Anthem Disability Lawyer Representation for Your LTD Insurance Claim

Anthem is one of the world’s largest health benefit companies, with a primary focus on health insurance benefits. While revenues for Anthem top 17 billion annually, short and long term disability benefits is a small portion of their revenues. Anthem is an independent licensee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, but they sell most of their disability, life and AD&D insurance products under the name Anthem Life or Anthem Insurance Companies throughout the United States. Anthem has a very small stake in the disability insurance market, but with the talks of buying CIGNA corporation they could quickly become one of the largest in the US. Anthem has business relationships with numerous other entities and we have seen Anthem disability claims handled by a third party company called Custom Disability Solutions or their former parent company Wellpoint. We have also seen Anthem act as the third party disability administrator for large companies such as Eli Lilly and Company. After the Merger of Wellpoint and Anthem in 2004, some of the disability products were converted to the Anthem name.

Most Anthem Long Term Disability Policies Have Restrictive Language

Anthem’s disability products are only sold as Group plans, which means that most people covered by an Anthem disability policy are subject to ERISA regulations. From our experience, most of the Anthem disability policies contain a 24 month “own occupation” definition of disability and then they change to an “any occupation” definition of disability. We also commonly see Anthem disability policies which have a 24 month mental nervous limitation and a self reported symptoms limitation. One of the most restrictive items in an Anthem long term disability policy is that they will commonly require “objective medical evidence” of disability. There are frequent disputes as to what “objective evidence” constitutes and this frequently results in benefit denials. Some Anthem policies define “Objective Medical Evidence” as:

“medical signs” (including psychiatric signs) and “laboratory findings,” as documented by a Licensed Physician regarding disability status… Medical signs are anatomical, physiological, or psychological abnormalities that can be observed, apart from subjective statements of symptoms… Psychiatric signs are medically demonstrable phenomena that indicate specific abnormalities of behavior, affect, thought, memory, orientation, and contact with reality. They must also be shown by observable facts that can be medically described and evaluated. Laboratory findings are anatomical, physiological, or psychological phenomena that can be shown by the use of medically acceptable laboratory diagnostic techniques.

If you have a disability claim with Anthem, any of our disability insurance lawyers are available nationwide to assist you at any stage of your claim. We welcome you to contact us for a free lawyer consultation. We regularly track disability insurance claim denials and lawsuits throughout the country against Anthem. We also welcome your comments, complaints and feedback about your experience with Anthem so that other claimants can learn from your experience.

Resources to Help You Win Disability Benefits

Disability Benefit Denial Options
Submit a Strong Anthem Appeal Package

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

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Sue Anthem

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

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Protect Your Benefits
Get Your Anthem Disability Application Approved
We help claimants throughout the entire application process.

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Prevent an Anthem Disability Benefit Denial
We manage every aspect of your disability claim following claim approval.

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Negotiate an Anthem Lump-Sum Settlement

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

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Disability Benefit Tips
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Why Must Your Disability Insurance Lawyer Understand Your Disabling Condition?

When it comes to securing your disability insurance benefits, it's vitally important that your disability insurance lawyer thoroughly understands the symptoms and impact of your disabling condition. Doctors can help you create strong medical records, but they're not accustomed to dealing with the rigorous documentation disability insurance companies require. Lea... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #5 – Your Medical Evidence is Weak

If you're seeking long term disability benefits from an insurance company, you may be concerned that you're facing an uphill battle. Fortunately, the stronger your medical evidence, the greater the odds that your claim will be approved. On the other side of the coin, one of the most common reasons for denial of long term disability benefits involves too-weak med... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #4 - Your Doctor Is Misled By the Disability Company

When you're seeking disability insurance benefits, your medical records and treating physician's statement are two of the most important components of your claim. But because the insurance company has a vested interest in denying your disability insurance claim, it often will rely on tactics like ambushing your doctor with a phone call in an attempt to get them ... Read More >

Disability Benefit Denial Reason #3 - Video & Social Media Surveillance

One thing many disability insurance claimants don't know about (or expect) from the claims review process involves video and social media surveillance. Disability insurance carriers often hire people to follow claimants around with a telephoto lens - or even send social media friend requests from fake accounts - to glean whatever information they can about the c... Read More >

How Do You Fight a Long-Term Disability Denial?

