Virginia Disability Coverage is a Little Less Comfortable

It is hard to imagine that in the past, companies maintained a hands-off approach to workers on disability.  All the employees needed to do was provide a doctor’s note and they could stay home until they felt well enough to go back to work, while collecting a percentage of their income and receiving health insurance benefits.  Well, those days are gone.  Now employers and insurance companies basically put disabled workers under a microscope.

According to the article, “Too Sick to Work? They Disagree,” which appeared in the March 2010 issue of SmartMoney, “disability coverage is getting noticeably less comfortable.”  In the past, it was standard for a disability plan offered at the workplace to pay workers 70 percent of their income while they recovered.  As the economy continues to slump, workers are often getting less than 40 percent.  For many people, this amount is hardly enough to live off of, so some employees have opted to purchase supplemental coverage.  However, this coverage can be expensive.

The lowered coverage isn’t the only issue that disabled workers face.  Insurers are being pickier on the claims they will pay.  Insurance companies have been known to deny disability claims after sending medical records to third-party firms that don’t take the time to examine the patient, let alone speak to him or her. 

If you find yourself in a battle over your Virginia disability benefits, you need to get a copy of my book, Robbery Without a Gun: Why Your Employer's Long-Term Disability Plan May be a Scam. The insurance company and your employer will not want you to read this book.