Long-term disability

LTD denial appeals, by carrier

Group long-term disability policies are ERISA plans. You have 180 days from the denial letter to file the administrative appeal — and that appeal is the last chance to build the record a federal court will ever see.

Under ERISA 29 CFR 2560.503-1 you have 180 days to appeal an LTD denial, the right to the full claim file free of charge, and the right to see and respond to any new evidence the carrier generates during review. Missing the 180-day deadline forfeits the right to sue.

Pick your carrier

Unum Group
Largest US group disability insurer by in-force premium; underwrites Unum Life Insurance Company of America and Provident Life & Accident.
Verified
180-day appeal window · Unum Benefits Center
The Hartford (Hartford Life & Accident Insurance Co.)
Major group STD/LTD carrier; expanded significantly after the 2017 acquisition of Aetna's group life and disability book.
Verified
180-day appeal window · The Hartford Group Benefits Appeals Unit
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Top-five US group disability carrier; substantial STD, LTD, and voluntary book across Fortune 500 employers.
Verified
180-day appeal window · MetLife Disability Appeals Unit
Prudential Insurance Company of America
Large group disability carrier with a national employer book; historically strong presence in professional-services and higher-education plans.
Verified
180-day appeal window · Prudential Disability Appeals Unit
Lincoln Financial Group (Lincoln Life Assurance Co. of Boston)
Large group disability carrier; acquired Liberty Mutual's group benefits business (including Liberty Life Assurance of Boston) in 2018, now operating as Lincoln Life Assurance Company of Boston.
Verified
180-day appeal window · Lincoln Financial Group Absence and Disability Appeals
New York Life Group Benefit Solutions (formerly Cigna Group Insurance)
Formed in 2020 when New York Life acquired Cigna's group life and disability business (Life Insurance Company of North America, LINA). One of the largest group LTD carriers in the US.
Verified
180-day appeal window · NYL GBS Appeals Unit (formerly LINA Appeals)

Why the LTD appeal matters more than the lawsuit

In an ERISA disability case, a federal court almost always reviews only the administrative record — the documents the carrier had when it made its final decision. New evidence introduced in court is usually inadmissible. Every reviewer opinion you fail to rebut, every objective test you fail to add, and every piece of surveillance you fail to answer in writing becomes locked into the record on the day the appeal is decided. That is why the 180-day window is the most important date in an LTD claim.

Draft your LTD appeal.

Upload the denial letter. We'll request the full claim file, rebut each reviewer physician by name, and prepare the appeal within the ERISA 180-day window.

Draft my appeal letter

Keep reading

Not legal or medical advice. This page is a self-help resource. You make your own decisions. Strip personal identifiers (name, date of birth, address, member ID) from any document before uploading or sharing. The information here summarizes commonly-published payer policies and federal rules; confirm against your specific plan document and the current denial letter before acting.