Facing A Cigna Disability Claim Denial?
Dealing With A Denial From Cigna For Your Disability Claim? You Are NOT Alone. A Cigna Disability Claim Denial Can Be Heartbreaking And Challenging, But You Can Trust J. Price McNamara ERISA Insurance Claim Attorney To Fight For You. Long-term disability insurance providers, such as Cigna, are known for using every tool available to them to minimize their payouts to victims and maximize their profits. If you have filed a disability claim with Cigna, you have likely already discovered this tactic for yourself. If you have received a Cigna disability claim denial and are worried about how you will cover medical bills and continue to pay for everyday expenses while being out of work, an
experienced Cigna disability denial attorney can help. A claim denial is not the end of the road! You have options — Attorney
J. Price McNamara is here to help you fight for the benefits you deserve.
Cigna Disability Insurance
Cigna is a global health service company that began as the Insurance Company of North America (INA) all the way back in 1972. They issued their first life insurance policy in 1794 and since then have become a leader in health insurance, life insurance, and disability insurance. Today, they operate in 30 countries and jurisdictions and employ over 70,000 people. It is important to note that Cigna
recently sold its group life, accident, and disability insurance business to New York Life at the beginning of 2021. New York Life will now hold any Cigna disability insurance policies under
New York Life Group Benefit Solutions. As such, Cigna disability insurance claim denials have become even more complicated to appeal since it’s difficult to determine who to even appeal to. Despite being one of the
top insurers in the country, Cigna has an unfortunate history of denying
disability claims without proper reason. This practice of theirs has led to many lawsuits over the years, including a
multi-state settlement in 2013 where Cigna was required to set aside $75 million to address improperly denied claims.
How Cigna Works To Deny Disability Claims
Cigna works hard to deny every claim they possibly can. All insurance companies do — it’s how they make their money. These companies will commonly demand absurd amounts of paperwork and other documentation to make the process so frustrating that the claimant will simply give up. Cigna has teams of people they employ for the sole purpose of reviewing claims and picking them apart piece by piece in order to find any reason, no matter how small, that can be used as a reason for denial. Even something as simple as a typo or your healthcare provider missing a single page of a document they submit can cause Cigna to deny your claim immediately.
Common Tactics Used By Cigna
Beyond the usual tactics used throughout the industry, Cigna has been known to take things one step further with its claim denials. They have countless medical professionals at their disposal that they can count on to provide a “professional medical opinion” as to why a claim should be denied, even if this person has never seen or even spoken with the claimant. Another tactic Cigna has been known to use in the past is to issue a disability insurance denial first, then they make it incredibly difficult for the claimant to get an answer as to the reason for the denial. Again, this is done in an attempt to frustrate the insured individual to the point that they just give up instead of fully pursuing the benefits they rightly deserve.
Lawsuits Cigna Has Faced Regarding Disability Claim Denials
Cigna is no stranger to lawsuits, especially when it comes to disability claim denials. In addition to the multi-state settlement in 2013, they have faced numerous additional lawsuits over the years. Here are some of the reasons people have filed lawsuits against Cigna:
- Misrepresentation of policy terms
- Denying a claim without a full and fair review (as required under ERISA)
- Denying a claim for long-term disability based on an incorrect interpretation of a doctor’s orders
- Terminating a claim due to a change in policy details after they were disabled
What To Do If You Receive A Cigna Disability Claim Denial
If you receive a Cigna disability claim denial, your first instinct might likely be to lose hope that you will ever get the benefits you rightly deserve. Do not do this!
A claim denial is NOT the end of the road. Under ERISA, you have the right to
file an appeal, and a disability insurance denial lawyer will be able to help with this. The very first thing you should do after a Cigna disability claim denial is to request your insurance company file immediately. This can sometimes be challenging (particularly with a company like Cigna), so starting this right away is crucial. It’s also important to
keep getting medical treatment! Do not stop working towards getting better just because your claim was denied. Your health is the most important thing, and the documentation from your medical treatments will be incredibly helpful when it comes time to submit your appeal.
