Given that Leukemia is a very serious cancer, you would think approval of long term disability insurance benefits would be a simple process. However, to receive benefits your claim must still be supported by sufficient medical evidence and proof of appropriate treatment. Below we’ll outline what steps you can take to improve your chances of approval for benefits.
Leukemia is a cancer that occurs in the blood cells. Although commonly believed to be most prevalent in children, adults are more often diagnosed with leukemia. Even with treatment, leukemia can cause incapacitating limitations and long term disability.
There are several things you need to know before filing your long term disability claim for leukemia. Get started by downloading your Essential Disability Claim Checklist!
Mаnу types of leukemia produce no obvious symptoms in the early stages. Eventually, symptoms mау include any of the following:
These same symptoms can persist even after treatment such as chemotherapy. In many cases it can become so debilitating that you will find it necessary to make a claim for long term disability.
Getting a proper diagnosis is essential before filing for long term disability, as your insurance company will require proof for your claim.
Doctors may find chronic leukemia in a routine blood test before symptoms begin. If this happens, or if you have signs or symptoms that suggest leukemia, you may undergo the following diagnostic exams:
The four most common types are acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia.
Less соmmоn tуреѕ of leukemia ассоunt fоr аbоut 6,000 саѕеѕ оf leukemia еасh уеаr іn the U.S.:
Accurate diagnosis of your specific kind of leukemia gives you the best chance for long term disability approval.
The insurance company will require proof you are seeking appropriate treatment for your leukemia. Which course of treatment your doctor decides on depends on many factors. These include your age and overall health, the type of leukemia you have, and whether it has spread to other parts of your body, including the central nervous system.
Common treatments used to fight leukemia include:
Leukemia treatment options can all come with significant and disabling side effects and complications. Chemotherapy, for example, will compromise the immune system and make a person more susceptible to infections, as well as bring on nausea and intense fatigue. If this is the case for you, it’s important to be able to show your insurer that even with treatment, functioning in a workplace is not possible.
Leukemia is a serious and aggressive form of cancer that will likely lead to long term disability. While it may seem obvious why you are unable to work as a result of leukemia, your insurance company may not understand the true significance of your symptoms or the impact on your job – especially as your symptoms first begin to develop. To increase your chances of approval, you should explain how and why each of your symptoms prevents you from performing your job duties.
For example, leukemia can lead to frequent infections, a lowered immune system, and easy bleeding due to anemia, making it dangerous and ill-advised to continue working. Fatigue and muscle weakness are also common symptoms with leukemia, making you unable to complete physical tasks at work. It can also lower your concentration levels, multitasking capability, and other mental abilities required for you to perform your job.
As such, it is often beneficial to explain exactly how your individual symptoms prevent you from performing your job duties by preparing a detailed, written narrative for the insurance company. Make sure your narrative addresses each of your symptoms by listing them separately.
In addition to your narrative description, when determining whether your leukemia is disabling, the insurance company will require the opinions of your treating doctor(s). The insurance company may weigh its decision very heavily on your doctor’s opinion – so your doctor’s support is essential to your claim.
Your doctor’s reports should focus on the frequency and severity of your symptoms, their direct observations of you during your office visits, any objective physical examination findings, and your specific restrictions and limitations that prevent you from work.
Your narrative and your doctor’s support will go a long way in helping to prove your disability due to leukemia.
Even when treatment is successful, complications can arise that interfere with your ability to perform your expected job duties. It’s possible you will not be able to return to work due to residual medical issues brought on by the leukemia. You need to be prepared to prove to your insurance company that you are unable to perform your job as a result of the leukemia.
Even with as serious a disease as leukemia, it is always vital to back up your long term disability insurance claim with evidence of your symptoms and diagnosis to improve your odds of approval. It is also important to provide a detailed explanation of how your symptoms prevent you from performing your job duties. Don’t simply assume the insurance carrier will see the connection. You must explain it in clear detail.
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