January 23, 2018
On Jan. 5, 2018, the DOL issued a news release that sets the applicability date for the final disability claim regulations. In order to allow stakeholders more time to submit comments, the DOL delayed the originally scheduled applicability date by 90 days, which moved it up from Jan. 1, 2018 to April 1, 2018.
The final rules impose new procedural protections for employees whose disability benefit claims are denied. This means that disability claimants must receive a clear explanation of a denial, their rights to appeal a denial, and their right to review and respond to new information prior to a final decision. The final rules also require that claims and appeals are adjudicated in an impartial and independent manner, and require improvement to basic disclosure information. In addition, the final rules treat rescissions of coverage due to misrepresentation of fact as adverse benefit determinations, which would trigger the plan’s appeals procedures.
According to the news release, the final rules will apply to disability claims filed after (and not on) April 1, 2018. Therefore, employer plan sponsors will need to ensure that disability claims are administered according to the applicable rules, depending on when a claim is filed.
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