Omaha Mutual Short Term Disability

Frankel & Newfields Experience With Claimants Who Try To Represent Themselves

Mutual of Omaha Denies Long Term Disability Insurance Claims – Reasons Why

When you work with Frankel & Newfield, you work with a partner. We think our clients cases are too important to work with a series of associates or attorneys with less than ten years of experience with disability insurance companies and the complex laws concerning their short or long-term disability policies.

Throughout our years of experience, we have worked with people from all walks of life, including many successful professionals, people who devoted their careers to selling insurance policies and even attorneys who work in complex areas of the law.

We know from experience that no one is prepared for the brick wall that comes crashing down, when their disability insurance policy is at the mercy of claims personnel. It doesnt matter how smart they are, how many people they have had under their supervision or even how many years they practiced law.

Mutual Of Omaha Representatives Seem To Respond To Complaints On Some Consumer

Website reviews of disability insurance company are tricky to navigate. How can one company have so many poor reviews? We found one website where every single person who posted a negative review received a response that asked for contact information so that someone could be in touch with them, but we suspect the company may have an auto response in place.

Whenever so many people are facing a problem with a disability insurance company, its easy to tell whats going wrong with their claims. They are being strung along, then denied.

Youre in Good Hands Weve Done This Before

What Should You Do If Your Disability Claim Was Denied

If Mutual of Omaha has denied either your short-term or long-term disability claim, call an experienced disability insurance attorney. This is extra important if your claim is under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act . If your employer purchased a disability insurance policy from Mutual of Omaha, then your claim is most likely an ERISA claim.

Under ERISA, Mutual of Omaha must follow certain rules. However, ERISA is very difficult to navigate. Mutual of Omaha will want you to believe that you MUST appeal its decision without an attorney. This is not true. You should consult with an attorney who has experience with ERISA before appealing any short-term or long-term disability denial by Mutual of Omaha.

Usually the appeal process for a Mutual of Omahas denial of your ERISA disability claim starts like this:

You have 180 days to appeal from the date you received Mutual of Omahas denial letter to file your appeal. This is an administrative appeal. This means that someone at Mutual of Omaha will review your appeal and make a decision
Mutual of Omaha will have 45 days to answer your appeal
Mutual of Omaha is allowed one 45-day extension.

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Will I Need Disability Insurance

No one wants to think about becoming disabled. But the risk is real. What are the odds?

An illness or accident will keep 1 in 5 workers out of work for at least a year before the age of 651
Your chance of missing at least 90 days of work due to a disability is just under 1 in 32
The risk of disability is greater than the risk of premature death3

What would you do?

If a disabling sickness or injury happened to you today, how would you pay your bills? Would your savings cover your expenses for 60 to 90 days? Thats assuming the disability is short-term. What if it wasnt?

Research conducted by the Americas Health Insurance Plan indicates that most Americans cannot afford to miss more than two months of work without having to borrow money. However, it wouldnt be feasible to get approved for a loan without an income.

Think about how stressful it would be to cope with a disability. Having disability insurance would help relieve the added stress of losing your income.

Risk of Disability Compared to Premature Death

Disability lasting 90 days or longer Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners , Commissioners Individual Disability Table A , Statistical Abstract of the United States, most current available.

Federal Cases Against Mutual Of Omaha Reveal A Pattern Of Wrongful Denials

We have reported on several federal cases involving Mutual of Omaha in our blog. In one, the court rejected an attempt by United of Omaha to exclude a claim on the basis of pre-existing coverage. The court noted that the policy language does not allow for a denial for pre-existing conditions.

In March 2012, we reported on a federal court case where the court ruled against Mutual of Omaha when it denied a long term disability insurance claim based on a nurse review and an in-house doctor to deny a claimant, who suffered from a number of co-morbid medical conditions. The court blasted Mutual of Omaha for its poor analysis of medical evidence and failure to consider that the side effects of medications had an impact on the claimants ability to work.

If your disability claim has been denied by Mutual of Omaha, we encourage you to schedule a free consultation with us to go over the details of your case. We are familiar with the tactics used by Mutual of Omaha to deny claims and will use our experience on your behalf. In addition to our own cases, we pay close attention to recent cases against Mutual of Omaha in order to create successful strategies. One recent example can be seen in Smith v. United of Omaha, in which the insurance company attempted to apply a pre-existing limitation clause to prevent payment of her long-term disability benefits.

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Mutual Of Omaha Disability Claim Denials

Underwritten by United of Omaha Life Insurance Company , Mutual of Omahas Disability Income Choice Portfolio offers long-term disability coverage. A long-term disability insurance policy with Mutual of Omaha should pay you a monthly benefit if you are unable to work due to a disabling accident injury or illness.

