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Aetna Disabilty Denial to Woman With MS Reversed Following ERISA Appeal

Aetna Disabilty Denial to Woman With MS Reversed Following ERISA Appeal

Presented by Attorney Alex Palamara

Alexander Palamara is a Partner at Dell Disability Lawyers whose path to disability law began with a clerkship for then-Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court R. Fred Lewis, followed by four years as an Assistant State Attorney in Broward County where he participated in over 120 trials. Alex has been recognized as an Up and Coming Star in ERISA / Employee Benefits and has litigated disability claims against every major insurance company in the country. He is admitted to the State Bars of Florida and New York and multiple federal district courts.

Published Aug 21, 2015. Last modified Apr 4, 2023.

Resources to Help You Win Disability Benefits

Disability Benefit Denial Options

Submit a Strong Appeal Package

We work with you, your doctors, and other experts to submit a very strong appeal.

Sue Your Disability Insurance Company

We have filed thousands of disability denial lawsuits in federal Courts nationwide.

Protect Your Benefits

Get Your Disability Application Approved

We help claimants throughout the entire application process.

Prevent a Disability Benefit Denial

We manage every aspect of your disability claim following claim approval.

Negotiate a Lump-Sum Settlement

Our goal is to negotiate the highest possible buyout of your long-term disability policy.

Aetna Reviews

(53)

Policy Holder Rating

1.6 out of 5

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2

62%

1

37%

Timely Payments

1.9out of 5

Handling Claim

1.9out of 5

Customer Service

2.0out of 5

Dependable

2.1out of 5

Value

2.1out of 5

Showing 4 of 53 Reviews

Aetna

Aetna STD has been a nightmare since the beginning

Reviewed by Michael S. on May 13th 2020 Verified Policyholder

I had surgery on 2/27/2020. Aetna STD has been a nightmare since the beginning. Total mismanagement of everything. I have never been paid consistently & have had to manage...

Reply

Sent on May 13th 2020 by Attorney Jay Symonds

Michael: Generally speaking Hartford now manages the Aetna claims. The timing of STD claims is difficult because the benefit is a week to week benefit but the medical info...

Aetna

Aetna leaves me at risk of losing my job and without compension

Reviewed by Amber P. on March 6th 2020 Verified Policyholder

I applied for STD 2/24/2020 for eye surgery. Documents were submitted. Aetna noted they contacted the doctor and needed the APS form; already was submitted. So, the dr sub...

Aetna

Aetna puts their clients through hell with their games

Reviewed by Joe Doe on April 19th 2019 Verified Policyholder

I have been on Aetna disability for a couple of years now and have surround sound to be extremely cunning and ruthless. They put put claimants through hell for the first 6...

Reply

Sent on April 19th 2019 by Attorney Jay Symonds

Joe, you make an excellent point. If a claimant has questions or concerns regarding the treatment they are receiving during the claims process it is wise to contact counse...

Aetna

It's been over 3 months, and I've only received one payment from Aetna

Reviewed by Crystal A. on January 24th 2018 Verified Policyholder

I have been struggling with Aetna to get my short term disability, its been since 10/16/2017 and I have only received one payment since. My doctors send in my forms and th...

Reply

Sent on January 24th 2018 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

Crystal, Aetna should have rendered a final decision on your claim well over a month ago. Please feel free to contact our office to discuss your situation to best determin...

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Answered Questions by Our Lawyers

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Showing 4 of 30 Answered Questions

Q: Can Aetna deny my application on the basis of pre-exisiting condition? Do they discriminate against the mentally ill?

Answered on September 2nd 2020 by Attorney Steven Dell

A: Molly, unlike health insurance plans, a disability insurance carrier can deny application for coverage based o...

Q: Are there any circumstances in which I can appeal LTD after the number of days Aetna gives you to appeal?

Answered on April 3rd 2019 by Attorney Rachel Alters

A: Sharon, usually the insurance carriers are pretty strict and adhere to the appeal deadline which is set out in...

