If you are a physician whose disability insurance claim was denied, our attorneys can help you take powerful legal action. Marc Whitehead & Associates represents medical, surgical and dental professionals throughout the United States who are struggling with physical or mental disabilities.
No matter what your disabling condition is, we want you to know you can depend on us for answers.
Our priority is to help you get the financial benefits you need, as quickly as possible. Our clients include:
● Anesthesiologists | ● Optometrists |
● Cardiologists | ● Otolaryngologists |
● Dentists | ● Orthodontists |
● Dermatologist | ● Orthopedic Surgeons |
● Emergency Room Physicians | ● Physician Assistants |
● Endodontists | ● Prosthodontists |
● Gastroenterologists | ● Psychiatrists |
● Neurosurgeons | ● Psychologists |
● Ophthalmologists | ● Radiologists |
● Obstetricians | ● Surgeons |
● Oncologists | ● Veterinarians |
It is important that your attorney understands every aspect of the disability insurance claims process and knows the practices and strategies of disability insurance companies. We deal with all major insurance carriers routinely, on a daily basis.
Complexities of Long Term Disability Insurance Claims for Physicians
The insurance companies are equipped with vast resources and shrewd legal teams. You must be too.
Your attorney must have an in-depth understanding of disabling medical conditions and the functional limitations of numerous diseases and injuries.
A complete vocational analysis of your education, work skills, occupation and industry specific trends must also be completed.
Your attorney must be experienced and well-versed in disability law and all types of LTD policies:
- Your policy may be a physicians’ association group disability insurance plan. This includes policies available to members of the American Medical Association.
- Private insurance policies purchased directly from a broker are regulated under state insurance laws. These claims are subject to breach of contract, bad faith, and other causes of action.
- If your policy was obtained through an employer-sponsored group benefits plan, federal ERISA law prevails.
- Other insurance may play a role in your claim as well, such as Social Security Disability or worker’s compensation.
We have represented physician disability claim denials against the nation’s largest and most litigious insurance companies. We can help you if you have been denied a long term disability insurance claim by any carrier, including:
● Unum | ● Sun Life |
● Aetna | ● Colonial Life |
● The Hartford | ● Liberty Mutual |
● AIG | ● Guardian |
● AXA Equitable | ● MetLife |
● CNA Insurance | ● Prudential |
● Great West | ● Penn Mutual |
● The Standard | ● Cigna |
● New York Life | ● Metropolitan |
● ING | ● Jefferson-Pilot |
● Provident Life & Accident | ● Life Insurance Company of North America (LINA) |
Your disability coverage may be under a group disability plan or under an individual disability insurance (IDI) policy. As you may know, IDI policies in particular are vigorously marketed to medical professionals.
Insurance companies are eager to sell a customized individual policy while you’re healthy, but not so eager to pay claims. Most physician disability plans are high-end policies. Thus, many carriers are motivated to protect their bottom line, not yours.
Common “reasons” insurance providers use to derail legitimate physician disability claims:
- Our medical examiner has determined that you are not disabled
- Your medical records do not substantiate your disability
- There is lack of objective evidence to substantiate total disability
- Your attending physician has agreed with our decision that you are not disabled (i.e. misrepresenting what your doctor stated, or catching him or her unprepared)
- Inaccurately defining your “own occupation”
- Our functional capacity evaluation shows that your physical limitations do not prevent you from performing the duties of your own occupation
- Our video surveillance shows that you are not disabled according to the terms of your policy
- You are not disabled from working in “any occupation”
- Your disability is caused by a mental condition, therefore coverage is limited to 24 months
- We find you to no longer be disabled
Stand Up to Physician Disability Claim Denial
The stakes in any doctor’s disability claim are high, giving the insurance company serious incentive to contest the claim. You can expect to be confronted, investigated, and challenged every step of the way. Many insurers intend to wear you down, no matter how solid your claim is. These tactics that you see as “unscrupulous,” insurance companies call “smart business.”
Does Big Insurance Hold All the Cards?
No – it might seem that way, but you can appeal your claim and win, with the right help. The doctor disability claim attorney you choose can make all the difference to the success of your case.
Marc Whitehead & Associates are among the few law firms nationwide who manage these kinds of cases every day. The major disability insurance companies know our firm and understand that we provide skilled representation for our clients.
Learn what your options really are.
Give us a call at 800-562-9830 to schedule a consult with us to review your situation and evaluate the validity of the denial, at no charge or obligation to you.
When you contact our firm, we will not respond with “we’ll see what we can do.” We will listen to your case and tell you exactly what we can and will do.