Because most disability insurance for Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) offer quality benefits, insurers often scrutinize their disability claims as though they are “suspect.”
Contrary to the day you spoke with the insurance agent who bent over backwards to assist, now you must deal with the insurance claims examiner.
As disability attorneys, we notice a tendency for some insurance providers to search out loopholes and weak spots upon which to base claim denials.
Insurers hire surveillance, use delay tactics and countless other methods to deny. Along with medical evidence, they examine financial records, investigate your practice and how many patients you were seeing, and what your primary duties were when you filed the disability claim (as opposed to when you first became disabled).
For these and many other reasons, physicians, osteopaths, chiropractors and dentists should all be aware of the behind-the-scenes issues that accompany their disability claims.
What Issues are Specific to Disability Insurance for DOs?
DOs practice in all medical fields, and also apply osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) with patients. OMT is a hands-on aspect of the practice enabling the doctor to diagnose and treat patients through stretching, resistance and gentle pressure.
Because osteopaths practice in every medical specialty, they are heavily targeted by insurance companies as potential buyers of specialty disability insurance policies. While these policies may be written to be very specialty-specific, the policy language is often interpreted in ways favorable to the insurance company, not the claimant.
Many insurance carriers use the Dictionary of Occupational Titles to determine the vocational requirements of the doctor’s occupation. These vocational requirements are often outdated, and do not accurately describe the job routinely performed by the doctor – which often is more vocationally demanding.
The DOT considers the occupation of Osteopathic Physician as Very Skilled work, with a physical strength level of Medium. As a medium job, osteopathic medicine requires the ability to stand all day, occasionally lifting up to 50 pounds and frequent lifting and carrying of up to 25 pounds.
Osteopaths are subject to various physical and exertional demands to the back, neck and hands, while maintaining stressful postures to administer manipulative treatment. After years of such physical demands, a number of disabling conditions can arise that damage the doctor’s ability to work.
Doctors of osteopathy disability insurance claims can be fiercely disputed by insurance companies. If you have been unfairly denied benefits, a good disability lawyer can make the difference. Make sure your lawyer has the skills necessary to effectively handle the issues surrounding doctors’ disability policies.
Lawyers Handling Denied Disability Insurance for Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine
Our law firm handles cases where insurance companies unreasonably denied MD’s and DO’s disability benefits. With the high cost of the premiums paid, these policies’ benefits will be among the highest insurers will have to pay out.
Take these measures to protect your rights:
- If you do not have a copy of your policy, request a copy immediately.
- Read through your policy; know how it defines “total disability” and “occupation,” and whether your policy has Residual or Partial Disability riders or other optional coverage.
- Keep all documents and correspondence relevant to your policy, both dated and current.
- Write down all verbal communications, print out all emails.
- Discuss appealing your disability denial and any other LTD claim issues with qualified legal counsel.
Our doctor disability claim denial attorneys have valuable experience representing cases of unfairly denied disability insurance for doctors. We may be able to help you to successfully overturn the denial.
Please contact the doctor disability claim lawyers at Marc Whitehead & Associates for a free, no obligation evaluation of your case.