Appealing a Denial of Disability Benefits from Broadspire

If you have disability insurance through your employer, you may need to use Broadspire to submit and manage your claim in the event you’re unable to work due to a disability. You may believe that if you ever suffer a disabling injury or condition that prevents you from returning to work for a short period or a long duration, you will be financially protected. Unfortunately, this claims management company frequently denies benefits claims from its insureds. The experienced disability attorneys at Osterhout Berger Disability Law represent claimants who have received denials in their appeals.

Background on Broadspire

Broadspire is not an insurance company and does not provide actual insurance to individuals and companies. This company is part of Crawford & Company, which is a global provider of claims management services in more than 70 countries around the world. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the company offers disability claims management services. The company reports it has 700 offices around the world and employs more than 9,000 people.

Broadspire works with your employer and small insurance companies to manage disability claims. Through its claims management service, it has the ability to approve or deny short and long-term disability claims on behalf of your employer and insurance company. Since your employer and the insurance company providing your disability insurance are Broadspire’s customers, the company tends to prioritize their interests over yours.

Understanding short and long-term disability insurance

Workers may purchase short- and long-term disability insurance coverage through their employers. Depending on the type of insurance that they choose and its duration, workers may receive benefits to replace a percentage of their incomes as long as they are unable to return to work during the duration of their policies. Short-term disability insurance may pay benefits to workers for shorter periods of time for a few weeks or months. Long-term disability benefits may pay workers on a monthly and ongoing basis for a set period of years as long as they are unable to return to their jobs. The duration of long-term disability benefits will depend on what is listed in the policies. Some workers choose to purchase both types of disability insurance so that they can enjoy benefits from their short-term disability policies during the elimination periods for their long-term disability insurance, meaning that they will spend less time without pay if they are disabled.

How Broadspire manages disability claims

Regardless of which disability insurance you have, when you find yourself in a situation where you need to start collecting benefits you’ll need to submit a disability claim. Normally this will need to submitted through your insurance company. However, if your insurance company or employer use Broadspire’s claim management services you’ll need to submit your claim through them.

How do I submit a disability claim to Broadspire?

When you’re ready to submit a disability claim, notify your employer so that they can provide you with the necessary forms. The forms for short and long-term disability insurance are typically the same. They’ll typically have a section for you to fill out, a section for your employer to fill out, and a section for your attending physician to fill out. There might be authorization forms that need to be signed in order for your medical records to be accessed by Broadspire. Once you have all of the forms filled out completely and accurately, return them to your employer and they will send the paperwork to Broadpsire. After they’re submitted you should receive a claim number, which will allow you to register on the member portal. If you don’t receive a claim number from your employer, make sure to follow up. Having access to the member portal will allow you to receive updates on the status of your disability claim.

What you need to know about Broadspire claims

Broadspire is part of a global network and serves companies in over 70 countries, according to its website. The company has extensive knowledge in the claims management industry and works hard on behalf of its customers. However, remember that you are not the customer, your employer or insurance company is the customer. So, you may experience delays or denials that may or may not have any basis. If you feel as though your claim is being delayed or has been unfairly denied, you may want to reach out to an experienced disability lawyer to help you push through the delay or denial. Our experienced lawyers at Osterhout Berger Disability Law are available to help you push through this process.

What do I do if Broadspire delays my disability claim?

Once you’ve registered through Broadspire’s claim portal, make sure you continuously check for updates on your claim. If you haven’t received an update in a prolonged amount of time and feel as though your claim is being delayed, reach out to your employer to see if they can communicate with Broadspire. If nothing comes out of that request, you may need to ask a lawyer to work on your behalf to check the status and resume the process.

What do I do if Broadspire denies my claim?

When Broadspire receives a claim for disability benefits, it will investigate the claim in order to determine whether to approve or deny it. The company denies many claims initially and notifies the claimants by mail of its decisions. The denial notice will include the company’s reasons for denying the claim along with the deadline and process for filing an appeal. It is important that you do not miss the deadline for your appeal. If you do, you won’t be able to try to seek benefits from Broadspire in the future.

Appealing a denial from Broadspire

Your experienced lawyer at Osterhout Berger Disability Law will want you to ask for a copy of your file from Broadspire. This will include the evidence and documents that the company collected during its claim investigation process. Your attorney will look for areas that need more evidentiary support, and he or she may then advise you to do certain things to bolster your claim. It is important that you continue to see your doctor during your appeal. If you stop receiving care, Broadspire may argue that you are not disabled and are thus ineligible for benefits. Your experienced lawyer may want you to complete independent medical or functional evaluations, undergo additional lab testing or request statements from your health care professionals and acquaintances about how you are limited by your disability. The goal will be to win your appeal while it is still going through Broadspire’s internal appeals process. By adding favorable evidence to your file, your knowledgeable lawyer may increase the likelihood of your success.

Contact the experienced team at Osterhout Berger Disability Law today to learn more about your rights.