Latest from Bryant Legal Group Blog

Long-term disability (LTD) benefits can be a lifesaver for people who are unable to earn an income due to sickness or injury. If you are not able to work for months or even years at a time, it is a relief to know that you will still be getting a monthly check to help pay for your necessary expenses.
Most LTD plans will pay monthly disability benefits for as long as you remain disabled or otherwise meet the policy’s requirements. However, you may have an alternative option: a long-term disability settlement or buyout. If you go this route, instead of
Continue Reading How Much Is My Long-Term Disability Settlement Worth?

With nearly $1 billion in in-force premiums, Prudential Financial (via its subsidiary, Prudential Insurance Company of America) is one of the 10 largest providers of long-term disability insurance plans in the United States.
They also, like many large insurers, have a long history of unfairly denying legitimate claims. Courts have had to hold them accountable many times, including a $40 million settlement in 2014 after Prudential denied full death benefits to fallen soldiers’ families. They were also forced to revise their life insurance practices in 2023 after the U.S. Department of Labor found that they had denied hundreds of claims
Continue Reading How to Appeal a Prudential Long-Term Disability Denial

You’ve filed your application for long-term disability (LTD) benefits, carefully providing all the necessary information and submitting all your relevant medical records. When you get the insurance company’s response, you’re shocked to see a denial of benefits. The insurance company found that your disabling conditions were pre-existing (and therefore, not covered by your policy).
At Bryant Legal Group, we’re used to insurance companies broadly interpreting our clients’ medical records and incorrectly applying pre-existing condition exclusions.
Whether you’re purchasing a new disability insurance policy, thinking about filing a claim, or are dealing with an unfair claim denial, here are six
Continue Reading Long-Term Disability Insurance and Pre-Existing Conditions: 6 Things You Need to Know

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.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block} New York Life Insurance Company is one of the largest long-term disability insurance providers in the country, with roughly $1.5 billion in in-force premiums. That includes premiums from 9 million or so customers they added to their list in 2021 after purchasing Cigna’s group life and disability business.If you’ve recently had a long-term disability claim denied by New York Life (or its underwriter Life Insurance Company of America, formerly part of Cigna), hope is not lost—but you will need to act quickly. Almost all group
Continue Reading How to Appeal a New York Life Long-Term Disability Denial

If you are a high earner and plan to continue working at least a few more years, what is your most valuable asset? Almost certainly, it’s your future earning potential.
If you lost your ability to do your current job, would you be able to pay your expenses? Support your loved ones? Maintain the standard of living you’ve come to expect? Pass on an inheritance to your children?
Purchasing good long-term disability (LTD) insurance coverage is one of the smartest decisions high wage-earning individuals can make. For a relatively small monthly premium, you can guarantee a substantial portion of your
Continue Reading How to Choose Individual Disability Insurance: A Guide for High-Net-Worth Individuals

There’s a huge relief that comes when your initial claim for long-term disability insurance benefits is approved and consistent monthly checks start coming in. No more financial insecurity. No more worrying about being able to afford the life you worked hard to build. Right?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always play out that way. Long-term disability benefits are expensive. And while your insurance contract may promise that benefits are payable for a certain period—maybe even until retirement age—there are plenty of terms, conditions, exclusions, and exceptions in the fine print. The insurance company has a strong financial incentive to determine you’re no
Continue Reading What To Do if Your Long-Term Disability Benefits Are Terminated

According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2023 Planning & Progress Study, an estimated 37% of American adults work with a financial advisor. The rates certainly are even higher among entrepreneurs, educated professionals, and high wage earners.
Financial advisors play a critical role in helping their clients invest, manage risks, and protect their financial future. And that very much includes preparing for the possibility of a long-term disability. If you’re a financial advisor, you likely already have several clients in this exact situation.
Long-term disability insurance is a crucial part of making sure your clients successfully manage this risk and protect the lives
Continue Reading What Financial Advisors Need to Know About Long-Term Disability Insurance

If you’re a physician, lawyer, dentist, or other high-income professional working in a complex field, you shouldn’t go without robust long-term disability insurance coverage. You’ve dedicated countless hours to mastering your craft and worked hard to build a certain standard of life for yourself and your family. Without a comprehensive disability insurance policy, however, a single unexpected illness or accident could mean losing it all.

But not all disability insurance policies are created equal—and the worst time to find out that your insurance policy isn’t good enough is when you’re filing for disability benefits. You may think your “own occupation”
Continue Reading Doctors, Lawyers, Professionals: Do You Need Specialty-Specific Disability Insurance?