Documentation Is EVERYTHING
If your claim has been denied, you need to start collecting every single piece of documentation you think might be helpful. As your attorney, we will help you sort through all of this, but the more you can provide off the bat, the quicker we will be able to help you appeal your claim (or even file a lawsuit should that become necessary). Some of the documents that we recommend you start gathering include:
- Your insurance company file
- Information about the accident or illness that caused your disability
- Medical records from every single provider you have worked with
- Any and all correspondence you have had with Cigna
How Can An ERISA Lawyer Help With My Cigna Disability Claim Denial?
Cigna’s appeal process is challenging — to say the least. Fighting your way through this process is not something you should have to undergo alone.
An ERISA lawyer can help. Cigna will undoubtedly attempt to make the claims submission and appeals process as complex as possible to avoid paying out benefits. They are assuming that an individual will overlook one of the countless steps included in these processes. Even when a person does take the right steps and submits the included administrative and medical forms, Cigna will usually still find a way to deny them the benefits they deserve. Fighting back against Cigna can be difficult without the proper legal knowledge, especially because the claims process is intentionally difficult to follow. But with help from an ERISA attorney, workers can obtain the benefits they deserve.
Steps We Will Take To Appeal Your Cigna Disability Claim Denial
- Review your initial claim and look for any mistakes or missing information
- Review Cigna’s denial reasoning and their supporting documents
- Make sure Cigna followed all rules and regulations when making their decision
- Make sure the information Cigna reviewed was interpreted correctly and applied to your particular situation
- Help obtain additional medical records to fill in any gaps or bolster your claim
- Compile all necessary documentation and file your appeal before the deadline
Finding The Best ERISA Lawyer For You
When it comes time to fight back against Cigna or any other insurance company, having the right legal assistance can make or break your case. J. Price McNamara is a former insurance company attorney who knows all of the tactics Cigna might employ to try to keep from paying you your benefits. Now working on the other side, all of this legal knowledge is put to use to help YOU. With a limited caseload philosophy and
proven success against many top insurance companies, you can rest assured knowing your Cigna disability claim denial case is in good hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would a disability claim be denied?
Cigna will deny a disability claim any time they can find a reason to, no matter how small that reason may be. Some of the common reasons Cigna denies disability claims include:
- Insufficient medical evidence
- Incomplete claim forms
- Failure to seek adequate medical assistance
- Surveillance that disputes the claim of disability
- Disagreement by Cigna’s medical consultant or doctor
How do you survive while waiting for disability approval?
Making ends meet while waiting for your long-term disability insurance benefits to be approved is a stressful prospect for many. If you are physically able to, finding part-time employment might be a good solution. You can also try applying to certain assistance programs such as Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Are all disability claims denied?
While it may sometimes feel that a disability claim denial is an inevitability, Cigna does in fact approve some claims without the need for an appeal. The unfortunate reality, however, is that this is not very common. It may offer you some sense of assurance to know that you are not alone — many disability claims are denied, and with the right legal assistance, an appeal or a lawsuit is often a great way to make sure you get the benefits you deserve.
Top-Rated Cigna Disability Claim Denial Lawyer
Mr. McNamara holds the highest possible peer review rating of AV Preeminent for professional excellence and ethical standards. We are here to help YOU, and we will answer any questions you have for FREE. We welcome telephone calls or the opportunity to visit you in person (or remotely via video call) to answer any questions you may have about your case without charge and without any obligation on your part whatsoever to hire us as your attorney. If you ultimately decide to hire us to represent you in your Cigna disability claim denial case, we will handle it on a contingent fee basis. Our fee is earned, and our advanced litigation costs are recovered only when we recover for you by settlement or trial judgment. Our clients owe us nothing, no fee, and no reimbursement of our advanced litigation costs, no matter how large, unless we recover. J. Price McNamara is determined to get you the disability benefits you and your family deserve —
Reach out today for a Free Denial Review.
