{"id":3762,"date":"2020-07-28T16:36:05","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T16:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nickortizlaw.com\/?page_id=3762"},"modified":"2023-10-03T14:29:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T19:29:46","slug":"i-have-multiple-doctors-treating-me-for-my-disability-is-it-okay-to-send-for-than-one-doctors-letter-to-the-insurance-company","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nickortizlaw.com\/ltd-faq\/i-have-multiple-doctors-treating-me-for-my-disability-is-it-okay-to-send-for-than-one-doctors-letter-to-the-insurance-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I Send Multiple Doctor\u2019s Letters to My Long Term Disability Carrier?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

The simple answer is \u201cyes.\u201d If you are seeing multiple doctors for your disability, they can and should each provide a doctor\u2019s letter. In fact, it is a \u201cbest practice\u201d to have at least two doctors provide you with a doctor\u2019s letter to give the insurance company. For example, if you are being treated by your primary doctor and a cardiologist for a heart condition, you should ask both to provide you with letters. And if you are also seeing another specialist \u2013 like a hematologist, or blood doctor, you should also request a letter from that doctor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When requesting doctors\u2019 letters<\/a>, it is best to request them from doctors that have a relationship with you. A doctor\u2019s letter from someone you only saw once may not carry as much weight. For example, if you only saw a cardiac surgeon one time to perform surgery and the surgeon was not involved in your ongoing care, then that doctor\u2019s opinions may not add much value to your disability claim.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It is not appropriate to ask doctors that treated you in the past, well before your disability, to provide a statement. Similarly, the statements from your physicians should only reference your current disability and you should consider whether the doctor mentions medical conditions that might either (a) have a restricted time limit for the payment of benefits or (b) exclude you from coverage because it is a \u201cpre-existing condition\u201d.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For example, let\u2019s say your policy restricts payments for mental health disorders to 24 months of payments. If you ask your primary (who has been your doctor for the past 12 years) to write a statement, you may not want the doctor to mention mental health problems like depression if your physical problems are disabling on their own, separate and apart from the depression.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Moreover, if your claim has a \u201cpre-existing exclusion<\/a>\u201d clause that may apply to your case, you may not want your doctor to include in a letter comments about a prior injury that could prevent you from qualifying for benefits. This has the potential to be used against you by the insurance company to claim you had a pre-existing condition that contributed to your disability.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Make sure that your doctors write the right kind of statement, which is referred to as an evidence statement. A good quality statement from your doctor will help your case when applying for long term disability. Your medical source statement should include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n