How do I appeal my short term disability denial?

Short term disability is available to most people through a private insurer only, since the Social Security Administration does not offer any type of benefits for short term disabilities. Therefore, if you are denied for short term disability benefits and you believe you're entitled to receive them, you will have to appeal the denial to the insurance company that is providing you with coverage. To do so, you need to follow a few important steps.

• Review the paperwork from your insurer. The denial letter should contain a reason for the denial. Typically people are denied because they did not prove their condition to the satisfaction of the administration. This can mean that you need a more thorough medical examination; it could also mean that you need to provide further documentation. 

• Gather the missing information. This might mean making a re-evaluation appointment with your doctor, or with a doctor the insurance company requests that you see. It may also mean that you need to locate more thorough documents and provide them to the insurer. If you're unsure how to proceed or confused about what the insurer is missing, you may call them or review your policy for clarification. 

• Talk to a lawyer. In situations where your denial was more complex than simply "not enough information" - for example, if the insurance company doesn't believe you are really unable to work- you're going to need legal help. In fact, even if your case does seem relatively simple, it can't hurt to talk to a lawyer to ensure your paperwork is in order.