CLEVELAND, September 21 — The MetLife Claims Center opened today to handle short-term disability claims from members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
To initiate a claim for a sickness, accidental injury or pregnancy, it will be necessary to call: (800) 858-6506
Call the toll free number if you are absent for more than 14 consecutive calendar days. If the absence is scheduled, such as a hospital stay, you should call prior to your last day of work. If you were disabled on July 1, 2004 or after and expect that the disability will continue through October 1, 2004, please call the toll free number as soon as possible in order to initiate a claim. When you call, you will be asked to provide the following information:
— Personal Information – name, address, telephone number, Social Security Number, job title, BLET General Committee, and local BLET Division
— Job Information – railroad, workplace location and address, work schedule, telephone number, date of hire on railroad, and date entered engine service
— Sickness/Injury Information – last day worked, nature of illness, how, when and where the injury occurred, when disability commenced, and craft working in at the time of injury/onset of illness
— Physician’s Information – name, address, telephone number, and fax number for each treating physician
MetLife will determine eligibility based on information provided by the railroads.
MetLife will mail an “Authorization to Disclose Information About Me” form to you immediately after you report your claim. It is important that you do the following:
— Complete all applicable areas of the form
— Sign the form
— Fax or mail the form as soon as possible to expedite your claim (retain original for your records)
— Provide your treating physician (s) with a signed copy
Failure to follow these steps could delay processing of your claim.
Your physician(s) may also ask you to sign his/her specific authorization form(s). Please do so.
A brochure describing the claims process in detail and a “Question and Answer” document will be mailed to covered individuals on participating railroads in the near future. A link to the “Q&A” document is on the BLET website at: https://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/metlifeqa.pdf
If you need BLET assistance in working with MetLife, please contact:
Jim Bradford
BLET Short-term Disability Administrator
(830) 896-1592
Bradford@ble-t.org