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Can my insurer contact my doctor directly?
Your disability insurance company has asked your treating physician to complete a questionnaire regarding your ability to work and current medical condition, what should you do? Requesting that updated questionnaires be completed by a claimant’s treating physicians seems to be standard in the review process. Usually, these forms consist of yes or no questions, check boxes and requests for comments on restrictions and limitations. If you know the insurance company has requested such questionnaires from your physicians it is a good idea...
read moreWhy an insurer may ignore a treating doctor’s opinion.
Many people, as well as their doctors, believe that when they file a claim for disability benefits their disability insurance company has to accept the medical professional’s opinion that they are disabled. Common sense suggests this is a reasonable assumption – but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Why? Because many insurers simply do not want to pay disability claims and, when armed with discretionary language in the policy, the insurer has the final say as to who is “disabled”, not the treating doctor. Making matters...
read moreReducing work hours may imperil disability coverage.
Many people who are struggling to work due to an acute unexpected medical condition do not have the opportunity to prepare or plan for filing a short and or long term disability claim. My experience is that most people who eventually file disability claims have chronic medical conditions which have been ongoing for months and even years. During this difficult period disabled people often find themselves engaged in an heroic effort to continue working. People engage in this long battle for many reasons, one is often financial, and the other...
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