Sun Life long-term disability (LTD) claims

About Sun Life Canada

Sun Life is a leading Canadian financial services company that provides a range of insurance, wealth management, and financial planning services to individuals, businesses, and institutions.

The company was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Sun Life Canada, a subsidiary of Sun Life Financial Inc., has over 10,000 employees and advisors who serve more than six million clients across Canada, the United States, and Asia.

Its services include short-term disability and long-term disability benefits, life insurance, health insurance, retirement savings plans, investment management, and other financial products.

Sun Life Long-term Disability

Sun Life, along with a number of other insurers in Canada, makes long-term disability (LTD) benefits available if you are unable to work for a number of weeks due to illness or injury. Benefits are made available through two different plans:

• Group insurance plans: Sun Life provides this plan to employers, unions (including the Federal Public Service Long-Term Disability Plan) and organizations, which covers multiple individuals in a workplace.
• Individual insurance plans: Think self-employed professionals, executives or small-business operators. You can buy this type of plan from Sun Life by using an insurance broker.

You can apply for LTD benefits with Sun Life if you have a plan with the insurer, are ill or suffer an injury after an accident, are unable to work, and have support from your treating doctor.

Sun Life Short-term Disability

In addition to LTD benefits, Sun Life also provides short-term disability (STD) coverage through group insurance policies. These benefits are paid out to individuals who are unable to work for a short period of time due to illness or injury. You employer should have the details of your STD policy available to review so that you are familiar with what the policy provides, and how to apply.

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How to apply for Sun Life long-term disability

You can submit a claim for LTD by going to the homepage on Sun Life’s website and signing into your online account. Once you have signed in, the website should provide you with clear instructions on what information you need to provide and how to submit it digitally.

Sun Life provides a phone number on their website that you can also use to connect with their team to inquire about submitting a claim.

In order to start the claims process with Sun Life, you will need to obtain:

• An Employer Statement, filled out by your plan administrator, which is typically your employer
• An Employee Statement, filled out by you, the employee
• The Initial Attending Physician’s Statement, which is completed by your doctor

What if I am already on STD benefits?

If you are already receiving STD payments through a claim with Sun Life, you don’t need to submit a new claim for LTD.

You must wait for a particular period of time before you can switch to LTD. This is called the “elimination period.” If you are still disabled and unable to work after the elimination period, Sun Life should approve you for LTD benefits.

How long does it take for my claim to be approved?

Sun Life says that it can take about 10 business days to process your LTD claim. If your claim is approved, the insurer will inform you and your employer that your benefits have been approved. If you don’t heard back about your claim after the suggested period of time, you should call Sun Life to find out the next steps.

How to check the status of your disability claim

You can check on the status of your LTD claim by using Sun Life’s online portal. You will typically be asked to provide various pieces of information, including your direct deposit info and the best email address to reach you at. The insurer will likely email you updates about your claim in addition to posting status changes to your account through the Sun Life website.

If you have decided not to use the insurance company’s online platform, you should rely on the phone number provided through any mail they have sent you about your LTD claim.

If you run into difficulty trying to access this information or have any other customer service issues with the insurance company, you can use Sun Life’s complaints process.

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Sun Life long-term disability claim denied

Sun Life, like other insurance companies, may deny your long-term disability claim and refuse to provide you with benefits. Instead of supporting you during your time of need as they should, your insurer may decide to turn their back on you.

Insurance companies look for various ways to deny a legitimate LTD claim. They do it to increase their profits – the more claims the deny, the less money they have to pay out, and the more they can keep for themselves. Some of the many common reasons for denial include:

• You are not “totally disabled“
• The insurer doesn’t agree with your doctor’s opinion that you are unable to work
• You don’t have enough medical evidence to support your claim
• You can hold down work in another occupation

If your LTD claim with Sun Life is denied, do not lost hope. As soon as you receive a rejection from the insurer, contact Samfiru Tumarkin LLP immediately for a free consultation with a disability lawyer. We can examine all aspects of your unique situation, review the reasons for denial, outline the questions you should ask your insurer, and discuss the best path forward as our team works to get you the compensation you are rightfully owed.

