What Does A Benefits Consulatant Do?

And

How Can You Help Me?

A Benefits Consultant is something like a guide. It’s much more comfortable, when entering something that’s new to you, to have someone with you who is familiar with the territory. That’s true whether it’s a trip into the jungle, dinner at a restaurant serving an unfamiliar cuisine, or a journey into the complex bureaucracy of insurance companies and the Social Security Administration.

Benefits, insurance, and Social Security can be complicated and very scary to someone who doesn’t use them regularly. Employers can be of some help with their own benefits package, but it’s amazing how unprepared many are to provide guidance to an employee who is faced with disability. Plus their first priority is to the employer, not you. And the only advice they give on Social Security is “Call Social Security and apply.”

Social Security is one of the world’s biggest bureaucracies. While there are many good people who work there, they simply do not have the time to walk you through the process, much less coach you on how to fill out the paperwork to accurately reflect your disability in a manner that makes approval easier.

A Benefits Consultant will:

Some Examples:

Maybe it would help to show you how others have used my services:

Robert was told by his doctor that he should go on disability, but he had no idea how to go about it or what he was entitled to. We reviewed his benefits from work, drew up a list of what he needed to do and in what order, what claim forms he needed, how to fill them out. As he went through the process, he occasionally called with questions.

Karen was initially turned down for Social Security. We worked together to assemble a complete package for Reconsideration that included doctor’s records and lab reports not seen initially as well as letters from her treating physicians that addressed her disability as it is listed in the Social Security Listing of Impairments. She was approved.

Mark was collecting disability benefits, but his hobby, painting, started generating some income. His insurance company tried to stop benefits claiming that if he could paint and sell his paintings he was able to do his old job which involved long hours standing and moving about. I showed him what policy provisions he should cite and what the letter should say. Mark’s benefits are continuing uninterrupted.

Linda had been diagnosed with a disease that could eventually leave her disabled. Worried about what would happen if she couldn’t work, we reviewed her employee benefits package, added her personal insurance and Social Security to draw a timeline of her income and her health insurance after stopping work.

Jim had heard that because he left work disabled he could extend his health insurance beyond the initial 18 months of COBRA. His employer claimed to know nothing about it. Jim and I drafted a letter that he sent to them, explaining the COBRA disability extension and demonstrating that Jim had met the eligibility requirements. Jim was able to keep his employer’s health insurance until he became eligible for Medicare.

Barbara’s LTD carrier stopped her benefits claiming she was no longer disabled. First, we had to show the insurance company they were required by state law to release a copy of her claim file. Then using their own claim file, we demonstrated that they had no basis to terminate her benefits and insisted they restart her benefits pending a more in-depth medical review or face legal action. Her benefits were reinstated. 

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