Q: Can Aetna deny my claim due to a "war exclusion" on my policy?

Answered on January 22nd 2019 by Attorney Stephen Jessup

A: Phil, I am sorry to hear about your difficulties. Have you filed an appeal of the denial? All disability insur...

Q: What do I do if Aetna claims they haven't received my medical info?

Answered on December 7th 2018 by Attorney Gregory Dell

A: Roberta, you should contact Aetna to verify that they actually received the information and find out if they a...

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Helpful Videos

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Disability Benefit Tips

(331)

Showing 4 of 331 Benefit Tips

Does Social Security Approval Mean Disability Insurance Benefits Will Be Paid?

The answer to this question is NO and a recent case brought by a FEDEX employee against Aetna insurance company is an example of an SSDI approval and a long term disability denial. In a recent case, a Fed-Ex employee filed a lawsuit against AETNA following the denial of long term disability benefits. Aetna paid long-term disability benefits for 24 months and then denied benefits when his definition of disabili...

Does a disability insurance company need to consider the side effects of my medications?

Disability insurance companies are notorious for ignoring the cognitive side effects that most disability claimants experience from their medications. Disability companies are aware of the side effects of narcotics; yet they often fail to consider how working under the influence of these prescribed drugs limits a person's ability to work. Disability benefit comp...

Does the Mental Nervous Disorder Limitation in an ERISA Long Term Disability Plan Violate ADA Laws?

According to several Federal district courts throughout the country the answer to this question has historically been that the American with Disability Act (ADA) laws does not apply to an ERISA long term disability policy provided by an Employer. The reason the ADA has been found not to apply is because of a concept called ERISA Preemption. ERISA Preemption means that since ERISA is a Federal law it overrules ...

Is it legal to limit disability insurance benefits to 24 months for mental nervous claims?

The question listed below was recently posted on our disability blog, but since it is a question that we receive on a weekly basis, we decided to make it a frequently asked question.Thank you so much for this blog and your site. It is truly a resource for anyone with an ERISA claim.From the start things are skewed when you have a "mental health" diagnosis. The inequities the mental health community has had...

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Our Resolved Cases

(390)

Showing 4 of 390 Our Resolved Cases

Aetna Overturns Denial of Long Term Disability Benefits for Quality Control Manager

Our client, Mr. J, formerly worked as a Quality Control Manager for a large home furnishings store. For many years Mr. J suffered from the debilitating effects of his chronic, organic medical conditions and associated cognitive deficits, including transient cerebral ischemia and chronic migraines, which left him with significant physical and cognitive impairments. As a result of his serious medical conditions ...

Aetna Removes 24 Month Limitation for Mental Health Conditions

For nearly six years, Attorney Stephen Jessup has been representing our client, a former chief in-house counsel in charge of compliance and regulations for a large corporation. When she first contacted our office and spoke with Attorney Jessup, Aetna had already been challenging her disability due in large part to what Attorney Jessup believed was on account of the large monthly disability benefit Aetna was pa...

Aetna Overturns Denial of LTD for Former Employee of The Home Depot

Prior to enlisting our services to challenge a denial, our client had received benefits from Aetna due to his disabling conditions for 18 months. Unfortunately for our client, Aetna decided to deny benefits due to the “change in definition of disability.”Common in most group disability insurance policies, the change in definition typically happens after benefits have been paid for 18 or 24 months. For ...

Aetna Reinstates Benefits for Former SAP America Employee Suffering the Effects of a Head Injury

My now client worked for SAP America, Inc. as a Senior Solutions Sales Executive for nearly seven years. She made a great salary working at a job and employer she loved. Her work required superior cognitive and analytical skills and was both challenging and rewarding. Unfortunately for her, in December of 2016, she suffered a serious head injury. While she attempted to remain working, as of January 2017 her sy...

