Things to Consider

The Long Term Disability carrier is going to be asking you basic questions in the disability application and will most likely want to do a field interview with you.

Your disability application should be reviewed by a disability attorney, and you should never give a field statement or even talk with the adjuster on the phone. These conversations are recorded and will be used against you.

What Are the Basics?

Last date you worked? Did you work a full day on your last day? Have you sold your practice? Who did you sell your practice too? How much? When did your condition start? What was the precipitating event that caused you to leave? Did you continue to work after the sale of your practice? Did you pay for your policy or did your practice?

Occupational Issues:

How long have you practiced? Any licensure problems? Hours per week? Where were your practices? Do you own or lease your premises? Have you sold them? How much? When was the last CME you attended? What were the responsibilities of staff and other colleges in your office? What were your job duties? What percentage of your time was spent doing those job duties? Do your billings corroborate that? Where are you admitting privileges? What did you put on your last medical malpractice application about your practice, your ability to work and the percentages of your practice? Are your CPT tracked by some software program? Who’s responsible? Is it accurate? Any law suits against you? Dual occupation?

Medical Issues:

What physicians have you seen? What are the dates of treatment? How frequently have you been seeing them? Have you been taking any medication? Any side effects of medication? Any difficulty practicing? What difficulties? Have you endangered your patients?

Restrictions and Limitations:

What are your restrictions and limitations? When was their onset? How have they progressed? How they impacted your ability to function?

Finances:

How is your practice? How was your practice doing before you became disabled? How has your practice income changed? What are you doing for money now?

Activities of Daily Living:

Are you a member of any golf clubs? Tennis clubs? Gyms? Are there sign-in sheets that would log the frequency of your attendance due to volunteer work?

What are your plans to return to work? Did you like your practice? Were you getting burnt out? Will you go back to work? Why? Why not?

You will be asked these types of questions and more. You need assistance in understanding how to properly answer these questions so that your answers won’t be used against you in the disability application process as a basis for denying your benefits.