Mutual of Omaha disability claim denials are not uncommon. Like most insurance companies, Mutual of Omaha does not always approve long-term disability claims when it should. Mutual of Omaha denies a significant number of long-term disability claims.

As a disability insurance attorney, Nick A. Ortiz has helped many clients after Mutual of Omaha denied their claims. If you tried to claim Mutual of Omaha disability insurance benefits and were denied, we can help. Call us at or keep reading for more information.

What Is Mutual Of Omaha Insurance

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Mutual of Omaha is a Fortune 500 company that offers a broad suite of insurance products. The company sells life insurance, Medicare supplement insurance, retirement and annuity plans, dental and health insurance, disability insurance and other products. Mutual of Omaha employs nearly 5,000 people and had an annual revenue of $7.9 billion in 2016.

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What Isnt Generally Covered By Mutual Of Omaha Disability Insurance

Understanding what Mutual of Omaha categorically excludes is important. Your awareness of the exclusions and limitations can help you pick plans that work for you and avoid companies that will not cover you when you need them most. Mutual of Omaha provides the following general exclusions and limitations for various versions of their plans and policies:

Mutual of Omaha will not pay benefits for:

Loss that begins while this policy is not in force
Loss resulting from an act of declared or undeclared war
Loss sustained while serving in the armed forces
Loss caused by intentionally self-inflicting injury
Loss resulting from commission or attempted commission of a felony
Loss caused by suicide or attempted suicide, while sane or insane
Loss resulting from you being legally intoxicated or under the influence of an illegal substance or a narcotic
Loss for which benefits are provided under any state or federal workers compensation, employers liability, or occupational disease law
Loss resulting from substance abuse or loss resulting from mental or nervous disorders.

Exclusions and Limitations-Short-Term Disability Income Insurance

Exclusions and limitations are generally identical to the long-term exclusions and limitations above.

Exclusions and Limitations-Accident Only Disability Income Insurance

Mutual of Omaha will generally not pay benefits for:

No Cost Optional Benefits

Mutual of Omaha Reverses Long Term Disability Benefit Denial

Unless an applicant chooses a paid rider called âreturn of premium,â they can add either or both of these options:

Automatic Increase Benefit: The monthly benefit is automatically increased by 4% on each policy anniversary date.
Future Insurability Option: The insured can increase their monthly benefit every three years after coverage was purchased.

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Background On Mutual Of Omaha

Different Laws May Apply To Your Disability Claim Depending On Whether It Is Employer

Many disability claimants dont realize that different laws apply to different types of disability insurance claims. The laws that apply will frame your entire claim process, including when you can file a lawsuit and how much you can get in damages.

If your Mutual of Omaha policy is an employee benefit, a federal law called ERISA will likely apply to your claim. Under ERISA, you must follow a strict two-step appeal process.

If Mutual of Omaha denies your application for long-term or short-term disability benefits, you must first exhaust your administrative remedies by completing an insurance company level appeal. During this time, you can submit additional evidence that supports your claim.

You cannot file an ERISA lawsuit until the insurance company completes its administrative process and issues a final decision. At that time, you can file a complaint in the federal courts. However, there are limitations:

You cannot give the judge any more evidence
Jury trials are not an option
You cannot demand compensation for a bad-faith denial by Mutual of Omaha

If youre not sure whether ERISA applies to your disability insurance claim, you should speak with an experienced disability attorney immediately.

More importantly, in a state law claim, you can:

Ask for a jury trial
Submit new and material evidence during your lawsuit
File bad-faith insurance claims against Mutual of Omaha

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Total Disability Or Long

The First 24 Months

If an injury or illness prevents you from performing the duties of your regular job, and you arent gainfully employed in another occupation, Mutual of Omaha will pay you a monthly benefit once the elimination period for your claim has been met.

After The First 24 Months

After the first 24 months following the elimination period, if you have not reached your maximum benefit period, Mutual of Omaha will continue to pay a monthly benefit as long as you are unable to perform the duties of any job for which you are reasonably qualified based on education, training, and experience.

How Osterhout Berger Disability Law Can Help

Bring your letter, your claim file and any correspondence with Mutual of Omaha into the office of Osterhout Berger Disability Law. Our experienced attorneys will review the information and offer you a legal opinion about the approach that you should take. They may ask you to help them with your claim by keeping all of your medical appointments, continuing to see your doctor, completing all follow-up appointments and recommendations, submitting to additional tests and exams and securing written statements about your condition from your former employer, friends and medical professionals. It is important that you listen to and follow the guidance provided to you by your disability lawyer because it is meant to strengthen your claim by adding as much favorable evidence to your file as possible. This may help you to win your appeal while it is still with Mutual of Omaha rather than later having to sue the company after exhausting your internal appeals. To learn more about your potential recovery rights, schedule a consultation with the professional disability lawyers at Osterhout Berger Disability Law today.