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Disability Lawsuit Stories

(766)

Showing 4 of 766 Lawsuit Stories

Court Ordered Aetna to Pay LTD Benefits to Computer Engineer

In Darren Cohen v. Aetna Life Insurance Company [Aetna], Plaintiff was employed by STEC, Inc. as a Computer Systems Engineer where he worked on his computer for 6-8 hours a day. STEC, Inc. is a computer data storage technology company.Plaintiff was injured while driving a Go-Kart at an employer-sponsored event. He suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord compression. He had pre-exi...

Court Orders Aetna to Pay LTD Benefits to Plaintiff Suffering from CFS

In Nancy Devries v. Aetna Life Insurance Company (Aetna) plaintiff worked as First American as a Senior Business Analyst until August 19, 2016. On that day, she stopped working. A few days later, she filed a claim for short term disability (STD) benefits.Plaintiff was under continuous care of her primary care physician, an immunologist, and a physician’s assistant (PA). She had freque...

Court Upholds Aetna’s Denial of LTD Benefits Under the “Any Occupation” Disability Definition

In Tanza Hadd v. Aetna Life Insurance Company, Plaintiff Hadd, was employed by UPS as an Operations Supervisor/Manager, also known as a Hub Supervisor. The job was classified as “heavy” and involved moving packages of up to 150 pounds. The working environment was filled with dust and dirt and kept at various temperatures. Plaintiff stopped working in April 2013.Plaintiff w...

A Judge’s 8 Reasons that Aetna Reasonably Denied Disability Benefits to Bank of America Employee

In Claire Refaey v. Aetna Life Insurance Company, in late September 2015, Plaintiff suffered from a viral disease causing quite a few medical symptoms including nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness in her extremities, hypotension, and inability to walk. She was hospitalized and treated symptomatically. She was released from the hospital on October 2, 2015 and referred for ou...

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Reviews from Our Clients

Keith G.

They were very professional with their responds and on time with keeping you inform about everything with your case. I would recommend My lawyer Stephen Jessup, he was on point with everything, thank you. You guys are awesome people to work with. God bless you guys.

Keith L.

I was not able to work as a physician for about 14 months due to neck/back issues. Even though I had 3 medical doctors explicitly state that I was not to work AT ALL as a physician at that time, New York Life (NYL) Disability Insurance denied my long term disability claim (which apparently they deny a high percentage of people similar to me- only they know why they do this to so many- I have my own suspicions). I was in pain from my medical issues and so frustrated with NYL considering I had many bills coming due. I then decided to call Dell Disability Lawyers. One of their attorneys, Alex Palamara, spoke to me on the phone right then to hear and understand my story and then offer ways he could help. Long story short, within a few months of me returning back to work, he was able to persuade NYL to pay me my long term disability claim. He (and his kind assistant, Tabitha) were always very helpful, informative, and available to me. I feel quite certain that NYL would NEVER have paid me what was appropriate based on my insurance agreement/ contract with them without the help of Alex. I highly recommend him/Dell Disability Lawyers. If you find yourself in a similar situation of disability insurance denial of your own personal/group policy, especially if you are a medical provider/physician like me, then consider contacting them for advice/direction PRIOR to appealing your claim on your own.

Kyle D.

Jay Symonds and his assistant, Sonia helped me tremendously. The insurance company that worked for my former employer did everything they could to make my life literally miserable. That all changed when I hired Jay. He and Sonia fought for my rights and forced the insurance company to pay what they should have.

If you have a disability claim hire Jay as if you go it alone the insurance company will screw you. Jay and Sonia will fight for everything you are entitled for. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

Frank R.

I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with Dell Disability Lawyers. Attorney Stephen Jessup and Amanda offered an opportunity to provide clarity on a complex issue regarding my disability claim. Mr. Jessup offered advice on an offset to my claim after my insurance company asked for additional information from Social Security. With counsel from Mr. Jessup, I was able to address the outstanding issue with the Social Security office and provide my insurance company with the required documentation to address their concerns. Mr. Jessup always responded in a timely manner with expert advice and offered the opportunity for follow up. I strongly recommend Dell Disability Lawyers to those seeking legal counsel for disability matters.

