)
- Sleep Apnea
- Sleep Related Breathing Disorders
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease)
Cardiovascular diseases are those diseases that affect the heart and the blood vessels. If the condition is severe enough, it can cause chronic fatigue and other symptoms making it difficult to work. Heart conditions are among the leading causes of disability in the United States.
Diseases of the heart are treated by a cardiovascular specialist such as a cardiologist, cardiothoracic surgeon, or vascular surgeon.
- Angina
- Arrhythmia
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Cardiomyopathy
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- DVT (deep venous thrombosis)
- Heart attack
- Heart valve issue
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Palpitations
- Stroke
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Digestive Disorders
Digestive Disorders are those conditions that involve the digestive tract, which is also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The GI tract includes the esophagus, liver, stomach, small and large intestines, gallbladder and pancreas.
Doctors who treat digestive disorders are typically gastroenterologists, nephrologists, hepatologists, and other internal medicine specialists.
- Cirrhosis
- Crohn’s Disease
- Colitis
- Diverticulitis
- Gastritis
- Gastroparesis
- Hernia
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Kidney and Bladder Disorders
- Kidney Failure
- Liver Disease
- Necrotizing Colitis
- Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
- Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
- Short Bowel Syndrome
- Ulcerative Colitis
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Genitourinary Disorders
These are disorders that affect the urinary and genital organs such as the kidneys and the urethra.
These conditions are usually diagnosed and treated by nephrologists and urologists.
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Endometriosis
- Enlarged Prostate
- Kidney and Bladder Disorders
- Nephrotic Syndrome
- Chronic Cystitis
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Hematological Disorders
Hematologic disorders involve the blood and include problems with red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and the spleen.
Disorders of the blood are treated by hemotologists, but other speciality doctors may be involved depending on the organs involved.
- Aplastic Anemia with Bone Marrow or Stem Cell Transplantation
- Chronic Anemia
- Chronic Granulocytopenia
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Chronic Thrombocytopenia
- Coagulation Defects and Hemophilia
- Hemochromatosis
- Liver Transplantation
- Polycythemia Vera
- Spleen Diseases
- Systemic Vasculitis
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Skin Disorders
These are conditions that affect your skin. Disability will be based on the severity and frequency of flare ups (such as lesions and rashes) and the pain involved, as well as how your treatment may cause limitations.
Dermatologists typically diagnose and treat disorders of the skin.
- Bullous Diseases
- Burns (severe)
- Cellulitis
- Chronic Skin Infections
- Dermatitis (severe)
- Hidradenitis suppurativa (small painful bumps under the skin)
- Ichthyosis
- Mucous Membrane Infections
- Photosensitivity Disorders
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Endocrine Disorders
These are medical conditions that cause a hormone imbalance in your body. The major glands of the endocrine system are the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and pancreas.
Endocrine disorders are diagnosed and treated by an endocrinologist.
- Adrenal Gland Disorders
- Diabetes and other Pancreatic Gland Disorders
- Parathyroid Gland Disorders
- Pituitary Gland Disorders
- Thyroid Gland Disorders
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Neurological Disorders
Neurological Disorders are conditions that affect the brain as well as the nerves found throughout the human body and the spinal cord.
The specialist who handles neurological disorders is a neurologist.
- Acute Spinal Cord Injury
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Ataxia
- Bell’s Palsy
- Cerebral Palsy
- Dementia
- Dystonia
- Empty Sella Syndrome
- Epilepsy
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome
- Migraine Headaches
- Neuropathy
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Non-epileptic Seizures
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Seizure Disorder
- Stroke
- Traumatic Brain Injury
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Mental Disorders
Mental illnesses are those conditions that affect your thinking, mood, feelings, and behavior.
These disorders are diagnosed and treated by a psychiatrist.
- Autism
- Anxiety Disorder
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
- Bipolar Disorder
- Clinical Depression
- Dementia
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
- Schizophrenia
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Diseases)
Cancer is often classified in stages (Stages 1-4) depending on the size of the tumor or the extent to which it has spread through your body. Qualifying for long-term disability for cancer will depend on which stage you are at, as well as the severity of the side-effects caused by your treatment.
Doctors who specialize in cancer diagnosis and treatment are oncologists and hematologists.
- Acute Leukemia
- Cancer (all types)
- Hodgkin’s Disease
- Lymphoma
- Multiple Myeloma
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Autoimmune Disorders
Autoimmune disorders are those illnesses in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes part of your body (like your joints or skin) as foreign and releases proteins that attack healthy cells.
Treatment may include immunosuppressants, such as Prednisone and Methotrexate, which can have their own long term disabling side effects. There is no cure for an autoimmune disease so the cycle can lead to chronic illness, causing other symptoms and conditions to arise.
A Rheumatologist is the doctor who specializes in these types of disorders. Other specialists might include an endocrinologist, hematologist, or a neurologist.
- Addison’s Disease
- Celiac Disease
- Diabetes- Type I
- Graves’ Disease
- Hashimoto’s Disease
- Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Pernicious Anemia
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Reactive Arthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Long-Term Disability For Infectious Diseases
Infectious Diseases are illnesses that are caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites. Many organisms live in or on our bodies. They are usually harmless. But in some circumstances, these organisms can cause disease. Some infectious diseases are passed from person to person.
There are several types of medical specialists who handle infectious diseases. This might include Infectious Disease doctors, pulmonologists, hepatologists, or other internal medicine specialists.
- Covid-19 (Coronavirus, Long-Haulers Syndrome)
- Epstein-Barr Virus
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- HIV/AIDS
- Influenza
- Meningitis
- Polio
- Tuberculosis
Let us help you determine if your condition qualifies for disability benefits.
Tucker Disability Law Can Help
Going up against the big insurance companies is a challenge. If at any step along the way, you find yourself overwhelmed and in need of help, we’re here to assist you.
Fighting the big insurance companies is what we do everyday, and unlike some of those other firms, we don’t settle for pennies on the dollar.
You can reach out to us anytime by filling in the contact information in the blue box to set up a call or an online chat.
At Tucker Disability Law, we don’t settle for less. Neither should you.
