Filing a Claim Based on a Cancer Diagnosis: A Case Study
A cancer diagnosis can lead to the need to file a disability claim, not just for the disease itself but often for the severe side effects that can be experienced during chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other cancer treatment. But will your insurer recognize this and continue to pay benefits?
You may expect that this would be a straightforward disability claim and, at least at first, it likely will be. However, in our experience, we have noted that some disability insurers may cut off benefits prematurely, in an effort to push cancer survivors back to work despite ongoing medical limitations.
The case of Hardy v. Unum Life Ins. Co.[1] provides an apt example of this. Here, the plaintiff, Mark Hardy was an attorney specializing in defense of malpractice claims. He suffered a fractured pelvis in late October 2016 and later it was discovered that he also had plasmacytoma (a tumor of the plasma cells of bony or soft tissue).
Hardy went on to have surgery to remove the tumor and repair his pelvic bone in November 2016. While he completed five weeks of radiation, it was not successful and he began a course of chemotherapy which left him unable to work a full-time schedule.
According to Hardy’s complaint in this case, the side effects of chemotherapy left him with neuropathy, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, L pubic ramus destruction, chronic pain, lack of stamina and fatigue-related memory gaps. While he tried to return to work full-time after his initial period of disability, this became impossible and he began working part-time in February 2019, and also stopped performing the material duties of his specialty occupation (including no longer taking cases to trial). He filed a new LTD claim with Unum on February 11, 2019 and it was initially approved.
In June 2020, Unum requested updated information from Hardy regarding his work status and condition, as well as requesting an attending physician’s statement from his oncologist. On July 13, 2020, Unum recertified Hardy’s disability and let him know that they would not be reviewing his claim for another year. However, just a few weeks later, his case was transferred to a different Unum analyst for additional review. Without notifying Hardy, Unum sent another attending physician’s statement to his oncologist and began a background investigation.
As part of their investigation, Unum sought additional information from his oncologist, sent the file for a medical review, contacted his employer for a job description and had their designated medical officer review the case. They ultimately issued a letter on December 10, 2020 terminating the claim. Hardy appealed and submitted additional evidence in support of his limitations (including the ongoing support of his oncologist, updated medical records, a vocational analysis, and declarations from other attorneys at his firm). Unum employed an additional medical review and its own vocational analysis. Unum ultimately upheld their termination of the claim and Hardy filed his lawsuit.
While the lawsuit remains pending in court, it demonstrates the difficulty that cancer patients may face when filing disability claims due to a cancer diagnosis and treatment. As in the Hardy case, most often, the primary area of contention relates to the severity and permanency of ongoing complications/side effects after the cancer is in remission. If you have a question on how your insurance company is handling your claim, please feel free to reach out to one of our attorneys directly.
Every claim is unique and the discussion above is only a limited summary of the court’s ruling in this case. If you are concerned that your insurer is not evaluating your claim under the proper standard, an experienced disability insurance attorney can help you assess the situation and determine what options, if any, are available.
[1] Hardy v. Unum Life Ins. Co. of Am., No. 23-CV-563 (JRT/JFD), 2023 WL 4841952 (D. Minn. July 28, 2023)