Wesley D.

I have been able to help others as a soldier, a police officer, and a pharmacist. I needed help forcing the insurance company to keep their commitment to take care of me and my family. I called Dell. Alex, Tabitha, and their entire team were very compassionate, extremely patient, and extraordinarily knowledgeable. Many thanks Dell!

Samar A.

My husband had applied for Long Term Disability and was denied. We sought out Rachel Alters at Dell Disability Lawyers to help us with our appeal. Rachel and her team were so diligent and meticulous in every aspect of the process. The process was seamless, and we never had any doubts that she would get it done and that she did! We are forever grateful to Rachel and Catherine for all of their determination and tenacity to get us the outcome we needed and deserved.

We could not recommend better representation and are indebted to them for making us whole again. Thank you so much Rachel and team!

Jam

Alex Palamara is one of The Best lawyers in the world and Dell Disability Lawyers are the Best by Far. Alex and his Assistant Tabitha helped me get the compensation I needed for a Horrific Disabling heath condition I’ve been dealing with for over a year. Alex and his team were so professional and caring. They treated me like I was there own family. Alex Knowledge, Expertise and skills as a Lawyer is among the Best of the Best in his field and I would HIGHLY recommend that if you ever have any issues with any Insurance Company over your Disability issues, please don’t hesitate to seek out Dell Disability and Alex Palamara. They truly are Amazing and caring. Thank God for them. Outstanding Job Alex and Tabitha

G.T.

9 years ago when I had to apply for disability benefits from my private disability policy the insurance company ignored my inquiries until Dell and Schaefer represented me and I have received the benefits without interruption til my policy expired at age 65. I have appreciated not having to deal directly with the insurance company and having attorney Greg Dell and assistant Danielle Lauria handle all communications which included monthly progress reports. I thank them for their efforts on my behalf and highly recommend them to all those in need of disability benefits.

Misty A.

I’m so thankful I chose to reach out to the attorneys at Dell. They have always been quick to respond to any and all questions I have had. The anxiety I had while dealing with Lincoln Financial on my own has decreased immensely since Alex and Danielle took my case. They were able to get my LTD denial reversed and I am so very grateful!

View All Reviews (503)

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Five Ways We Help Get Your Disability Benefit Paid

5 Ways We Help Get Your Benefits Paid

Get Your Disability Application Approved

Our goal is to get your application for disability insurance benefits approved. Applying for disability insurance benefits can be a difficult process and the information you provide is critical. Most disability insurance companies look at your application in hopes of finding a reason to deny your claim. Your disability company will ask you to complete numerous forms, interview you, request lots of information, speak with your doctors and possibly request to have you examined by their hired gun doctor.

Through our experience of having helped thousands of disability insurance claimants, our disability insurance lawyers will guide you through the entire application process and give you the best chance to get your disability claim approved the first time.

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Submit A Strong Appeal Package

If your disability insurance benefits have been wrongfully denied, then our disability insurance lawyers know exactly what it takes to get your disability claim approved. You only get once chance to submit an Appeal, therefore every piece of evidence that will support your disability claim must be included. The goal is to win your disability benefits at the Appeal level, but while preparing your Appeal you must consider how a federal judge will review your disability claim if your benefit denial is upheld.

Preparing a strong disability appeal package is an art that requires you to understand how the courts interpret your disability policy language, ERISA regulations / laws, and how to strategically present evidence in support of your definition of disability. We encourage you to contact any of our long-term disability attorneys for a free immediate review of your disability denial.

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Sue Your Disability Company

98% of the disability insurance lawsuits filed by our law firm have resulted in either the payment of benefits or a lump-sum settlement agreement. Our disability insurance attorneys have filed ERISA governed and private policy long term disability insurance lawsuits against every major disability insurance company in state and federal courts nationwide and we love fighting for the little guy against the multi-billion dollar insurance company giants.