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Flexible Options And Features Available

Benefit amounts of 50 or 60 percent of pre-disability salary
Maximum weekly benefits from $200 to $1,500 with higher maximums available depending on group size
Elimination periods of 7, 14, 30 calendar days
Benefit durations of 9 to 52 weeks
Survivor benefit available
Own job definition of disability
Partial disability benefit
Waiver of premium while collecting benefits
Unique Preferred Choice Voluntary Disability product with enhanced benefits available
Vocational rehabilitation program a nationally-certified assistance program to help employees safely return to work
FMLA Administration full-service assistance with Family Medical Leave Act Administration
Travel Assistance provides assistance to covered employees traveling outside of the country or over 100 miles from home
Employee Assistance Program Basic, Enhanced Basic and Comprehensive options available

Mutual Of Omaha Short

Short-term disability plans provide income if you’re out of work due to illness or injury. Learn the basics of Mutual of Omaha short-term disability insurance.

An injury or illness can leave you unable to work, jeopardizing your income and your familys financial security. Short-term disability insurance can provide income protection that helps you cover routine expenses, so you can focus on recovering. As a leading provider of financial solutions, Mutual of Omaha offers short-term disability insurance with flexible coverage options, so you can safeguard your income if you become temporarily disabled due to sickness or injury. But, before purchasing a plan, its important to understand how this type of coverage works and what Mutual of Omaha short-term disability insurance can offer policyholders.

What You Need To Know About Mutual Of Omaha Claims

Mutual of Omaha has a financial interest in minimizing its losses, so it routinely denies and delays initial disability claims. For this reason, you must make sure that you fill out the claim form completely and accurately. If the insurance company happens to deny or delay the claim after accurately filling out the form, the next best step is to contact a disability lawyer to help you fight the delay or denial.

What Is Disability Insurance

Mutual of Omaha Disability

Disability insurance helps replace a major portion of your income when you are sick or injured and unable to work. Some people think of it as paycheck protection. Others view it as a way to protect their home since a mortgage payment is often a familys most significant monthly expense.

Having disability insurance can provide a sense of security, knowing that if the unexpected should happen, youll still receive a monthly income.

If you think about it, everything you have today – your home, car, groceries, savings – basically your lifestyle, depends on your ability to earn an income. Most people are quick to insure their possessions, such as their home and car. And they generally have life insurance that would provide for their family. But the one thing that makes all this possible is your income. Its your most important asset. So, protecting it with disability insurance isnt just a good decision its essential.

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Be On The Lookout For Delays And Other Unscrupulous Tactics

Insurance companies are for-profit businesses that care more about their shareholders than your welfare. Some insurers even offer their employees bonuses if they deny disability insurance claims. Many companies believe that if they make the application and appeal process difficult, a large number of people will become frustrated and give up.

To try and make you give up, insurance adjusters sometimes use delay tactics that slow your claim to a halt. The adjuster may do nothing for a long time, claiming they are waiting for medical records and other information. Other times, insurance company workers may ignore your phone calls and letters, keeping you in the dark about whats happening with your claim. Even worse, employees at some companies provide misleading information, hire private investigators to track your every move, and send you to biased medical examiners for so-called independent medical examinations.

If youre getting the runaround from Mutual of Omaha, its a good idea to consult an experienced disability insurance lawyer at Bryant Legal Group. Weve dealt with all of these strategies , and we can help you manage your claim and protect your rights.

Mutual Of Omaha Disability Insurance Review

5 mins

Known by multiple generations as the company that sponsored âWild Kingdom,â Mutual of Omaha has long been a company with a commitment to having a quality product line. In addition to a full complement of health and life insurance products, their disability insurance policies are quite robust. They are available in both short-term and long-term coverage.

This review will put their long-term disability insurance product in the spotlight because it has had a much higher adoption rate than their short-term product.

Appealing A Denial From Mutual Of Omaha

Mutual of Omaha has a financial interest in minimizing its losses, so it routinely denies initial disability claims. It will notify you of its denial decision in a letter. This notice will tell you why the company made its denial decision and give you information about how to appeal and the deadline for appealing. If you receive this letter, contact the company immediately and request a copy of your claim file. It will have the evidence that Mutual of Omaha used to deny your claim. Keep your communication with the company in writing, and keep copies of the correspondence that you send and receive. Dont fail to meet the appeals deadline or you will be prevented from ever recovering the disability benefits that you might otherwise recover for your disability.