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.

An Experienced Long-Term Disability Attorney Can Help You Get the Benefits You Deserve

Many claimants find the LTD claims process to be quite daunting. Insurers often look for any reason to deny a claim. To avoid this, claimants must provide the insurer with compelling medical evidence and avoid common mistakes that can destroy a disability insurance claim.

Download Free Resources

If your long-term disability claim has been denied, you may benefit from our long-term disability appeal guide. It includes appeal letter templates, medical record request forms, and more for those who prefer a DIY approach. Click here to download a copy of the free LTD appeal guide.
Nick Ortiz, owner and founder of the Ortiz Law Firm, wrote a book called The Top 10 Mistakes That Will Destroy a Long-Term Disability Claim to help claimants avoid making mistakes during the difficult claims process. Click here to download a copy of the free LTD book.
He has also prepared a disability insurance claim guide and toolkit to help those who are applying for long-term disability insurance benefits. Click here to download a copy of the free LTD claim guide and toolkit.

Have Your Case Evaluated 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 case evaluation 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.

Have an Expert Review Your Policy

Many people who are unfamiliar with insurance policy language and can easily misinterpret or fail to understand their disability insurance policy. For those who are considering purchasing disability insurance or who have recently purchased a policy, we offer our expertise to help you understand your policy’s terms and identify any potential gaps in your coverage that could lead to a claim denial.

Areas of your policy that we will review include (but are not limited to):