Jan 4, 2021 - Articles, Long Term Disability Insurance by Seltzer & Associates
If you are treating a patient with a disabling condition, your patient may ask you to complete and Attending Physician’s Statement for a claim for disability insurance benefits. This paperwork is important as it provides the insurance company with necessary information to evaluate your patient’s claim for disability insurance benefits. Just as you are fighting for your patient’s physical and mental health, your patient’s Philadelphia disability insurance lawyer is fighting for your patient’s financial wellbeing.
As your patient’s treatment progresses, you may be asked for medical updates to address any physical or mental restrictions and limitations due to the disabling condition. These updates are used by the insurance company to determine whether or not your patient remains disabled within the terms of the policy.
Insurance Companies Need to Understand Every Patient is Unique
As a physician you know that each patient is unique, and any illness or injury will affect different patients in different ways. The severity of limitations due to disability may vary depending on a number of factors unique to your patient including the patient’s prior health history, current comorbidities, and severity of disease. This is why patient treatment records and physician evaluations are so important to a patient’s pursuit of disability insurance benefits. Without a treating physician’s thorough explanation of the extent of restrictions or limitations caused by the patient’s disability, the insurance company may rely on biased, internal medical review depriving your patient of a full, fair and objective claim determination.
Your Words Matter
Your patient’s disability insurance policy will include many definitions, clauses and riders that can be confusing. These potentially ambiguous contract provisions may be used to deny or limit your patient’s disability insurance benefits. You are your patient’s advocate! Your treatment records will be used in the evaluation of your patient’s claim. While certain forms may include a grading system of severity, your descriptive and qualitative analysis of your patient’s condition may be critical to your patient’s disability claim.
Just as you coordinate your patient’s medical care, coordination with your patient’s Philadelphia disability insurance lawyer can help them greatly as well. Providing appropriate care to your patient and communicating the firsthand medical information to the insurance company is crucial to the claim. As a treating physician, you are able to communicate the critical details of patient’s disabling conditions, side effects of medications, physical or mental restrictions and limitations. As a treatment provider, you can help assure that the medical file is accurately interpreted by the disability insurer, and that your patient is not the victim of a biased medical review.
We’re Here When You Need Us
Seltzer & Associates represents physicians and medical professionals nationwide. If you are unable to work due to a physiological, psychiatric or psychological impairment, or addiction, we can represent you throughout the disability insurance claims process. Contact a Philadelphia disability insurance lawyer at Seltzer & Associates today to learn more about our disability practice specific to professionals.