Can You Travel While on Long-Term Disability?

Everyone needs a holiday once in a while, but if you are receiving long-term disability, there are various precautions you must take before leaving home for any length of time. You cannot just pack up and go. Before planning your trip, contact your Disability Claim Administrator to approve your plans. While this might seem very intrusive, insurance companies often view the idea of travel for pleasure as incompatible with the inability to work.

The Preszler personal injury law firm can answer questions you have regarding your disability insurance and what you can and cannot do. We can also aid you if your insurance company denied your claim– appealing the denial based on the circumstances.

Read Your Policy

The information you seek regarding travel and long-term disability is included in your insurance policy. This is the first place to look if you want to know about travel restrictions based on your diagnosis. Taking holidays per se are not generally forbidden, but the nature of what you can do on such trips depends on how doctors have limited your activities.

Insurance policies are often difficult for the layperson to understand. Some of the most critical facts are in the fine print. A Preszler personal injury lawyer can review your policy and inform you of what you can and cannot do. For example, some policies may permit those receiving disability payments to travel within the country, but if you leave Canada, those payments will cease.

Medical Clearance

Your healthcare provider must clear you for any planned travel. Your provider must supply this information in writing, and make it plain that such a trip will not interfere with your treatment program or interfere with your disability.

A long-term disability law firm can assist in filling out the often complicated paperwork required for various aspects of long-term disability.

Take notes on your trip

If you receive clearance to depart on your holiday, make sure to keep a careful record of your daily activities while you are away. You should have proof that, while you were able to relax and enjoy yourself, your disability did prevent you from engaging in particular activities. For example, you could not join your family on a long hike, or play games with your children. Watching children roughhouse is one thing while joining in is another. It is also wise to detail pain levels while you are on holiday.

Travelling while disabled

Before booking your holiday, do your research and investigate hotel, transportation, and site accessibility. Not only is it easier to maneuver– and enjoy yourself– when accessibility needs are met but letting the healthcare provider and insurance administrator know that you are planning a trip with your disability in mind should help in receiving clearance or permission. You may want to book a tour with an operator specializing in accommodating the disabled.

Beware of social media

If your policy strictly limits your activities while receiving disability, make sure you adhere to such restrictions. The last thing you want to do is jeopardize your long-term disability status by posting inappropriate activities on social media. Even if you are not technically violating your restrictions, certain behaviour may pose a danger of being mistaken for restriction violation by an insurance company watchdog. For best results, avoid posting scenes of your trip on social media.

Insurance surveillance

In addition to scouring social media, insurance companies conduct other types of surveillance. You do not want to accidentally trigger the loss of your disability payments by taking a short, undocumented vacation and then find out the insurance company could not locate you during that period. Long-term disability requires the regular filling out of forms and medical evaluations. If you are to report for a medical evaluation on a certain day and time, and cannot make it because you were out-of-town– that is a red flag for the insurer.

Contact a Vancouver long-term disability lawyer

If you are experiencing issues relating to travel or other problems regarding disability insurance, a Preszler long-term disability lawyer can help. Arrange a free consultation by contacting us online or calling 24/7. We provide ongoing information regarding the status of your claims. Because we work on a contingency basis, there is no fee unless we win.