Question about LTD

[flowergarden]

I began to receive my LTD a year ago September. The deal was that I would be covered if I was disabled and unable to perform my job. My job involved heavy work and quick thinking.

It took a long time to get the payments because the company decided that my disability was due to depression, not physical problems. The catch there is that with a "mental" disability, the insurance limit is 2 years.

This year they decided to review my case. I got notice in August that my providers had not responded to requests for information. I contacted the providers and the mental health nurse who was handling my case at the company, and it looked like things were moving again. Then I got a notice that my payments would be terminated in Oct. I called and tried to get things straightened out, as the providers still hadn't replied. The cut-off date was extended to Nov. 13 (the middle of the month is the normal end of my pay period).

I've been trying to contact my case worker there for months. By company standards she is supposed to reply to my calls within 2 business days. I have called , oh, 8-10 times, and she has replied exactly 3 times. I did discover that the providers had sent their records and forms to the mental health section. I got a call from that section the other day saying that they made a determination that my problem is physical (neuropsych) and not mental. They then sent all the paperwork to the nurse in the "physical" section. I think the case worker deals with the "physical" side.

In the meantime, I got a check from the company the other day. I usually get my check during the first week of each month, paid up until the middle of that month. This check was for half the amount and said it was for the period Nov. 14-30. My heart immediately stopped.

I tried calling my case worker last Tuesday, and, as usual, she did not call me back. I would have felt encouraged that the mental health side determined I had a physical problem. But now that I've receive a half check I'm scared to death. No explanation was sent with it.

Do any of you have any thoughts or insights as to what could be going on? I'll call the case worker again on Monday, but I seriously doubt she'll call back. I can't find anyone else at the company who will tell me what's up.

And the company is based in Florida, thousands of miles away from me. Hard to go in to see them.

style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/scaredy.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif

[here]

I wish I had some great advice for you, but I don't. (((Hugs)))

Sounds to me like u need to get a good attorney that specializes in labor laws.

Goodluck & let us know what happens,

J

[raggedyann1]

Flowergarden,

I can tell you that the major LTD's companies have been sued in almost every single state. The game for them is not to pay you so they can be turning a profit for their investors. Do a google on the company providing your LTD. See if the attorney general in your state has sued or reached a agreement with your LTD. Do not leave messages. Call and hit zero or what ever you have to do tomorrow. Refuse to leave a message request a manager on the line right now. If still getting pushed away say that your next call is to your state insurers office to get the government involved, that should do it. And yes the state insurance office will help you and will know the details of the resolution of the suit against your LTD company.

Karen

[flowergarden]

Thanks to both of you, especially you, Karen! That is very good advice. I'll do that tomorrow. I have gone through our state Insurance Commissioner's office before on another problem, and they did help.

I got a letter yesterday--after the 1/2 month check--stating that my LTD is changing to a calendar month payment schedule. One worry off my mind. And the money is really coming in handy right now. God works in mysterious ways! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Thanx.gif

[flowergarden]

I went onto our Attorney General's website and discovered that my LTD company has some of the fewest complaints against it in the nation. Only 3 in my state in 2004.

I left a message, the only way I could get through, with my case worker's supervisor that the case worker is really lousy at returning my calls and keeping my up-to-date. We'll see if that helps.

But I did hear that the mental health side has decided that my problems are physically-related. My benefits have been extended until Jan 31, so they can try to determine if I am disabled from my former occupation--on my feet all day cooking at a school. It was heavy on both the physical and mental labor.

[hurley]

Hi Sue and big hugs for all the stress style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hugbetter.gif

I'm so sorry you've had to go thru all this mess. I'm glad you got the extension for now which gives you some time to work this out. I would suggest keeping a log of every phone call, conversation, who you talked to, left mssgs w/etc - which you are probably already doing - it will come in handy.

It sounds to me like what I have been thru. They just didn't want to give me the money. They tested me to see how far I was willing to go.

I hope other than that all is well with you in my other favorite state.

With lots of love and best wishes

Julie