How To Apply For Long-Term Disability Plan Benefits – Personal Injury
What is long-term disability insurance?
Long Term Disability Insurance (LTD) is a form of income replacement. It protects your income if you are unfortunate enough to be unable to work due to an injury. People can take out disability insurance themselves, or their employers can offer it as a benefit.
Sometimes you may be denied these benefits. In fact, many disability claims are either denied in the first place or payments are stopped before the recipient is able to work again.
Why are LTD benefits important?
LTD benefits become available once short-term disability benefits or employment insurance become unavailable. The purpose of these benefits is to protect your income if you lose your ability to work because of a disability.
Each year, thousands of Canadians experience an unexpected illness or injury: A study by Ontario’s Auditor General found that the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) approves approximately 22,000 applications for income support payments each year. Without these benefits, people who are unable to work can suffer a significant loss of income. Ensuring you have access to LTD insurance can be crucial to ensuring financial stability while you recover from your injuries.
What conditions qualify for LTD?
Long-term disability insurance covers a wide range of medical conditions, most of which are related to physical injuries. However, LTD insurance can also cover psychological injuries. A third of disability claims in Canada in 2022 will be related to mental health, according to a new survey by Mercer.
Different insurance policies may define “disability” differently and it is necessary to review each policy to determine which conditions apply. However, insurance policies generally include a variety of conditions, such as:
- brain injuries
- orthopedic injuries
- multiple sclerosis
- Cancer
- fibromyalgia
- Chronic Fatigue
- mood swings
- cardiovascular disease
- arthritis
- anxiety or depression
This is not a complete list. You should always consult your policy to understand what is covered in the event of long-term disability.
How do I apply for LTD in Ontario?
Figuring out how to claim LTD benefits in Ontario can be daunting. However, applying for LTD benefits can essentially be reduced to five different points:
- Request a claim form
The first step is to get an application form. If you are privately insured by your employer, your employer should provide you with the form and instructions on how to complete it. If you are privately insured, you can obtain one of these forms from your insurance company or broker.
- Get support from your doctor
To receive LTD benefits, you must prove that you have a disability. To prove that you have a disability, you must obtain medical records or documents from your doctor or healthcare provider that show you have a medical condition that prevents you from working. A healthcare provider may include: a doctor, psychiatrist, physical therapist, medical specialist, or chiropractor. At this stage, your doctor or healthcare provider will fill out a medical certificate or make recommendations to improve your symptoms.
- Please, fill in the application
The next step is to fill out the application. The application includes forms such as: a statement from the plan members, a statement from the treating physician, a statement from the plan sponsor, and a job description. The purpose of these forms is to: determine details of your claim and obtain permission to communicate with your attorney or doctor; medical information about you; or your duties and responsibilities at work.
- Submit the application
After you have filled out the application, you must submit it to your health insurance company. It is best to contact your insurance provider to determine how to apply, but common delivery methods are post, email or fax. It should be noted that there are general deadlines or deadlines. It is important that you contact your personal injury attorney or insurance company to verify this.
- assessment of your claim
After you submit the application, your application will be reviewed. This is done by a clerk or claims officer who makes an assessment. During an assessment, you will be interviewed to analyze all of the information about your application, including information about your job, your health, or your ability to manage basic physical needs. It usually takes up to a month to complete the assessment and decide on your merits, but this can vary.
How long can you stay with LTD in Ontario?
There isn’t necessarily an easy answer to this question, as LTD benefits can end for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons may include: recovery from an injury, retirement, death, age 65, lack of evidence of a continuing disability, imprisonment, refusal to participate in a medical evaluation, or failure to participate in a particular rehabilitation program. These are just some of the reasons why LTD benefits could end.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the topic. In relation to your specific circumstances, you should seek advice from a specialist.