DISABILITY-Here are some tips to help you through the process, please call me if you have any problems

• The first 7 days of absence are considered incidental departmental absence. You are required to call into your department.
• On the 8^th calendar day call Metlife (800-638-4228) to report your absence. You will need the name of your doctor, doctor’s phone and fax numbers and your first day absent (FDA).
• Give a general assessment of what your condition is. Leave the clinical information to your doctor to report. Metlife will provisionally approve your claim. They will fax an Attending Physician’s statement (APS) and an authorization to release medical information will be sent to you. It is my opinion that you should not sign the release that Metlife will send to you.
• There is a release on this website which you should sign and give to your doctor if they need a release to send medical to Metlife. By using this release and giving it to your doctor, you get to control who has your medical information. The choice is yours.
• If your disability is approved within the first 25 days of your absence, FMLA will run concurrent (if you are eligible). If there is any problems with getting your disability approved, do not wait- get your FMLA forms filled out and returned within 25 days of your first day of absence. (see tips for FMLA)
• You must explain to your doctor that it is very important for he/she to make sure that updated clinical from each office visit be submitted to Metlife immediately after that appt.
• Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, if there is a disagreement between Metlife and your doctor, an Independent Medical Exam (IME) will be scheduled.
• If you are notified that an IME is scheduled, contact your doctor immediately and tell him/her that your disability is in question and they need to supply all clinical, test results, MRI reports etc which supports the doctor’s position that you are disabled. DO NOT RELY ON METLIFE TO FORWARD RECORDS.