Chiropractors know all too well the pain their patients feel, as many develop musculoskeletal issues themselves due to the physical nature of the treatment they provide. For two chiropractors, both battling the insurance world’s 800 pound gorilla UNUM and its subsidiaries, Newfield Law Group navigated their claims to success.
One chiropractor struggled to continue to perform in his solo practice, treating people of many different ages and stages despite his own array of orthopedic problems. He wisely contacted Disability Attorney Jason Newfield before filing a claim, as he was worried (rightfully so) about getting UNUM to pay his benefits. From other colleagues, he had concerns about UNUM’s reputation for challenging claims. With a monthly benefit of $9,000 at stake, he didn’t want to risk going it alone in a process he had no familiarity with.
Jason Newfield was with him every step of the way, meeting with the client to review the policy and discuss relevant terms, preparing the claim and all supporting documents, making sure his medical history was robust, working with his physician to understand the nature and severity of the impairment, and preparing for any challenges.
A private disability policy with a high monthly benefit always raises a red flag for claims administrators, but because of Newfield Law Group’s vast experience with these claims, and thorough representation in advance, this claim was handled property and the chiropractor’s claim was successful. We are pleased that he has been declared totally disabled by UNUM, and he continues to receive benefits.
Another chiropractor owned a successful practice but after many years, his own orthopedic challenges made it necessary for him to stop doing patient care. He owned an Independent Disability Insurance Policy (IDI), sometimes referred to as a private policy, that was initially sold through Paul Revere, which was acquired years ago by UNUM. He also had business overhead expense disability insurance and wanted to make sure both insurance policies paid benefits as had been promised.
He also contacted Jason before filing a claim for long term disability. He had not seen a lot of doctors for his orthopedic condition, and he understood that this lack of care of treatment (despite his many conditions) could be used against him when filing a claim.
He also wanted to keep his practice open by having other chiropractors providing care for his patients. This too is often used by the insurance company as a justification not to pay, or to limit a claim, with the argument that someone who is managing a successful practice isn’t disabled. But if you own a private disability insurance policy, you bought it to insure your ability to perform the specific tasks of your profession. Your occupation as a Chiropractor should be considered the hands on care and treatment.
Whether or not you manage a practice should not impact your claim, although disability insurance companies are notorious for using this as a reason not to pay benefits. And in some cases, it can be problematic, if not properly explained.
Jason Newfield worked with his client’s treating physician, collecting the array of diagnostic evidence, and helped to ensure his claims were substantiated by all the right medical and vocational support. He also constrained the insurance company’s often endless requests for financial records, providing only the financial records required by the policy to ensure benefits could be paid.
Our Chiropractor’s long term disability insurance claim was accepted and he is now receiving lifetime monthly benefits. Jason Newfield was also helpful in navigating issues surrounding the business overhead expense insurance to recover losses and continued expenses.
Going up against an industry giant like UNUM (or any of them) is not something anyone dealing with a disabling condition should try to do on their own. Anyone who has had any type of claim with insurance knows the hurdles imposed. These claims carry much more exposure to the insurance companies, and thus, one can expect significant challenges to a claim. An experienced long term disability insurance attorney should be consulted before filing a claim, or if the claim is denied, before trying to manage an appeal on your own. The stakes are simply too high.