Emergency room doctors have one of the most stressful careers in the world. The unpredictability of each shift and hazardous working conditions can cause serious physical or mental illness. If you cannot work because of a chronic illness or are disabled due to a long-term injury, you may receive benefits from a long-term disability (LTD) insurance policy. The long-term disability insurance attorneys for ER doctors at Capitan Law can help Pennsylvania and New Jersey doctors with LTD claims.
Our legal team deals exclusively with disability claims. We have in-depth knowledge of the applicable state and federal laws regarding your insurance coverage, so we can help you understand your rights. Our attorneys are also familiar with the verbiage used in long-term disability insurance policies, so we can determine whether your claim was legitimately denied.
We understand that navigating the LTD claims process can be confusing. We’re here to provide thoughtful legal advice based on your situation and can advocate for you in a claims appeal hearing or in court.
Common Disabling Health Conditions ER Doctors Suffer
ER doctors have a high potential for injury due to working in a fast-paced environment with multiple dangers. Falling down, being hurt by a patient (workplace violence), or contracting an infectious disease are common hazards. Night shifts or shift work carries a higher risk for mental illness or substance abuse.
In addition to hazards specific to the job, ER doctors are as likely as anyone else to acquire a variety of other disabling conditions that would require them to remain off work, including:
- Cancer
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Quadriplegia
- COPD
- ALS
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Parkinson’s Disease
Many doctors may need extensive medical care for their illnesses or injuries. Long-term disability insurance can help ensure that injured doctors have money to support themselves if they’re out of work.
Long-Term Disability Benefits for ER Doctors
LTD insurance provides benefits like short-term disability insurance does in that it kicks in if you can’t work due to illness or injury. However, LTD coverage usually only starts once the client is unable to work for more than 90 to 180 days. Each LTD policy is different, though, so when it becomes effective depends on the insurance carrier.
Long-term disability insurance provides wage benefits when the policyholder is incapacitated and cannot work for an extended period. Although each policy differs on the exact payment amount it will provide, most policies offer a weekly benefit of 50-60% of your average weekly earnings. This way, you can still take care of your expenses while you’re out of work recovering.
LTD insurance may be a benefit your employer offers as part of your compensation package. However, it’s not required for an employer to offer this type of insurance. If yours does not, you can purchase your own policy independently. Different insurance carriers have different terms for LTD policies. You may benefit from working with a professional to find one that best suits your needs.
The Differences Between Workers’ Compensation Insurance and LTD Insurance
New Jersey and Pennsylvania both require almost all employers to offer workers’ compensation insurance. The exact benefits for injured workers vary by state and can change periodically. Workers’ compensation covers necessary medical care for workplace injuries or occupational illnesses. It also provides a wage benefit (a fraction of the worker’s average weekly pay) for an ER doctor who is someone’s employee when they’re injured on the job.
If you’re hurt at work or contract a disease because of your working conditions, you can file for workers comp. Workers’ compensation is available to all employees at your facility – you don’t have to enroll in it or pay premiums. As long as you are an employee and not an independent contractor, and as long as your illness or injury qualifies for coverage, you should receive the benefits according to your state’s laws. However, you must file a claim with your employer to get your medical care and wage benefit from workers’ comp.
Workers’ comp wage replacement benefit varies according to each state’s laws. New Jersey’s rate can be as much as 70% of the worker’s average weekly wage. Pennsylvania’s wage benefit is structured into three tiers based on the worker’s pre-injury wage.
Unlike workers’ comp, you don’t have to be injured at work to claim LTD benefits. For example, if you contract a chronic disease, you can claim LTD benefits. You must file a claim with your long-term disability insurance carrier to access your LTD benefits.
LTD insurance isn’t medical coverage. Instead, these policies pay an agreed-upon amount of income replacement. That way, the insured can pay their bills while they cannot work. An LTD policy’s benefits term may be as little as two years but could also pay until the policyholder reaches retirement age. The exact amount you’ll receive for a wage benefit and the duration of the benefit varies from policy to policy.
How Long-Term Disability Insurance Attorneys for ER Doctors Can Help
An attorney can help you avoid common problems that many people encounter with long-term disability benefits for ER doctors, such as:
- How does your policy define disability? If you have chronic disabling pain or a mental illness, you might need expert help to prove your claim.
- Do you have a preexisting condition? An attorney can help you contest a denial on this basis.
- What are the limitations and exclusions of your policy? Are you being unfairly denied?
- Are you disabled as your policy defines it? Perhaps your attorney can help provide proof of your qualifying disability.
Contact Capitan Law Today for a Free LTD Benefits Consultation
Have you had problems collecting your long-term disability insurance benefits? Was your claim for benefits denied, even though you believe you qualify? Our skilled LTD benefits lawyers can help. We have offices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Contact us at (267) 419-7888 today for a free consultation.
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