When your disability insurance policy’s definition of “disability” changes, many claimants are vulnerable to having their benefits denied. What should claimants do to protect themselves—and their benefits? Below, we’ll discuss what happens when the change of disability definition occurs and how claimants should respond.

Anywhere from one to two years after your claim for short term disability benefits has been approved, your insurance carrier will begin to evaluate whether you qualify for long term disability benefits. Far too often, the answer is no—not because your condition isn’t severe enough, but because your medical records don’t quite connect the dots when it comes to your policy’s new definition of disability. Below, we’ll discuss when disability benefit denials tend to occur, as well as what you can do to shield your claim from denial.