DarrasLaw Helps You Secure Benefits from Davies/DMS
Who is Davies and What To Do If You Experience A DMS Claim
Disability Management Services (DMS), now operating under the name Davies Life & Health (Davies), serves as a third-party administrator, managing claims and benefits for a variety of disability insurance companies. From DarrasLaw’s perspective, Davies/DMS stands out as one of the most aggressive and profit-focused administrators in the realm of physician disability claims. They are known for dedicating significant resources to devising “innovative” methods to minimize or deny liability on behalf of their insurance clients.
If you are a physician dealing with a disability claim under the management of Davies Life & Health/Disability Management Services, it’s vital to secure representation from DarrasLaw as soon as possible. This ensures that your rights are protected and that you receive fair treatment throughout the process.
DarrasLaw possesses deep insight into the tactics used by Davies/DMS and is well-equipped to navigate the complexities of filing a successful disability claim with them. To discover how our Davies Insurance Attorney has assisted other physicians and why we are the top choice for managing physician disability claims, we invite you to visit our testimonials page.
Is Davies an Insurance Provider?
No, Davies is not a disability insurance company. Instead, Davies operates as a third-party administrator, meaning they are hired to manage and evaluate disability insurance claims on behalf of other insurance companies. They do not sell disability insurance policies. Insurance companies and self-funded disability plans often partner with companies like Davies to handle claims administration, avoiding the need to maintain an internal team for this purpose. For instance, in 2021, Ohio National contracted with Davies to manage their long-term disability insurance claims, a role previously handled internally by Ohio National’s own employees. While Davies does not publicly list all the insurance companies they serve, we have managed cases where Davies acted as the third-party administrator for insurers like Lloyd’s of London, AXA/Equitable, Monarch, and several smaller companies that have since exited the disability insurance market.
Understanding What A Third-Party Administrator is?
Davies/DMS is not an insurance company; it operates as a third-party administrator, providing claims management, administration, consulting, and auditing services to disability insurance companies. If your disability claim is being administered by Davies/DMS, all communications, forms, decisions, and appeals will typically be handled through them, rather than directly with your original insurance company. Our Davies Insurance Attorney can help you with this whole process.
It’s important to note that even if your policy is not directly with Davies/DMS, they may still be the ones managing your claim if your insurance company has outsourced these responsibilities to them. Smaller disability insurers, companies that no longer actively issue disability policies, or those that prefer not to maintain an in-house claims team often engage third-party administrators like Davies to manage claims and reduce costs.
However, this setup can create conflicts of interest. Third-party administrators may aim to secure more contracts with insurance companies by limiting benefit payments wherever possible. As a result, in our experience, these administrators often adopt a more adversarial stance when investigating and evaluating claims—particularly physician claims, which can pose significant financial exposure for their insurance company clients.
Here are some challenges associated with pursuing a disability claim through a third-party administrator (TPA):
- Limited control over the claims process
- Communication challenges between the policyholder, TPA, and insurance company
- Lack of personalization in the claims process
- Potential misunderstandings due to a lack of in-depth understanding of policy details by the TPA
- Inconsistent handling of claims
- Delays in decision-making
- Limited control over the appeals process
- Complex coordination of benefits with other policies or employee benefits
- Difficulty in holding the TPA accountable for processing issues or disputes
- Legal and regulatory challenges
Does Davies Approve Long-Term Disability Claims?
In most cases, Davies conducts a thorough and methodical review of your disability insurance claim before approving long-term disability benefits. While Davies does approve long-term disability claims, they are also vigilant in searching for reasons to deny benefits. It is crucial to take every possible step to protect your disability payments.
With their acquisition of DMS, Davies has gained a highly experienced team of professionals skilled in handling disability insurance claims. If you have a claim managed by Davies, you should anticipate a fair and detailed evaluation of your eligibility for benefits each time your claim is reviewed. Unlike larger disability insurance companies, Davies’ claims handling specialists typically manage fewer cases, allowing them to scrutinize each claim more closely.
Help From Our Davies Insurance Attorney
Once your disability claim is approved, expect that Davies will continue to assess your eligibility for benefits on a regular, often monthly, basis. DarrasLaw is well-versed in Davies’ claim handling tactics and is ready to assist you with securing and maintaining your long-term disability benefits. contact us today!
