Workers who have disability benefits provided by employers often take for granted that they have protection. If they get diagnosed with cancer or incur a major injury in a car crash, they assume that their long-term disability or short-term disability insurance provided by their employer can help them. After all, those benefits specifically exist for the protection of those who cannot work due to medical challenges. Contrary to what people often expect, the claims process for private disability insurance is often very complex and lengthy. Insurance providers often look for any excuse to deny a ..read more

Workers dealing with significant medical issues often worry about their long-term financial challenges. It is only natural for someone facing a significant, potentially permanent reduction in their earning potential to prioritize long-term benefits. Many employers provide employee benefits packages that include short-term and long-term disability benefits. The focus when a worker discovers they have significant medical challenges is often on long-term disability benefits. However, short-term disability benefits can be equally important for someone who is facing a long-term leave of absence fro ..read more

Most people (understandably) aren’t familiar with the terms of their long-term or short-term disability coverage in detail. Employers that offer disability benefits as part of a compensation package typically provide policy documents to employees. However, the typical professional struggles to make sense of the dense language included in those papers. People often don't invest much at energy into learning about disability benefits because they assume that they, like most other people, may never require those benefits. Only a small portion of those with disability benefits ever need their cover ..read more

Most people don’t think about their disability benefits until they need some kind of financial support. It is often only after a diagnosis of a major malady or an unexpected injury that people need to explore the details of their long-term disability insurance coverage. Employers offer workers in a variety of professions benefits that may include disability insurance. Long-term disability insurance helps replace wages people cannot earn due to disabling medical conditions. Such benefits play a crucial role in someone's financial stability, and they are subject to certain federal regulations. T ..read more

Determining whether you need private disability insurance involves assessing your current financial situation, your employment circumstances and the adequacy of any existing coverage you may have.  Disability insurance is designed to replace a portion of your income if you become unable to work due to illness or injury. It's an important safety net that can help you meet your financial obligations if you develop significant health challenges.  Assess your current financial responsibilities Start by evaluating your financial obligations. Consider your monthly expenses, including mortg ..read more

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) was a groundbreaking piece of legislation when federal lawmakers first enacted it. It helped protect workers who depended on resources provided by their employers for times of financial vulnerability, such as their retirement years. There have been changes to the law over the years, as well as rulings by the courts, that have helped expand on the protections that ERISA offers employees who depend on benefits provided by an employer for certain key needs, including long-term disability coverage. Contrary to what the name implies, ERISA ..read more

Navigating the complexities of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) can be challenging. This federal law, enacted to protect employee rights concerning health and pension plans in private industry often raises questions about the deductibility of attorney fees and expenses from ERISA claims. The matter of attorney fees in ERISA claims hinges on specific legal provisions and court interpretations. Generally, ERISA itself doesn’t explicitly provide for the recovery of attorney fees by plan participants or beneficiaries. Over the years, courts have developed legal precedents that a ..read more

Long-term disability benefits are often the only thing standing between an individual with major medical challenges and financial devastation. The average person doesn't have much in savings, and most families accustomed to multiple income streams struggle to adjust when one adult can't work. Long-term disability insurance coverage can better replace someone's wages than state benefits that offer very limited monthly payments. Private long-term disability insurance can potentially help even high earners maintain their standard of living when health challenges leave them unable to return to wor ..read more

Many people cannot afford private short-term disability insurance on their own. Such policies are often very expensive. They may rely on coverage provided as part of a comprehensive benefit package from an employer instead. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) applies to not just pensions and retirement funds but also insurance coverage provided as an employment benefit. It is often more cost-effective for companies to purchase multiple short-term disability policies for employees than it would be for workers to buy the same coverage on their own. Private short-term disa ..read more

If you work in a noisy environment, it's essential to be aware of the risks associated with long-term exposure to high decibel levels. Prolonged exposure can lead to work-related hearing loss. It's not just construction workers or factory employees who are at risk. Many professions expose workers to damaging noise levels. Work-related hearing loss usually doesn't happen overnight. Instead, it's a gradual process. Loud machinery, constant background noise or even short bursts of deafening sounds can contribute to hearing impairment over time. The damage typically starts with difficulty hearing ..read more