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Fibromyalgia And Long-Term Disability Benefits

by | Oct 31, 2017 | Firm News

Fibromyalgia is a complicated illness that is hard to diagnose and hard to treat. There is no test to detect it, and it is diagnosed using mostly symptoms that are reported by the patient. Because of these factors, a lot of insurers will not provide coverage for it. If they do, there is a high likelihood that they will consider fibromyalgia a mental health issue, which means coverage will only last 1 or two years. Getting long-term disability benefits can be difficult, but not impossible. Your policy may not specifically exclude fibromyalgia, but there’s a good chance your provider will dispute any claims for it. Here’s what you can do to up your chances of being successful. See The Right Doctors Unfortunately, there are many doctors out there who will diagnose fibromyalgia simply when they cannot figure out the cause of pain. Insurance companies know this, so you need to make sure to get treatment from a rheumatologist as well as your family doctor. Rheumatologists are the experts on fibromyalgia, and their word might carry more weight. Keep Records of Your Symptoms Make sure that you record every symptom you have. Fibromyalgia can cause fatigue, headaches, mental alertness, swelling, and a host of other issues. Keeping track and providing the list to your health care provider will help them diagnose you, and will help persuade your insurance provider that your illness is legitimate. Get Your Doctor to Give an Opinion What your health care professionals say will go a long way to determine your eligibility for long-term disability. Since fibromyalgia is hard to treat and to give a prognosis, it is important that you get your doctor’s opinion on some things. For instance, they should be able to tell you how much activity you can go through, how much you can lift, or walk, or if you should be performing certain repetitive tasks. Consult An Attorney There’s a good chance that your policy is complicated, contains a lot of jargon, and is packed with exceptions that are difficult to understand. An experienced long-term disability attorney will be able to examine your policy thoroughly and knowledgeably to make sure that nothing is missed. That way, you can present the best case possible for your claim. If you are a Minnesota resident in need of a long term disability lawyer, do not hesitate to contact Beedem Law online or by calling 612-305-1300