Disability Insurance Lawyers Helping Doctors & Medical Professionals Experiencing COVID-19 Related Traumas
Doctors and other healthcare professionals across the country working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic are experiencing high levels of burnout, anxiety, depression, addiction and symptoms of a form of post-traumatic stress that has been likened to battle fatigue.
There are no current statistics on how the coronavirus crisis will affect this grave trend, but the notable case of a leading New York City emergency department physician’s suicide — following her own recovery from COVID-19 —does not bode well for an already vulnerable population.
Not only is the high mortality rate of the novel coronavirus outbreak taking its toll on American medical personnel, but doctors and nurses are dealing with the added stressors of treating patients in isolation, worrying about whether they will have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for themselves and their staff, and their very real concerns about becoming infected and then infecting their families. Physicians, surgeons, nurses, and others are experiencing a perfect storm of psychological symptoms that are catapulting them into an unprecedented healthcare worker mental health crisis.
If this sounds like you, and you are concerned that you have no recourse but to continue working because of fear your long-term disability benefits are not accessible or adequate to cover your mental or physical disorder, you are advised to contact a Seltzer & Associates disability lawyer as soon as possible. Our legal team may be able to help with your coronavirus-related disability insurance claim.
What is Coronavirus-Related Trauma?
COVID-19-related trauma for doctors and medical professionals may include depression, anxiety, PTSD and drug and alcohol addiction. For frontline doctors, stress levels are at an all-time high and, as the pandemic continues, side effects from treating COVID-19 patients are only expected to get worse.
Stress often manifests into depression, anxiety, and unhealthy coping habits like alcohol and drugs. These COVID-19-related conditions may be covered in your disability insurance policy, offering you the benefit to step away from your work to focus on your health.
Our national disability insurance attorneys specialize in disability claims for medical professionals. Our lawyers are your ideal advocates to evaluate whether, and to what extent, your circumstances lend themselves to a successful disability claim under your particular policy.
Seltzer & Associates understands the unique burden American medical professionals are facing by showing up for work every day. COVID-19 disability insurance claims are an uncertain and emerging area of law, but we’re here as a part of your recovery process, to help you get the benefits you need to regain your health and heal from the trauma of the coronavirus pandemic.
Disability Insurance Claims for Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Alcoholism, etc.
Disability insurance policies are designed to cover injuries and illnesses that leave doctor’s and professional policyholder’s unable to perform the material and substantial/principal duties of his or her job. Under the terms of many physician disability policies, exposure to coronavirus, illness from coronavirus or an inability to continue performing job duties as a result of the physical and emotional fallout from providing professional services to patients diagnosed with coronavirus could qualify the policyholder for short- and/or long-term disability payments.
We wish we could tell you your disability claim for coronavirus-related traumas will be accepted and paid, but insurance companies are rejecting claims from COVID-19 medical professionals. Unfortunately, the potential of a claim denial exists, but with our legal team involved in the claims process, we can help ensure you have the best chance of securing benefits.
Identifying Symptoms for Physician Coronavirus Disability Insurance Claims
Disability insurance carriers require proof of the disabling conditions that are preventing you from performing the principal duties of your occupation. Disability by definition is a physical, mental, cognitive, or condition that impairs a person’s ability to complete certain tasks. While your policy may outline specific guidelines, typically disabling conditions for medical professionals include:
- Physiological impairments – Including muscle, strokes, back and joint disorders, cardiovascular episodes and diseases, immunity disorders, cancer, accidents, injuries, etc.
- Psychiatric and psychological impairments – Including behavioral, stress-related, and mood disorders like anxiety, sleep dysfunction, depressive episodes, etc.
- Addiction – A dependency on a substance including drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and behavioral dependencies
These symptoms, and more, may be present or made worse in healthcare professionals around the country who are working with coronavirus infected patients.
Increase Your Chances of Securing COVID-19 Disability Trauma Benefits with Seltzer & Associates
Whether your injuries and illnesses are due to being infected with COVID-19 itself, or you suffer from other illnesses like addiction, anxiety, depression, or PTSD that have been triggered by or are linked to your COVID-19 caseload, you may have a case for collecting disability benefits under your disability insurance policy. Seltzer & Associates Philadephia disability insurance attorneys are working with physicians just like you from all over the country to secure the disability benefits they are due under their insurance policies.
Our experience successfully handling complex disability insurance claims for healthcare providers puts us in an ideal position to support your claim for disability insurance benefits. Insurance companies are resistant to pay out disability claims for at-risk physicians given the unprecedented state of the county. Our role in this process is to serve as your advocate, leveraging our decades of claims experience to help you secure the benefits you deserve – the benefits you need to recover from the trauma of the pandemic.
Contact Seltzer & Associates For a No-Obligation Assessment Today
Seltzer & Associates is based in Philadelphia but works with physician clients all across the county. Please contact us online to schedule a no-obligation disability claim assessment. If your claim for disability insurance benefits due to a coronavirus-related mental health issue has been denied, then consulting with an experienced Seltzer & Associates Philadelphia disability lawyer before filing an appeal is highly recommended.