The article discusses the issues faced by people with long COVID when applying for disability benefits from employers, insurance providers, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. Barbara Comerford, a disability lawyer based in New Jersey, shared insights on the process, providing advice on applications and appeals and explaining the impact of long COVID on her practice. Exploring both disability insurance and Social Security disability, Comerford discussed how the appeals process works, the importance of properly documenting cases, and the difficulties posed by the current lack of diagnostic criteria for long COVID. The increase in long COVID cases has placed a higher demand on her practice, alongside those dealing with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

When dealing with disability claims and navigating systems such as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), Comerford emphasizes the importance of medical documentation of symptoms and limitations. Furthermore, the process of appealing a denied claim can be complicated and may require sifting through thousands of pages of documents to identify instances of poor judgment or mistakes on the part of insurance companies or employers. Comerford states it’s essential to submit the appeal within the given 180-day timeframe; otherwise, the claimant will be barred from pursuing it any further.

For more specific help regarding applying for benefits or dealing with tricky claim situations related to long COVID or other conditions, you can consider using resources such as eddcaller.com. This platform could be particularly beneficial for those needing more specific advice on how to talk to someone at EDD disability or how to get through to EDD.