Copyright (c) 2008 Benjamin Glass

You think about filing a claim under your employer’s long-term disability plan. Everyone has advice. Your friends, co-workers, human resource directors and even your doctors will all be happy to point you in the “right” direction. Unfortunately, even though this advice is always well-intentioned, ERISA law is such a specialized area of the law that most of it is also ill-informed. This is true even when you’re getting advice from other attorneys. Even very bright lawyers can lead their clients astray if they give advice in the field of ERISA law without having practiced extensively in that field.

If you’ve talked to anyone about your long-term disability claim, you’ve probably heard one of these lines:

- If you write a reasonable letter to the insurance company, you will get a reasonable settlement proposal

- Filling out the Insurance Company’s forms will get you your benefits

- If you have been received Social Security disability benefits, getting long-term disability benefits will be a cakewalk

- If the insurance company sends you an “activity log,” its because they really want to know what you do day in and day out

- The best way to convince the insurance company that you can’t work in a sedentary job is to write them a 40 page letter describing your medical condition and all of its details

- Any lawyer can help you with your ERISA long-term disability claim

- You should hold back your best evidence until the day of trial

- Your doctors will come to trial and testify for you and you’ll be able to convince the judge that you are disabled

- You will be allowed to testify when your case goes to trial

- If your doctor writes that you are “disabled,” you will win your case

- The insurance company “appeals” process is fair and unbiased

- When you file a suit, the issue the judge has to decide is whether or not you are disabled – The playing field is level between you and the insurance company

- If your employer says you’re too disabled to work, the insurance company must pay out

ERISA is a highly technical, highly rules-based field. One respected federal judge said that claimant’s who file and appeal their disability claim without hiring an experienced ERISA disability attorney face a “loaded deck.” This is one area of the law where hiring a experienced attorney at the beginning of the claim and really assist you.

Today’s seniors are living longer than ever, but as life spans increase, so do the needs for additional care. The majority of today’s retirees will need some form of special care as they age, whether that help is delivered in their own residence, in an assisted living facility or at a nursing home. The cost of such care is skyrocketing and many find they are unable to afford it.

Our recent series of articles has discussed this situation in great detail, exposing the gap that exists between what seniors need and what government programs actually provide. The best way, by far, to fill this gap is with Long Term Care Insurance.

Long Term Care Insurance (LTCi) is an insurance policy that covers your care when you can no longer perform at least two of six daily functions. These ‘activities of daily living’ are bathing, dressing, eating, toilet use, urine and bowel continence, and getting in and out of a bed or chair.

Each LTCi policy works a little differently. Some require you to cover the first 90 days of care before coverage begins, while others waive that waiting period if the need is for in-home care. Some pay so much per day, while others pay actual expenses up to a certain amount. Some have care coordinators that arrange for all the care, so you don’t see the bills or have to handle any paperwork.

Anyone seeking to purchase LTCi has to medically qualify. The underwriters look at your health differently than if you were applying for life insurance. LTCi underwriters are more concerned about illnesses and diseases that are likely to keep you from caring for yourself, not those that will cause death. Osteoporosis and diabetes are examples.

Most companies have preferred rates for those in excellent health, with normal rates for the rest. LTCi premiums are also based on your age. That means the longer you wait the higher the premium will be. There is a two in ten chance of needing long-term care after age 50, a two in five chance after age 65, and a seven in ten chance after age 75.

As a result, it is better to buy LTCi sooner as opposed to later. This should be seen as a pre-retirement purchase. I recommend strongly considering it around age 50.

There are many factors to consider when choosing a LTCi provider. Since this coverage is so critical, only do business with insurance companies rated at least AAA or AA by Standard and Poors. Beware of companies that have just entered the market. Check how many LTCi policies they have issued. If they haven’t issued LTCi policies for at least 10 years and aren’t one of the major players, stay away.

Many companies (including some that are major household names) entered the business, only to exit it a few years later. Others don’t have the actuarial experience to properly price policies and end up raising premiums. Either way the policy holders suffer.

Don’t choose a company that has raised rates on existing policy holders. Don’t choose a plan that requires you to buy additional insurance every three years to protect yourself from inflation. It’s better to have inflation protection automatically built into the policy.

You get to choose how much coverage to buy. Don’t purchase three years of coverage just because that’s the length of the average nursing home stay. This is ridiculous! The majority of people use LTCi to remain independent, at home, as long as possible. They get LTCi because they don’t want to go into a nursing home! Get unlimited coverage if you can afford it.

In my experience, the best Long Term Care insurance is Genworth Life Insurance Company (formerly General Electric). They are the biggest kid on the block, doing LTCi business since the 1970s. No one that has purchased a policy from them has ever had a rate increase. It sets the Gold Standard in the industry.

Don’t try to save a few dollars by going with a questionable company. This is insurance that could pay back 10-100 times what it costs you. There’s a 50% chance you will use it. Don’t skimp–what you save today may cost you much more down the road.\

Self storage facilities can be rented for the keeping of most types of household items. However, there are certain kinds of hazardous or perishable materials that should not be kept in long-term storage units. These prohibited items may subject the entire facility to an increased risk of fire damage, chemical contamination, or pest infestation. The rental agreement should have a list of all forbidden items, so be sure to check this before signing the contract.

Always check with the owner of the mini storage unit before storing any questionable items. An easy way to do this is to prepare an inventory list prior to moving any of your items. Take the list to the self storage manager for his or her review. This saves you the trouble of taking the items down to your storage unit and then finding out later that they must be removed and taken back home. Storing dangerous items against the owner’s wishes may be against certain local laws and will open you up to prosecution if discovered.