SEE MORE
• Sun Life LTD Denials in Ontario (Guide)
• Severance pay for Sun Life employees

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Sun Life long-term disability claim cut off

Even if your LTD claim is initially approved, there is a chance that Sun Life may cut off your disability benefits down the road. This is especially true if you’ve been getting benefits for about two years.

This typically happens for one of three reasons:

• You have reached the age limit on their policy, which is often 65
• You no longer meet their criteria for receiving LTD benefits
• You are not following the LTD policy’s terms and rules

Your policy will come to an end when you reach the maximum age limit. A disability lawyer is unable to reactivate your benefits in that case. However, if you were cut off for the two remaining reasons, you should not take Sun Life’s decision as the final say on the matter.

When individuals contact us for help after their benefits are cut off, our team conducts a thorough review of the insurance company’s decision. We often find that the insurer has taken the wrong position. They may feel that you are able to return to work or take on another occupation, based on their hired medical experts or surveillance. Maybe you didn’t follow a specific treatment or take a certain medication.

LEARN MORE
• Global News: Sun Life reinstates LTD benefits after legal action

If your doctor says you can’t work, or recommends a change to your treatment plan, Sun Life must abide by their recommendations. If they refuse to do so, don’t panic. Before you appeal the cut off or walk away from your claim – and the money you need to pay the bills or your mortgage – talk to the disability lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

We’ve helped tens of thousands of Canadians pursue their rights when they are cut off LTD or experience other workplace-related dilemmas. We understand the pain and frustration you’re feeling – nobody should be ignored or abandoned by their insurance provider.

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Appealing an LTD denial by Sun Life

If Sun Life denies your initial claim for long-term disability benefits, or cuts them off after they are approved, you have the right to appeal their decision.

How does the appeal process work?

If your LTD benefits are denied or cut off, you can ask your insurance adjuster or claims advisor at Sun Life to review your file. This review is conducted internally by the insurance company. Your adjuster will take another look at the information related to your claim, along with any other new facts you provide to support your case.

If Sun Life decides to stand by their original decision to deny or cut off your LTD claim, you can file additional appeals with the insurer. These appeals will likely involve new people taking a look at your documentation.

LEARN MORE: Appealing a long-term disability claim denial

Should I appeal my LTD claim denial?

No, you shouldn’t use an appeal as your only option when your LTD claim is denied or cut off. While it is wise to take advantage of all options available to you, pinning your hopes on Sun Life’s appeal process is not a good idea.

In our years of experience, appeals rarely work. You are asking the insurance company who rejected your claim to change their mind. It is in their financial best interest to turn down your request for benefits and keep your money to improve their profits. That is why insurers, like Sun Life, often reject appeals time and again, even if you provide updated medical documentation or clarify certain facts about your health.

The appeal process can take some time to complete. This plays to an insurance company’s advantage. The more time you waste on appealing their decision, the less time you have to take a more effective approach and the faster you run out the clock on your rights.

A better alternative

There is a much more powerful and effective alternative to an appeal when Sun Life denies your LTD benefits. You can access your rights by filing a legal claim with a long-term disability lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

When you enlist our help, we remove the stress and burden from your shoulders. We take over direct correspondence with Sun Life so you can focus more on your health and getting better. Our firm is one of the most respected disability law firms in Canada, with years of experience successfully securing millions in compensation for our tens of thousands of clients. Insurers know our track record, and will choose to pay you what you are owed instead of taking the issue to court, which costs them more money in the long run.

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Long-term Disability Lawyers for Sun Life Insurance Claims

Avoid the frustration of dealing with Sun Life on your own if they have denied or cut off your LTD benefits. While your health and wellbeing may not necessarily be in their best interest, it is our top priority. Before you walk away from your rights, call us for a free consultation to find out how our involvement can make a difference. We help individuals all across Canada (excluding Quebec) at all stages of their Sun Life LTD claim, including applying for benefits, looking at the appeal process and applying legal pressure to secure the money you need when you can’t work.

We’ve helped countless Canadians, like Sandra Bullock (who was initially denied by Sun Life) and Julie Austin, get the compensation they deserve after being turned away by their insurer. Call Canada’s most positively reviewed law firm at 1-855-821-5900, email Help@DisabilityRights.ca, or contact us online for a FREE consultation.