Getting a denial letter from your disability insurance company is one of the ultimate insults. You are sick and not able to work, yet your disability insurance company is telling you to return to work. The disability insurance company has denied your disability benefit claim and is basically calling you a liar. When receiving a disability denial letter or a ph... Read More >

Disability Denial Reason #2 - Change of Disability Definition & Vocational Review

One of the top reasons for terminating a claimant's long term disability benefits involves the change in the disability insurance policy's definition of "disability." This definition change often happens in conjunction with a vocational review, or an analysis of a claimant's medical records that tells the insurance company which jobs the claimant should be able ... Read More >

Disability Denial Reason #1 – Paper Review & IME

At Dell Disability Lawyers, we've seen insurance companies give countless reasons to deny long term disability benefits. However, most disability benefit denials tend to fall into one of a few categories - and one of the biggest ones is the paper review and independent medical exam (IME). Learn more about what this review process entails and what your claim file... Read More >

How to Apply for Reliance Standard Disability Benefits & Top 5 Reasons for a Claim Denial

At Dell & Schaefer we’ve handled hundreds of long term disability insurance claims against Reliance Standard, and have learned a few things in the process. When you’re experiencing an injury or illness that makes it difficult (or impossible) to work, it can be tempting to file a claim as quickly as possible – but unless a claimant has all their ducks in a row, this could actually delay the ultimate r... Read More >
Dell Disability Cases
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Seven Surgeries and The Standard Still Denies Disability Insurance Benefits

Our client was employed with the State of Oregon as a Technical Support Representative. She sought disability through her employer provider LTD Policy with Standard due to low back, hip, and lower extremity pain. She had two hip, two knee and three back surgeries.After paying her for 1.5 years Standard hired a board-certified neurologist to perform a review ... Read More >

Sun Life Wrongfully Denies Disability After Paying For 23 Months

We represent a 57 year-old claimant who’s occupation was selling commercial vehicles for many years.  Her job was very physical as it required her to climb in and out of semi-trucks multiple times a day as well as operate them which was very strenuous. She went out of work in due to ongoing and severe debilitating right hip, low back, and bilateral knee pain... Read More >

Nurse Denied Long-term Disability Benefits by Lincoln After the Definition of Disability Changed

Our client, a registered nurse for Dignity Health, found herself in a difficult situation after being diagnosed with lumbar spondylosis and left knee arthritis. She continued to work, however, struggled while attempting to work through chronic lower back pain and left lower extremity radicular symptoms on a daily basis. Sadly, her condition failed to improve and... Read More >

Lincoln Reverses Decision to Terminate LTD Benefits of Corporate Attorney after Dell Disability Lawyers Appeals the Decision

The claimant is an 64 year old former Corporate Attorney and at a prominent Florida business law firm who was forced to cease working in his highly successful and rewarding profession, job, and career on January 27, 2021, and to seek disability compensation under his policies with Lincoln due to severe symptomatology stemming from or following a viral COVID-19 i... Read More >

Transportation Manager with Brain Injury Wins Unum Disability Benefit Appeal

Unum unjustly terminated our client’s disability insurance claim after it had approved and accepted liability for six months. Unum unreasonably concluded, without any evidence of improvement, that the claimant had resumed the sustained work capacity to perform the material and substantial duties of her high level occupation as a Transportation Division Manage... Read More >

Prudential reverses decision to terminate LTD benefits of MRI Tech with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and degenerative Disc Disease

The claimant is a 58-year-old former MRI Technologist for Fairview Health Services who has long suffered from the debilitating effects of her chronic medical conditions. She has a history of neck pain as well as right arm pain and numbness dating back to 2005 with a reoccurrence of severe symptomatology in 2013. MRI of her cervical spine performed in August of ... Read More >

