As a chiropractor, you spend years learning how to help people get back their health after long illnesses and physical alignments. Being a chiropractor is a physically demanding job. If you become unable to work due to injury or illness and want to file for disability benefits yourself- you may be surprised at how difficult the process will be for you. In this article, we talk about:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Although medical professionals<\/a> spend a lot of time and effort completing medical forms for disability claims, their own insurance claims will be different. In fact, it is much harder to get a claim approved as a chiropractor than someone who does not work in the medical field. Why? Because the insurance company is looking at your case from a financial standpoint. They look at how much money it will cost them to provide you with benefits throughout your illness or disability. The longer it could potentially take you to get back to work, the less likely they will approve your claim.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In addition to your regular salary, you may have a rider<\/a> that helps recover what you have lost during your illness or injury. For example: if you are disabled for one year and come back to work, you probably have patients that had to seek medical attention from another provider. This means your income will be much less than before you were injured. A recovery rider will help support you while you rebuild your business.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Read your policy. This is what every patient is advised to do. Now that you are the patient, you need to read your policy thoroughly to understand what you will need to provide to have a claim approved. A group policy is different from an individual policy<\/a>, so if you are working for yourself, your benefits will be different from most of your patients.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Here are some tips for building a substantial claim:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Just like you complete these forms for your patients, you now have to collect these forms from your physicians to prove your limitations. Be sure your doctor is noting your pain levels and any mental health side effects of the illness like depression. Remember to gather documents from all doctors that are treating you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In addition to medical evidence, you will also need financial proof. Have your accounting records in good order so you can quickly answer any questions that arise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n With a large claim like that of a medical professional, you can bet that you will be under surveillance<\/a>. Surveillance is completely legal. An investigator will stake out your house and take photos and videos of you. They will even go to your neighbors\u2019 houses, asking questions about your daily activities. They will use all of this against you if they can.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBuild a Winning Claim<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Tip #1: Gather Strong Medical Evidence<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Tip #2: Anticipate Surveillance<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Tip #3: Stay Off Social Media<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n