With more than $23 million in in-force premiums, Guardian Life Insurance Company (often through its subsidiary Berkshire Life Insurance Company) is one of the largest providers of group disability insurance policies in the United States. Physicians and highly educated professionals are especially likely to have disability benefits through Guardian, as it is one of the relatively few disability insurance companies to provide “true” own-occupation policies.

While Guardian does offer many long-term disability insurance policies with robust coverage, that does not mean they will handle every disability claim accurately or fairly. Like all disability insurance companies, they make their money by
Continue Reading How to Appeal a Guardian Long-Term Disability Denial

Over the past several decades, advances in health care, hygiene, nutrition, and other factors have helped increase life expectancy. But with longer lifespans also comes a greater need for assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and other long-term care options for seniors.
Roughly half of all adults will need long-term care at some point in their lives. That includes roughly 2 out of 3 seniors who are currently 65 or older, according to the Administration for Community Living.
One way to help prepare for this possibility is by purchasing long-term care insurance, usually as a component of a broader life
Continue Reading What Does Long-Term Care Insurance Cover?

Whether you’ve just filed a long-term disability claim, or you’ve been on claim for years, chances are sooner or later you’re going to have to talk to an insurance claims adjuster, who will be responsible for approving or denying your claim.
Insurance adjusters (often also referred to as claims handlers or claims analysts) are a necessary part of the disability claims process. They help the insurance company evaluate claims and identify potential cases of fraud. But they don’t always make the right decisions, and they’re not necessarily looking out for your best interest. Insurance adjusters can and do deny or
Continue Reading How to Talk to Insurance Claims Adjusters About Your Long-Term Disability Case

In our fast-paced world, the pursuit of success can come at a cost—the silent struggles of mental health. For countless professionals, the demands of work, the pressures of daily life, and the weight of expectations take a toll on mental well-being. Sometimes, that toll is acute enough that it may be impossible to perform your job duties for days or weeks at a time. Perhaps longer.

Short-term disability insurance is supposed to be there for you when a medical condition interferes with your ability to do your job. But can short-term disability be denied for mental health issues? The answer
Continue Reading Can Short-Term Disability Be Denied for Mental Health?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is more than just snoring or restless nights. This sleep disorder affects millions of Americans and causes potentially severe health issues, including cognitive impairments that can disrupt your daily life. For professionals, the cognitive impacts from this “invisible” disability can be especially concerning, as they can hinder your ability to excel in your career and personal endeavors.
In this blog post, we will look at the world of obstructive sleep apnea, exploring its effects on cognitive function, detailing common symptoms, and providing insights into the disability benefits available for those dealing with this condition. We will
Continue Reading Can You Get Long-Term Disability for Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

A doctor’s daily responsibilities are physically, mentally, and cognitively demanding. The nature of their work involves being on their feet most of the day, dexterous use of their hands for equipment and procedures, constant communications with patients and colleagues, and even potential exposure to hazardous conditions in their work environments like chemicals, biologics, radiation, and extreme temperatures.
Many of these factors can affect your health over time. When you select a disability policy, you are investing in security for your financial future.
So yes, doctors absolutely need long-term disability insurance also marketed as income protection insurance policies. But it’s also
Continue Reading Do Doctors Need Disability Insurance?

Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are often considered “invisible disabilities,” but they can have profound effects on your life. It can be impossible to work when you need unscheduled restroom breaks and live with chronic pain—not to mention the stress of living with other effects of the disease, like malnutrition and other serious symptoms.
If you have Crohn’s disease and are considering filing for long-term disability insurance benefits, the attorneys at Bryant Legal Group are here to help. We guide professionals throughout Chicago, Illinois, and the rest of the country through their complex disability insurance claims.
In
Continue Reading Is Crohn’s Disease a Disability?

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a relatively common condition that can cause debilitating fatigue. It can last for months or even years. CFS not only prevents many sufferers from maintaining full-time employment, but also significantly impacts the quality of their day-to-day lives.
If you currently have a CFS diagnosis and you cannot work, you may be eligible to receive disability benefits under a long-term disability policy from a private insurance company. However, for many reasons, these claims tend to be extremely tough to approve. In this blog post, we’ll explain the challenges that many claimants face when attempting to receive
Continue Reading Can I Get Long-Term Disability Benefits for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?