In an ERISA case, the insurer typically has 45 days, with a 45-day extension, to make a determination on your application. If your claim is denied, you’ll have 180 days to appeal. Though you can file your appeal sooner than that, it generally takes our firm about a month to get your file from the insurer and a few months to gather medical evidence. Once the appeal is submitted, the insurance company has another 45 days to make a determination, and this is often extended to 90 days. So, if your initial claim is denied, the time from your initial application to a determination on your appeal could be 8-9 months or more. If you have to file a lawsuit to collect benefits, the timeline is significantly longer.