Physician Claims & Resources
Our law firm’s disability insurance attorneys regularly represent physicians filing “own occupation” disability claims. We are located in Phoenix, Arizona, but our attorneys work with doctors nationwide.
If you’re a physician who has just been diagnosed with a potentially disabling condition, there are probably a lot of things running through your mind—how much longer can I practice? What if I hurt a patient due to my disability? What will the Board do? Will my malpractice insurance cover me if they discover what happened? How am I going to pay my bills if I can’t work? Am I ever going to be able to go back to work or is my disability policy going to be my only source of income?
Or maybe you’ve already filed your claim, and are concerned about a delay in payment or whether insurance companies’ surveillance or other aggressive investigation tactics are permitted under your policy. Maybe your insurance company initially approved your claim, but is refusing to acknowledge the permanent nature of your condition and is pushing you to return to work when you don’t feel that it is safe to do so. Or you have a friend who just offered you a new job opportunity that you’d like to take, to keep yourself busy, but you’re not sure if your policy allows you to work. Or maybe your claim was just denied, and you’re wondering where do I go from here?
Ultimately, the answers to these questions largely depend on several factors, including your practice area, the nature of your condition, your insurer, when your policies were issued, and what the key definitions in your policy say, among other things. Regardless of where you are in the disability claims process, our firm is here to help. We’ve compiled the resources below for physicians who are interested in learning more about the disability claims process.
If you don’t find the answers you are looking for here, you can search our disability insurance blog or contact one of our attorneys.
Physician FAQs
- When Do I Need to File a Disability Insurance Claim?
- When Should I Contact an Attorney About My Claim?
- What Should I Expect if I File a Disability Claim?
- Do I Have a True “Own Occupation” Policy?
- Should I Just Take a Break From Practicing to See If I Feel Better?
- Do I Need an Attorney to File a Specialty-Specific Disability Claim?
- Why Does the Disability Insurance Company Want My CPT Codes?
- How Long Does it Take to Get Disability Benefits? – Part 1
- How Long Does it Take to Get Disability Benefits? – Part 2
- Can I Collect Disability Benefits For Burnout?
- Can My Disability Insurer Require Me to Have Surgery?
- What if Surgery Doesn’t Work?
- I’ve Been Paid Benefits for Years, Why Is My Insurer Asking for More Information?
- Questions to Ask When Choosing a Disability Attorney
Do Your Disability Insurance Attorneys Represent Physicians in My State?
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Physician Articles
- What If You Could Not Be a Physician?
- Disability Insurance and the Physician: Can You Collect on Your Policy?
- What Every Physician Needs to Know About ERISA
- What Should I Expect When Filing A Disability Claim?
- Misuse of Surveillance in Investigation of Physicians’ Disability Claims
- The Four Functions of Insurance: What is the Proper Role of the Claim Department?
- The Importance of Advocacy in the Disability Claim Process
- Protecting the Protectors: Depression & Medical Professionals
- The Challenges Faced by Professionals Filing Mental Health Claims
Physician Blog Series
Major Disability Insurer Profiles and Claim Tips
- Guardian/Berkshire
- Unum
- MassMutual
- Principal
- MetLife
- Standard
- Davies Life & Health/Disability Management Services
- Lloyd’s of London
- Hartford
- Northwestern Mutual
- Lincoln Financial
- New York Life/Cigna/LINA
- Ameritas
- Ohio National
Top 10 Legal Mistakes Series
- Mistake #1: Failing to Consult with a Disability Lawyer
- Mistake #2: Misunderstanding the Definitions of “Disability” and “Occupation”
- Mistake #3: Inadequate Documentation
- Mistake #4: Blindly Attending an Independent Medical Exam
- Mistake #5: Believing All Mental Conditions Are Excluded or Subject to Limitations
- Mistake #6: Engaging in Inadequate Communication with Treating Physician
- Mistake #7: Quantifying Time
- Mistake #8: Ignoring the Possibility of Surveillance
- Mistake #9: Blindly Accepting that Subjectively Diagnosed Conditions are Not Covered
- Mistake #10: Tossing Out Application, Policy and Claim Documents
10 More Legal Mistakes Series
- Mistake #1: Blindly Relying on an Insurance Agent
- Mistake #2: Failing to Carefully Review Policy Applications
- Mistake #3: Failing to Understand the Limitations in Newer Disability Policies
- Mistake #4: Mistakenly Believing that They Have a True “Own Occupation” Policy
- Mistake #5: Misunderstanding the New Definition of “Occupation”
- Mistake #6: Reducing Work Hours Prior to Filing a Claim
- Mistake #7: Being Caught Off-Guard by the Aggressiveness of the Claim Investigation
- Mistake #8: Misunderstanding the Scope of the Investigation
- Mistake #9: Allowing the Insurance Company to Dictate the Terms of Your Care
- Mistake #10: Replacing Your Old Policy With a New One
Insurance Company Tactics Series
- The “Dual Occupation” Defense
- Conducting Multiple Paper Reviews
- Selectively Reviewing Claim Files
- Ignoring Evidence
- Misidentifying Claims
- Ignoring Treating Physician Evidence
- IMEs, Rushed Exams & Piecemeal Testing
- Overemphasizing Daily Activities
- Questioning Medical Decisions
- Surveillance
Key Policy Provisions Series
- Care Requirements
- Interviews & Examinations
- Authorizations
- Medical Examinations
- Limitations
- Definition of Occupation
- Financial Examinations
Practice Transition Planning
Can My Insurer Dictate My Treatment?
- What Is a Care Provision?
- “Regular Care” Provisions
- “Appropriate Care” and “Most Appropriate Care”
- Care Dictation Provisions
Arizona Disability Blog Series
- What Can I Do If My Insurer Misrepresents My Policy? Do I Have a Remedy Under Arizona Law?
- Why Was My Claim Denied? Can I Sue for Bad Faith in Arizona?
- Can You Collect On Your Specialty Specific Policy? An Arizona Case Study
- Sickness or Injury? Does it Matter Under Arizona Law?
- What is an Incontestability Clause? An Arizona Case Study
- Disability Insurance Bad Faith: Different States – Part 1 (Arizona)
- Does Arizona Require My Disability Insurer to Respond to My Letters?
- Disability Claim Investigation: What Can My Insurer Do in Arizona?
- Are Disability Insurance Benefits Marital Property in Arizona?
- Has My Disability Insurer Acted in Bad Faith Under Arizona Law?