When a doctor or surgeon can’t work due to a disabling condition, it’s more than just a career setback—it’s a life-changing challenge.
At Marc Whitehead & Associates, our Disability Lawyers are here to make the process easier. We help physicians, surgeons, and other medical professionals through the often frustrating world of disability insurance.
Our Long Term Disability Lawyers for Doctors understand the unique demands of your profession and the challenges you face when filing a claim. Unfortunately, insurance companies frequently delay or deny benefits, leaving you without the financial support you need. That’s where we come in.
With over 30 years in business, we’ve helped countless doctors and specialists fight back against denials and secure the long term disability benefits they’ve earned. Let us handle the legal battles so you can focus on what matters most: your health and recovery.
Why Choose Our Long Term Disability Law Firm for Doctors?
At Marc Whitehead & Associates, disability law is all we do. We’ve spent over 30 years advocating for professionals like you and have recovered millions in benefits for our clients.
Here’s why doctors and surgeons trust us:
- Focused Field of Knowledge: We understand the unique needs of medical professionals and how to protect their livelihoods.
- Proven Experience: Our team brings over 120 years of combined experience in disability law.
- Double Board Certification: Marc Whitehead is board-certified in both disability law and litigation.
- Comprehensive Support: From filing claims to handling appeals, we’re with you every step of the way.
When facing a physician disability insurance battle, you need a team that knows how to win. Contact us today for a consultation—let us help you secure the benefits you’ve worked so hard for.
For a free legal consultationwith a denied doctor disability claim lawyer serving Nationwide, call (800) 562-9830
Doctor Long Term Disability Claims
Unlike many other professions, even the slightest injury or illness can end a doctor’s career. Insurance companies make a great deal of money selling disability insurance policies to doctors and other medical professionals, such as dentists, chiropractors, nurses, and veterinarians.
Filing a claim and obtaining disability benefits should be straightforward, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. Resourceful tactics are historically used by the insurance provider to mislead or confuse claimants and thereby stage a denial of benefits. Here are some examples:
- A doctor struggling with a severe back injury faces a daily battle with her disability insurance carrier. After filing a claim, her insurance company paid disability benefits for 120 days. The claims handler then sent a letter terminating this doctor’s disability benefits, saying they found her to no longer be disabled.
- A surgeon diagnosed with Parkinson‘s Disease is no longer able to operate on patients due to hand tremors. His disability insurance provider denied his claim for benefits because it determined he was not “totally disabled” from his “own occupation” as defined by the policy.
- A cardiologist diagnosed with the onset of dementia is denied long term disability coverage after a two-year payment period. The explanation given is that his policy’s mental conditions coverage is limited to 24 months.
In cases such as the examples above, wrongful denial or termination of doctors’ disability claims stand a good chance of being appealed and won.
Our Long term disability attorneys for doctors can help craft a custom appeal that will give you the best chance of getting the benefits you deserve.
Nationwide Denied Doctor Disability Claim Lawyer Near Me (800) 562-9830
We Can Help With a Wide Range of Disability Claim Challenges
Our disability insurance attorneys represent medical professionals across the U.S. whose insurers have wrongly denied their long term disability claims. Our experience covers the spectrum of medical conditions.
We support medical professionals facing disability insurance challenges, including:
- Chiropractor Disability Denials: We help chiropractors appeal denied disability insurance claims and protect their financial future.
- Controlling Your Terms of Care: We help doctors push back when insurers deny claims by unfairly dictating medical treatment.
- Dentist Disability Insurance Claim Denials: We guide dentists through the appeals process after an unfair claim denial.
- Disability Insurance for Doctors of Osteopathy: We help DOs overcome obstacles to receiving disability benefits.
- Nurse Practitioners Disability Denial: We advocate for NPs whose disability insurance claims have been wrongfully denied.
- Physician Assistants Disability Claim Denial: We represent PAs in appealing claim denials and enforcing their insurance rights.
Doctor Disability Claim Denials and “Own Occupation” Policies
Doctors, surgeons, dentists, and other medical professionals often rely on “own occupation” private disability policies as a financial safety net. These policies are specifically designed to provide income replacement if a medical professional becomes disabled and can no longer work in their chosen specialty.
However, the outcome of a claim often hinges on one critical factor: how the long term disability insurance policy defines the term “disabled”.
The Role of “Own Occupation” in Denials
Most “own occupation” policies define disability as the inability to perform the essential duties of your specific medical specialty. For example, if a hand surgeon develops a condition that prevents them from performing intricate surgeries, they should qualify for benefits under this type of policy—even if they are still able to practice general medicine.
Unfortunately, many physician long term disability claim denials arise from insurers interpreting policy language in ways that undermine the doctor’s protections. Claims handlers may:
- Assess whether the doctor is disabled from medicine broadly, instead of focusing on their specific specialty.
- Deny claims regardless of whether the doctor’s “regular occupation” is explicitly defined as their specialty.