Of course, flammable and explosive materials are prohibited in self storage units. These are very dangerous and can cause the entire storage facility to catch on fire. Some hazardous items include nail polish and remover, liquid bleach, charcoal, acid, lighter fluid, gasoline, explosives, firecrackers, fertilizers, paints, matches, car batteries, kerosene, pool chemicals, paint thinner, motor oil, weed killer, ammonia, pesticides, cleaning fluid, propane, lamp oil, chemistry items, and other types of aerosols. Gasoline powered tools may be kept on the premises, but all gasoline and oil must be drained before storage.

Perishable food items should never be kept in a general storage unit. If you must store food, look for a specialized company that has climate control storage units designed for the holding of food. These facilities should have adequate pest and vermin control procedures in place. Food items attract rodents and insects to the storage unit, which may lead to a widespread infestation throughout the entire facility. Most rental units do contain some type of rat trap or poison, but this will not be sufficient to fend off large numbers of vermin who are attracted by the scent of food. In fact, the danger is so great that many insurance companies will deny payment for any items damaged while being stored in the same unit as perishable food items.

Some long term storage facilities will not allow you to store items with a significantly high dollar value. Many times, these restrictions are imposed by their insurance company because of the increased liability risk. Some commonly prohibited high value items include electronic equipment, antiques, jewelry, stock certificates, and cash. Even though it is not usually prohibited, items with a lot of sentimental value also should not be stored in a rental unit. While most storage units are secure and will not be broken into, you don’t want to take a chance with anything you would be very upset about losing.

Live plants are not suitable for self storage facilities. Similar to perishable food, plants will attract pests to the storage unit and may lead to a facility-wide epidemic. If you have relocated from another area, you may be bringing new pests into the local ecosystem. This can have a wide-ranging destructive effect throughout the entire community, not just the storage facility. Even without this danger, plants are not likely to survive the conditions found inside the rental unit, making self storage a poor place to keep your plants.

Obviously, radioactive material and other biohazards are always forbidden in self storage rental units. These types of materials are highly dangerous to anyone who may come in contact with them. They may also contaminate the immediate vicinity and lead to a quarantine of the self storage facility. There are usually strict laws regulating the storage and disposal of radioactive or biohazardous waste, so keeping these items in long-term storage may even be a criminal act.

Many mini storage locations also provide for vehicle storage on the premises. Some facilities have a separate, open-air parking area for vehicles, while others simply permit renters to park a car or motorcycle inside their rental unit. Vehicles must be insured and have valid registration tags in order to be stored. This prevents thieves from using self storage facilities to hide stolen cars and reduces the manager’s liability. Also, some companies have limits on the number of tires that may be kept inside any one storage unit, generally up to four.

Long-term care policy is much useful for people who are suffering from chronic illness and disability.

It gives complete coverage right from hospital treatment to at home facilities. These types of policy are much more suitable for the age old people. There are different types of insurance companies provides long-term care Insurance.

It offers different types of plans. Selection of the long term insurance is one of the important tasks to get the proper selection of the policy. You must have to visit the companies to get the quotes. There are various companies provides online quote to get the policy. You must have to select the proper insurance companies based on the following norms.

1. It is necessary to select the insurance companies who offer various plans under the long term insurance policy. The long-term care is exactly the medical facilities but it is like guardian care, which can assist daily living activities. It helps the person suffering from chronic illness.

2. You must have to search the long term insurance providers through the website or reference or from the local directory.

3. You should check the coverage of the long-term care by considering your home care and medical treatments.

4. You must have to finalize the plan based on your budget. There are various companies provide discount and flexible premium options.

5. The main advantage of the long-term insurance is to select the home care or living facility or adult day care center or nursing home as per your needs.

It is not surprising that many consumers believe that long term disability insurance is the only type of insurance available. Long term is by far the most common type purchased by consumers as well as the most common type offered by employers and membership organizations. However, there are short term disability insurance polices on the market and they can be useful when needed. This article examines some of the more common aspects between the two types of disability insurance.

As mentioned above, this type of insurance is the more commonly used type and it protects you should you become disabled through illness or injury. These policies usually begin to take effect once any short term disability policies end. The phrase “long term” can be misleading as some of these policies may only last 5 or 10 years. If you have the option, you want one that covers you until age 65.

Short term disability insurance, on the other hand, will cover a certain percentage of your lost salary if you are injured or become too ill to work. These benefit payments usually begin once your sick leave pay runs out.

Short term benefits often vary as time passes. Early on you will probably receive a large percentage of your usual pay, but as time goes on this amount may decrease. In many cases, short term policies last for six months or so before they are terminated.

It should be noted that short term insurance can come to you in many ways. For example, sick leave from work can be considered short term in nature. Worker’s compensation is also another form of short term insurance. In fact, worker’s compensation may be the most well-known type of this type of insurance. Most employers are required to provide worker’s compensation benefits that replace a portion of your income if you are unable to work, due to an accident that occurs in the workplace or while on company time doing company work.

Your automobile insurance may also be a type of short term insurance if they pay you for injuries sustained in an accident. Of course, if the other driver is at fault, you may be able to recover damages from them or their insurance company.

Long term insurance is quite another type of insurance altogether. Long term policies may not begin until you have exhausted all other shorter term services, but once it does begin it is truly for the long haul, meaning years. While short term policies are used to help you get through a rough patch, long term is used to help you keep your home, your automobile, and your lifestyle.

Short term insurance is usually provided to you through secondary means, such as through your employer’s participation with worker’s compensation or through your automobile insurance. Long term insurance, on the other hand, is bought as its own entity. This purchase can be through your employer or it can be purchased by an individual in which case it is known as private long term insurance.