Helene,

The problems you experienced with your insurance company are exclusive to the insurance carrier your employer chose. It is not common practice for a company not to inform you that your claim has been or will be closed. In fact, they are SUPPOSED to inform you prior to it closing so that you have advanced warning. What I will say is that, again, when dealing with disability, your doctor sees you in person and can see easily what is wrong with you. Insurance carriers are relying on paper and the written word to base their decision. If your doctor was not throrough and said you could return to "light work" which, on our forms is one of the questions you can select, and your occupation is sedentary, then you should be able to return to work. Rather than saying "light-duty- own occupation with modified duties" or specifying part time, we can only assume he meant what he indicated, that you could go back to work. Please do not feel all insurance companies are the same, they are not. Nor is everybody's benefit the same merely because they live in the same state (*unless*, it's State Disability as opposed to a private
std/ltd policy, in which case, State Disability has a whole different set of rules). Let me reiterate that your policy is one that your employer chose- as are the benefits provided under it. We are merely duty-bound to uphold the contract your employer purchased as it is written. Additionally, whether you live in New York or Washington, if your employer selects a 50% benefit, that's what you will be eligible for, whereas, if they choose a 75% (this IS rare) benefit, this is the amount you receive.

I'm sorry you had such a horrible experience and especially over Christmas time.