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Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) play a critical role in the success of many medical procedures. They work with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists, and other professionals to ensure the safe administration of anesthesia. Some of their responsibilities include providing pain management, assisting with stabilization services, and monitoring patient recovery.
As critical as this work is, why is it so difficult for an nurse anesthetist to file for long-term disability?
Because the insurance company looks at their case from a financial standpoint, they look at how much money it will cost them to provide a nurse anesthetist with benefits throughout the illness or disability. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2016) reports that the average salary for a nurse anesthetist is approximately $164,030 per year. The longer it could potentially take to return to work, the more scrutiny the claim will receive.
Tips for Getting Your Claim Approved
Tip #1: Gather Strong Medical Evidence
Unlike a family doctor, a nurse anesthetist is usually unfamiliar with the medical paperwork required to file a long-term disability claim. Gather all the medical evidence from your doctors who are treating your disability. Make sure your doctors note your pain levels in your chart, as this is not always common practice, but you will need it for your claim.
Nurse anesthetists monitor several patients at once, which keeps them on their feet for hours at a time. They may spend time each week exercising to stay healthy. While recovering from their disability, this may not be an option. The excessive amount of rest needed to recover can be prolonged and cause depression. If seeking treatment for depression, be sure to include these medical records.
Tip #2: Anticipate Surveillance
Surveillance is perfectly legal. During surveillance, an investigator will stake out your home, talk to neighbors about your daily activities, and try to use this information against you in court. For this reason, it is imperative that you do not to rush back into your exercise routine or do anything physically strenuous during the surveillance period.
Tip #3: Stay Off Social Media
In our article here, we discuss the likelihood of social media accounts being monitored. Your work schedule probably does not allow for social media. However, if you are at home with nothing to do but rest, you may be tempted to create an account. We recommend that you stay off social media completely during the claim period. The insurance investigator will try to use social media accounts to deny your claim.
Tip #4 Don’t Try to Get Back to Work Too Quickly
The amount of time spent recovering from a disability can be tedious and unproductive. Going from a very active schedule to weeks and months of rest can feel like a prison sentence. As a nurse anesthetist, you must resist the urge to return to work too soon. If you rush back to work before your body is physically and mentally ready, you run the risk of making a mistake that could cause more harm to your patients and land you in court.
Tip #5 Stay Organized
There is a lot of paperwork to keep track of when applying for long-term disability. Staying organized and saving all correspondence will help you if your claim is denied and you have to go to court. Create a folder or filing system for the following documents:
- A copy of your LTD policy;
- Copies of all letters from your insurance company and from you to the insurance company;
- Why you cannot perform your job duties (this will require medical documentation);
- A list of all medical providers that you have seen for this condition and a letter from each provider stating that your condition prevents you from working; and
- Letters summarizing all conversations (by phone or in person) between you and the insurance company representatives, nurses, doctors, and your employer. Send copies to everyone involved in the communication by certified mail as proof of receipt.
Keep everything in chronological order so that if your claim is denied, you will have a complete record of how your claim was handled.
Representation by an Experienced Long-Term Disability Attorney
As a nurse anesthetist, it can be difficult to get a long-term disability claim approved due to the costs for the insurance company. They will try to find any reason to deny your claim. By providing strong medical and financial evidence, you can create a solid administrative case file for your disability claim.
Using an experienced disability attorney will help you protect yourself from the insurance company and help you stay organized. The Ortiz Law Firm is based in Florida but represents claimants nationwide. Get a free, no obligation consultation by calling (888) 321-8131. We can help you evaluate your claim to determine if you are eligible for long-term disability benefits and how to proceed with the process.
Request a Free Policy Evaluation
Suppose you are considering purchasing disability insurance or have recently purchased a policy. We can help you understand what you are entitled to and whether there are any flaws in your coverage that could lead to a denied claim. It is easy for individual policyholders who are not trained to read insurance policies to misread or misunderstand the disability policy. As part of our evaluation, we will explain what everything means to you in your situation.
Some of the aspects of your policy that we will review include:
- Total versus residual disability;
- Own occupation versus any gainful occupation;
- Mental and nervous disability benefit limitations; and
- Self-reported conditions benefit limitations.