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If your long term disability benefits have been denied or terminated, you may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. One of the most important things to understand is that you have a limited time to file an appeal. Whether your claim falls under ERISA (the federal law that governs most employer-sponsored disability plans) or is based on a private policy, the appeal process is often your last and best chance to secure the benefits you deserve without going to court.

If you’re navigating a claim denial, understanding your rights and how to protect them can make all the difference. Below we’ll answer common questions about long term disability appeal deadlines and why it’s so important to make your appeal count. 

If ERISA applies to your long term disability claim, you have the right to request and review your claim file in the event of a denial.  This is a critical right to exercise before filing your ERISA long term disability appeal.  Having the claim file will give you valuable insight as to why your insurer denied your claim. 

You must strategize to win your long term disability appeal under ERISA. One misstep is all it takes to result in a final denial necessitating litigation. These five steps will help you plan to win your long term disability appeal.  

Here are five do's and don'ts that will help you win your long term disability appeal.

When you are appealing a denial of benefits the overall challenge is that you need to convince the same private disability insurance company who denied your claim to reverse itself.  Not only is it difficult to convince anyone to admit that they were wrong, but here we need to convince an insurer to admit it was wrong when it has a financial incentive not to pay you.