We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients and we would like the opportunity to provide you with a free review of your disability benefit denial. There are many complex factors in a disability benefit lawsuit and the legal battle to win long term disability benefits can be fierce.

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Prevent A Disability Benefit Denial

Approval of long-term disability is a continuous process as every disability insurance company will evaluate your eligibility for benefits on a monthly basis. You can never let your guard down and assume that your disability company will continue to pay your benefits for as long as you think you need them.

Our disability insurance law firm offers a reasonable flat fee monthly claim handling service in which we handle every aspect of your long-term disability claim and do whatever it takes to make sure you are paid every month.

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Negotiate a Lump-Sum Settlement

Let's discuss if a lump-sum settlement or buyout of your disability insurance claim is both available and makes financial sense for you. Our disability insurance lawyers have negotiated more than five-hundred million dollars in disability insurance buyouts and we know how to get you a maximum settlement. A disability insurance company is not required to offer a buyout and not every disability company offers them.

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Questions About Hiring Us

Who are Dell Disability Lawyers?

We are disability insurance attorneys that know how to get your short or long term disability benefits paid. As a nationwide law firm we have helped thousands of disability insurance claimants throughout the United States to collect hundreds of millions of dollars of disability insurance benefits from every major disability insurance company.

Our attorneys have been able to either get our clients paid monthly disability benefits or obtain a one-time lump-sum settlement in more than 98% of our cases. Our disability insurance lawyers have seen it all when it comes to disability insurance claims and we know exactly what it takes for your disability claim to be approved.

We offer disability insurance attorney representation nationwide and we welcome you to contact any of our LTD lawyers for a free immediate review of your disability claim. We also invite you to visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we have more than 900 videos and regularly provide tips to help protect your disability benefits.

Who do you help?

Our disability insurance attorneys help individuals that have either purchased a long term disability insurance policy from an insurance company or obtained short or long term disability insurance coverage as a benefit from their employer. We have helped individuals in almost every type of occupation with monthly disability benefit payments ranging from $1,500 to $50,000.

Our clients include all types of employees ranging from retail associates, sales representatives, government employees, police officers, teachers, janitors, nurses, pilots, truck drivers, financial advisors, doctors, dentists, veterinarians, lawyers, consultants, IT professionals, engineers, professional athletes, business owners, and high level executives.

A strong understanding and presentation of the duties of your occupation is essential for securing disability insurance benefits.

Do you work in my state?

Yes. We are a national disability insurance law firm that is available to represent you regardless of where you live in the United States. We have partner lawyers in every state and we have filed lawsuits in most federal courts nationwide. Our disability insurance lawyers represent disability claimants at all stages of a claim for disability insurance benefits. There is nothing that our lawyers have not seen in the disability insurance world.

What are your fees?

Since we represent disability insurance claimants at different stages of a disability insurance claim we offer a variety of different fee options. We understand that claimants living on disability insurance benefits have a limited source of income; therefore we always try to work with the claimant to make our attorney fees as affordable as possible.

The three available fee options are a contingency fee agreement (no attorney fee or cost unless we make a recovery), hourly fee or fixed flat rate.

In every case we provide each client with a written fee agreement detailing the terms and conditions. We always offer a free initial phone consultation and we appreciate the opportunity to work with you in obtaining payment of your disability insurance benefits.

Do I have to come to your office to work with your law firm?

No. For purposes of efficiency and to reduce expenses for our clients we have found that 99% of our clients prefer to communicate via phone, email, fax, or video conferencing sessions. If you prefer an initial in-person meeting please let us know. A disability company will never require you to come to their office and similarly we are set up so that we handle your entire claim without the need for you to come to our office.

How can I contact you?

When you call us during normal business hours you will immediately speak with a disability insurance attorney. We can be reached at 800-698-9159 or by email. Lawyers and staff must return all client calls same day. Client emails are usually replied to within the same business day and seem to be the preferred and most efficient method of communication for most clients.

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