When insurers apply the policy’s wording improperly, this misinterpretation can unfairly strip physicians of the benefits they rightfully purchased.
Our doctor long term disability insurance lawyers are experienced in addressing these unjust denials. We fight to ensure that the unique demands of your specialty are recognized and that your rights under the policy are fully upheld.
A Case of Denied Doctor Disability Insurance Benefits
Insurers often use the Department of Labor’s databases — The Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) and O*Net — during the vocational review of a doctor disability insurance claim.
For example, the occupations of doctors, internists, ophthalmologists, urologists, dermatologists, dentists, physician assistants, and other practitioners are identified as light occupations by the DOT. Light occupations require a significant amount of standing/walking.
But if that sounds vague, it is, especially when so much is at stake. Some insurers use the DOT’s general job definitions as opposed to the true definition of the individual doctor’s vocation. By subtly redefining the actual job, the insurer has a way to deny the claim, based on misleading vocational information.
Misleading Vocational Information Example
Doctors could face a range of situations where their claim is harmed due to incorrect vocational details. Here is one example:
- In a private disability case, a urologist buys “own occupation” disability insurance from an agent. The policy is written to be very specific to her individual practice. The doctor would be determined “totally disabled” if she cannot perform the same specialty area of medicine she had worked in before the disability.
- She files a claim for disability. The claims handler misinterprets policy provisions and decides the “light” occupational strength level requires the lowest level of capacity. As a urologist, although she can no longer perform procedures, she can still see patients in an office setting and do follow-up work.
- The claim is denied on the basis that the impairment is not severe enough to stop her from working in her own occupation.
These are only a few examples of why you need to be prepared for an insurer’s attempt to unreasonably deny your claim or terminate benefits. Learn more about how policies sold to protect specialty duties of your own occupation are often misused by companies to deny a doctor’s disability insurance benefits.
How to Get Long Term Disability Coverage for a Doctor
Medical professionals like doctors and surgeons typically rely on physician disability insurance to protect their income in case of illness or injury. To secure comprehensive coverage, take the following actions:
- Understand Your Policy: Read the fine print to know exactly what your insurance covers, including any exclusions or limitations.
- Choose Own-Occupation Coverage: This ensures you’re covered if you can no longer perform the specific duties of your medical specialty.
- Maintain Detailed Records: Keep thorough documentation of your health and work history to support any future claims.
- Consult an Attorney Early: A disability denial lawyer for doctors can review your policy to ensure it’s robust and protects your career.
How to Appeal Long Term Disability Denial for Doctors
If your claim is denied, you have the right to appeal. Here’s how to strengthen your case:
- Review the Denial Letter: Understand the exact reasons for the denial.
- Gather Supporting Evidence: Collect updated medical records, physician statements, and proof of how your condition impacts your ability to work.
- Consult a Surgeon Disability Attorney: An attorney can analyze the denial, address weaknesses in your claim, and handle the appeal process.
- File Your Appeal on Time: Insurance companies have strict deadlines—don’t miss them.
Our doctor disability claim denial attorneys focus closely on handling these appeals, ensuring your case is professionally represented.
Don’t Let the Insurance Company Manipulate You
For every “reason” the carrier uses to deny a legitimate claim, we will reply in kind with a stronger, legal argument:
- Insurers will rely on the opinions of their in-house medical professionals as a basis for denial. These doctors may not be familiar with your condition or may fail to evaluate the totality of your impairment.
- Manipulating the policy’s definitions of “disability” and “occupation” is a favored tactic used to deny benefits.
- The insurance company may seem to make a strong case against your claim for memory deficiency or Alzheimer’s. However, mental conditions are not always subject to restrictions or exclusion.
- Insurers often allege malingering, or feigning disability, if their in-house medical examiner cannot find an objective basis upon which to deny your claim.
I could give you hundreds more examples. Unfortunately, many newly disabled doctors and medical professionals blindly accept their insurance company’s decisions to deny or limit benefits. Others try to take on the fight on their own. That’s where a disability lawyer for doctors becomes essential.
Billion-dollar insurance companies are accomplished and well-equipped in the art of containing costs and increasing profits. Insureds must be even more prepared in order to protect themselves.
\When a doctor’s disability claims are denied, it is critical that they work with qualified legal counsel experienced in disability insurance law.
Call Our Long Term Disability Law Firm to Learn More
By asking for our evaluation of your case, you can decide if taking legal action is in your best interest. Remember, timing may be critical to your situation.
Marc Whitehead and the attorneys at Marc Whitehead & Associates have 120 years of combined experience in disability insurance law, representing individuals with all types of disabling conditions.
We have earned a national reputation for prosecuting doctor disability claims against insurance companies that wrongly stonewall, deny, or terminate legitimate disability claims.
We have what it takes to handle the insurance company, help you prove your claim, and secure the benefits you deserve.
Llama o envía un mensaje de texto al (800) 562-9830 o rellena el formulario de evaluación gratuita de tu caso
