If a person returns to work full-time and the same disability returns within six months, how is the claim treated?

If a person returns to work full-time and the same disability returns within six months, how is the claim treated?

• A. It is treated as a new claim with a new waiting period.
• B. The claim is treated as part of the prior claim if it occurs within 6 months, and no new waiting period is required if coverage is continuous.
• C. The claim is denied.
• D. It triggers immediate suspension.

Answer: (B)

When a disability returns within a short window after returning to work, it’s treated as a continuation of the original claim rather than a new one. If the same disability recurs within six months and the coverage has remained in force, no new waiting period is required and benefits can resume under the prior claim. This reflects that the condition hasn’t fully resolved long enough to warrant re-qualifying. If the disability recurs after more than six months, it would typically be treated as a new claim with its own waiting period. The other possibilities — treating it as a new claim with a new waiting period, denying it, or suspending benefits — don’t align with the common approach for short recurrences.

When a disability returns within a short window after returning to work, it’s treated as a continuation of the original claim rather than a new one. If the same disability recurs within six months and the coverage has remained in force, no new waiting period is required and benefits can resume under the prior claim. This reflects that the condition hasn’t fully resolved long enough to warrant re-qualifying. If the disability recurs after more than six months, it would typically be treated as a new claim with its own waiting period. The other possibilities — treating it as a new claim with a new waiting period, denying it, or suspending benefits — don’t align with the common approach for short recurrences.