Engineer With Depression Wins Prudential LTD Appeal

The claimant is a former Senior Technology Services Engineer for Accolade, Inc. who was forced to cease working on May 25, 2021 and to apply for disability insurance benefits under his policy with Prudential because of severe symptomatology related to depression and anxiety. Prudential initially approved his claim for LTD benefits as his symptoms were demonstrat... Read More >

New York Life Approves Disability Benefits for School Teacher With Multiple Sclerosis

Our client, a former elementary school teacher suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, contacted our office after New York Life terminated her claim for short term disability benefits and spoke with Attorney Stephen Jessup. New York Life had initially approved her claim for short term disability benefits, but in doing so awarded benefits only on account of a mental health condition, even though our client had filed... Read More >
Disability Lawsuit Stories
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Showing 8 of 765 Lawsuit Stories

California Court Finds Anthem's Long Term Disability Denial Unreasonable

In McIlhaney v. Anthem Life Insurance Company Long Term Disability Plan, a California Federal District Court held that Anthem was "unreasonable" in its denial of long term disability benefits to its claimant when the medical records supported her claim for benefits and Anthem made a mistake in its reading of plaintiff's Activities of Daily Living (ADL) report which contributed to its denial decision.This c... Read More >

Florida Court Holds Anthem Does Not Need to do Vocational Testing in Disability Denial

This ERISA case was not handled by our office, but we feel it can be instructive to others who may be in a similar situation as this claimant.In MacDonald v. Anthem Life Insurance Company, the plaintiff, who suffered from chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS), alleged Anthem was arbitrary and capricious in terminating her long term disability benefits on the grounds that she could work at "any gainful occu... Read More >

Michigan Court Agrees With Anthem's Denial of Long Term Disability Benefits

The Michigan Federal Court agreed that the plaintiff had physical limitations, but none of the activities from which she was restricted were required by her sedentary occupation Plaintiff's initial claim for long term disability benefits was denied by Anthem. The denial was upheld following three administrative appeals. After reviewing her medical records, all three separate independent reviewers agreed that a... Read More >

Anthem Disability Claim Denial Reversed by Nevada Court

District Court ProceedingsIn Decovich v. Anthem, a Nevada District Court granted Anthem's motion for summary judgment finding Anthem's denial of plaintiff's application for long term disability benefits was reasonable. According to the court, the "administrative record is voluminous, well-known to the parties, and its contents are not disputed." Accordingly, the court opinion provides only a brief synopsis... Read More >

Disability Denial Remanded to Anthem for Analysis of Claimant's Job Duties

Although this Virginia Federal ERISA long term disability case was not handled by our disability insurance lawyers, it is an example of how Anthem denies disability benefits by asserting claimants are not disabled from performing their job duties without ever determining or analyzing what those job duties are.Case HistoryIn the case of Wyant v. Anthem Life Insurance Company, Anthem denied long term dis... Read More >

Federal Court Orders Anthem Life & Disability to Reinstate Improperly Terminated Long Term Disability Benefits to a Fibromyalgia Claimant

The Indiana federal district court case of Kennedy v. Lilly Extended Benefit Plan is a refreshing example of how perseverance in asserting a claim for long term disability benefits after they have been terminated can pay off. The plaintiff suffered from the pain and stress of fibromyalgia as well as other medical problems which turned out not to be relevant to the court's order that Anthem reinstate her benefi... Read More >

An undiagnosed pre-existing condition will not result in denial of long-term disability benefits

On November 4, 2009, a ruling was handed down in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that will surely have insurance companies looking at how they define "pre-existing condition". Ruth Mitzel is certainly happy that the court affirmed the lower court's decision that Anthem Disability Insurance Company, her employer and insurer, had wrongfully denied her long-term life insurance benefits.When Mitzel was diag... Read More >

Reliance Standard Disability Denial Upheld Due to Claimant's Lack of Strong Medical Record Support

In the case of Amy Wright v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (Reliance), Plaintiff was the vice-president of health information services at Integrity Health Care when she stopped working on August 7, 2017. She brought claims for benefits under an LTD insurance policy and a waiver of premiums under a life insurance policy.In order to be approved for LTD benefits, Plaintiff ... Read More >

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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