When should a Short-Term Disability (STD) or Long-Term Disability (LTD) claim be filed?
For STD, a claim should be filed as soon as the employee is aware that he/she will be off work beyond the elimination period. For LTD, we typically advise that the claim is filed no later than half way through the LTD elimination period. There are many advantages to filing a claim early. Early notification helps us be proactive in obtaining additional information that may be needed to make the initial claim decision. It also assists us in making timely decisions. Once the claim is filed, a claim manager is assigned to the claim. The claim manager will be your point of contact for any claim questions that may arise. There are 4 sections to the claim form: the HIPAA Authorization, the Employer Section, the Employee section and the Physician section. All 4 sections must be completed. Note: If you have both STD and LTD coverages with Principal Life, and you have already filed an STD claim, you do not need to file a separate form for the LTD coverage.
