Disability lawyers in St Louis Missouri may be able to help you get the compensation you deserve. Long-term disability insurance companies are known for seeking any reason to deny or limit long-term disability benefits for fibromyalgia patients. This complex illness is characterized by often debilitating chronic pain in the joints and muscles. Because there is no way to objectively test for the symptoms of fibromyalgia, diagnosis is largely based on self-reporting. For this reason, many insurers will not cover fibromyalgia claims at all. Other insurers list the condition as a mental disorder and will only cover payments for 12 to 24 months. You should always read your LTD insurance policy closely to determine how long you can receive benefits for fibromyalgia. The language limiting your eligibility tends to be standard from one plan to another. Most benefits will be terminated after 24 months for anyone who has a disability based on self-reported symptoms. This includes drug abuse, alcoholism and mental illness. This may include manifestations of a condition that are not able to be objectively analyzed. Numbness, ringing in the ears, fatigue, dizziness, pain, soreness and a lack of energy are common symptoms that are considered self-reported.
Policy Specifics
Even if your policy does not specifically exclude fibromyalgia, you should still anticipate difficulty when it comes to filing for disability benefits. When it comes to increasing your chances of filing a successful claim, you should first and foremost seek appropriate medical treatment. Insurance companies believe that primary physicians diagnose fibromyalgia when they are unable to find another cause of pain. If you want your insurer to take your pain seriously, visit a fibromyalgia specialist or rhematologist. Rheumatologists use various diagnostic techniques to evaluate for fibromyalgia, including blood tests and trigger point tests that attempt to find the exact location of the pain. Anyone who meets at least 11 of the 18 trigger points of pain for fibromyalgia will receive a fibromyalgia diagnosis under the American College of Rhematology criteria. When making a credible diagnosis, a rheumatologist may be taken more seriously than your regular physician. A rheumatologist is also better equipped to prescribe therapies unique to your symptom. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but it is possible to manage the pain through proper medication, exercise and diet.
Keep a Record of Symptoms
It is crucial that you keep a record of your fibromyalgia symptoms in addition to chronic pain. Even if you do not believe that type symptom is related to your condition, you should still record it for your rheumatologist. IBS, headaches, numbness, fatigue, swelling and insomnia are all commonly associated with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia may also case “fibro fog” or cognitive issues that lead to depression, stress and anxiety. A thorough diary of your mental and physical symptoms will not only help the diagnostic process, but help prove to your insurer that you have a legitimate condition. A record should be organized and neat, simple enough that it is easy to form a quick understanding of your daily limitations.
Medical Opinions
Your regular doctor’s opinion is crucial when it comes to winning an LTD case, especially when it comes to fibromyalgia or any other condition that does not allow for objective testing. Your disability lawyers in St Louis Missouri may be able to ask your physician to discuss your work-related limitations, especially when it comes to your physical capacity to perform certain tasks. This may include how long and often you are able to stand, sit or walk as well as how much you can lift and carry. These indicators of physical ability go a long way in determining which jobs, if any, you are able to perform. Your physician should also indicate whether your condition would cause you to take unscheduled breaks during the workday or to have to call out from work due to illness. If you would need to lie down throughout the day, your doctor should mention this as well. Your rheumatologist should explain which testing was performed to diagnose your fibromyalgia as well as explain his reasoning for the diagnosis as supported by medical evidence and your individual presentation of symptoms. If you are receiving treatment for depression, you should ask your psychologist for a written opinion on your mental limitations, such as the ability to regularly attend work, sustain attention and concentrate, and carry out basic instructions. You should also ask for your lawyer to supply a fibromyalgia assessment form for your doctor to review that encompasses your limitations. You should not rely on forms offered by your insurance company as they are often designed to elicit a denial and worded in such a way that leads the doctor to understate the severity of the issue. Any reports from friends, family members and colleagues may be able to help your claim, but only if they are first-hand observations. They should not be medical opinions but rather a discussion of the practical limitations those close to you have observed in your daily life.
Contact Disability Lawyers in St Louis Missouri
Contact David M. Hicks today at (314) 812-4885 for assistance from disability lawyers in St Louis Missouri you can rely on.
