Unum Study Shows an Increase in
Musculoskeletal & Joint Disorder Disability Claims
Over the Past 10 Years

As we have discussed in previous posts, musculoskeletal disorders are common among dentists because the profession requires dentists to perform repetitive movements and hold static positions for long periods of time.  Unum, one of the largest private disability insurers in the U.S., recently released the results of a ten-year review of its disability claims, showing that both short and long term disability claims for musculoskeletal issues and joint disorders have increased significantly.

According to Unum’s internal statistics, long term disability claims related to musculoskeletal issues have risen approximately 41% over the past ten years, and long-term disability claims related to joint disorders have risen approximately 24%.  In that same period of time, short term disability claims for musculoskeletal issues have increased by 24%, and short-term disability claims for joint disorders have risen 29%.

Unum no longer sells individual disability insurance policies, so the profitability of this block of business is reliant upon premiums received from existing policyholders (or costs saved by denying/terminating claims).  Musculoskeletal claims made by physicians, dentists, and other professionals in particular are intensely scrutinized, and often targeted for denial or termination, both because of the increasing number of claims and the difficulty claimants often face in trying to prove up their conditions (which often have primarily subjective symptoms that aren’t often verifiable through a medical exam, or via tests like MRIs or EMGs). In musculoskeletal claims insurers may request that physicians and dentists undergo tests such as independent medical examinations (IME) or functional capacity evaluation (FCE), or the insurer may conduct surveillance in order to find manufacture a basis for denying or terminating a legitimate claim.

Given the rising number claims based on these conditions, Unum and other insurers may subject them to even higher scrutiny.  For this reason, physicians, dentists, and other professionals must be aware of the obstacles they can face when filing a claim.

References:

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180503006409/en/Ten-year-review-Unum%E2%80%99s-disability-claims-shows-trends.

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