Am I Working In My Specialty?
A Case Study

Specialty-specific disability insurance policies allow you to collect benefits if you are no longer able to perform the duties of your specialty occupation (even if you are working in another medical or dental field).   We often get asked – will I be able to collect on my specialty-specific policy? Will my insurer fairly determine my specialty?

One illustrative case is that of Pak v. Guardian[1].  Dr. Pak, an anesthesiologist, sued Guardian after he was denied total disability benefits. Dr. Pak argued that his specialty was that of a pediatric anesthesiologist and that he was unable to perform the material and substantial duties of his occupation due to migraines and the accompanying symptoms. Guardian pointed to the policy’s plural definition of occupation and asserted a  “dual-occupation defense”, arguing that Dr. Pak had two occupations—anesthesiology and pediatric anesthesiology—and that he would only be totally disabled if he was disabled from both occupations.  In making this determination, in part, Guardian looked to Dr. Pak’s CPT codes.

Guardian argued, and the Court agreed, that just because Dr. Pak had a certification in pediatric anesthesiology, he had not necessarily limited himself to that occupation. The Court explained, “the provision does not state that a claimant’s specialty is automatically deemed their occupation. Viewing the provision in its entirety, it focuses on whether the claimant was restricted to that specialty.”

While Guardian’s analysis indicated that Dr. Pak’s CPT codes indicated that 93% of his pre-disability time and revenue was derived from general anesthesiology procedures, Dr. Pak argued that the CPT codes did not give the whole picture of his duties.  The Court determined that how much time Dr. Pak spent performing the work of a pediatric anesthesiologist (and what that work entailed) was a question best left to the jury.

This case highlights how difficult it can be to collect total disability benefits under a specialty-specific policy, even if you are board certified in a recognized specialty.  If you have a specialty-specific policy and are considering filing a disability insurance claim, please feel free to reach out to one of our attorneys directly.

[1] Pak v. Guardian Life Ins. Co., No. 21-cv-05032-WHO, 2022 WL 410947 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 10, 2022).

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 using any of the tactics above to evaluate your claim, an experienced disability insurance attorney can help you assess the situation and determine what options, if any, are available.

 

Search Our Site