Question
Would any new disabling conditions be considered by Metlife when considering whether or not to continue my benefits?
Hello, I've been receiving LTD benefits from Verizon Wireless administered by Metlife since 2008 at age 38. I've had the same psychiatrist from the beginning who disagnosed me with Schizoaffective Disorder which is both Schizophrenia and a mood disorder. My psychiatrist recently retired and I recently began seeing a new psychiatrist. I'm not certain that my new psychiatrist agrees with the schizoaffective diagnosis so I am afraid that when my next review comes (typically once yearly), I may be at risk of losing my LTD because of a 24 months limitation Metlife puts on anything other than Schizophrenia ie bipolar, depression, anxiety, etc. My new psychiatrist has definitely diagnosed me with bipolar, anxiety and major depressive disorder but those are all limited to 24 months. How likely would it be they'd deny continuing LTD if the Schizo dianosis were to change? I'm also wondering about disabling conditions that prevent me from working any job that has developed since I first went out on LTD. Would any new disabling conditions be considered by Metlife when considering whether or not to continue my benefits? I just want to make sure I am prepared if I were to encounter any difficulties. Thank you for your time.
Answer
The change in diagnosis will likely lead to denial so please explain the situation to your treating doctor. MetLife will look for any reason to deny the claim due to a mental nervous disorder limitation. Also any other medical conditions existing now will be considered as part of your claim, so make sure they are medically documented and if they are part of your claim, then make sure you mention these disabling conditions when submitting your claims forms to MetLife. Should you want assistance at this stage of your claim, please reach out to us.
