CIGNA approved our appeal for a client in Manassas, Virginia with Ehlers Danlos syndrome. CIGNA paid our client, a former Property Manager, long-term disability benefits for two years. CIGNA agreed she was disabled from her own occupation as a property manager. This occupation had a light physical demand where she had to travel to properties, among other duties, as part of her job. When the disability insurance policy’s definition of disability changed, CIGNA stopped paying benefits.
Most group disability insurance policies will pay benefits for about 24 months if you can show you are disabled from your own occupation. After 24 months of payments, you must prove you are unable to work in any occupation. The new definition of disability often requires you to be unable to do sedentary work.
Read more below about how this law firm helps people who were denied long term disability benefits. Because the firm was built to be a disability insurance law firm, we have significant experience with every major disability insurance carrier, including CIGNA.
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a very rare genetic disorder. EDS is progressive and incurable. This means our client’s condition will only continue to get worse. There are many symptoms of EDS. The most common ones are joint and skin related. People diagnosed with EDS have joint hypermobility as well as loose and unstable joints that are prone to dislocation. They also overly flexible joints that move beyond a normal range and are at risk for early onset of osteoarthritis. While there is a test that will show a genetic marker for patients with EDS, however, not every person diagnosed with the condition will test positive for the gene.
In addition to EDS, our client also suffered from degenerative disc disease in her cervical and lumbar spines. She also had chronic tendonitis in her hips, shoulder, hands, ankles, and feet. Due to all of her symptoms, she had daily chronic pain.
CIGNA’s Appeal Reviews
CIGNA’s group long-term disability policy has one mandatory appeal and one voluntary appeal. In other words, you do not have to appeal a decision twice. That being said, sometimes it is helpful to do so. During any appeal, CIGNA will hire a doctor to review medical records and write an opinion on whether the person is disabled. Unless you have medical records that were not provided before and will likely reverse the insurance company’s decision, a second appeal just gives them a second chance to deny your benefits. In fact, a second appeal allows CIGNA to get more doctors on their side saying you are not disabled.
Contact Us Today
Our long-term disability lawyers have experience dealing with CIGNA disability denials. We know their tactics for reviewing appeals. We have successfully handled hundreds of disability claims, appeals, and lawsuits against CIGNA on behalf of disabled clients.
Contact the Dabdoub Law Firm today to speak with an experienced disability lawyer.
