Fibromyalgia Claim Denied? What You Need to Know
The rate in which Fibromyalgia disability claim denials occur continues to rise. The main reason being: long-term disability insurance companies don’t like to pay benefits to people who have a condition that isn’t easily diagnosed. Another reason for having one's Fibromyalgia claim denied includes the fact that some insurance companies believe that Fibromyalgia is not an actual disorder, and instead is a condition that people suffer from that involves a set of symptoms that will eventually come to pass.
In 1990, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) produced two measures for recognizing and diagnosing Fibromyalgia. 1. The extensive pain people were feeling had to have been experienced for at least 3 months, and 2. Out of the 18 tender points on the body (where both muscles and joints come together), at least 11 of these had to be identified as positive.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome that produces chronic widespread pain. This pain often leads to other conditions, such as disrupted sleeping, abnormal pain processing (by the brain), and psychological grief. When a person is diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, this chronic pain can become so severe that the patient is also affected emotionally and socially.
Although men and children have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, it is most commonly diagnosed in women between the ages of 20 & 50. While Fibromyalgia is indeed a chronic condition, it is a condition that does not progress, does not incur any damage to the muscles and joints, and is not fatal.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Fibromyalgia symptoms include a dull and constant aching in one's muscles and joints. When firm pressure is applied on specific areas (tender points) of the body where both muscles and joints are most predominant - top of shoulders, outer elbows, upper hips, inner knees, etc. - more pain than usual is experienced.
Sleeping is something that Fibromyalgia sufferers often complain about due to the inability to get a good night's sleep because of this constant pain. This makes it so that Fibromyalgia sufferers often suffer from high levels of fatigue. This lack of sleep will often lead to other conditions, such as anxiety, headaches, endometriosis, and irritable bowel syndrome. When all of these elements are combined it's easy to understand why many people who are diagnosed with Fibromyalgia also suffer from depression.
Fibromyalgia Treatment
Although there is currently no known cure for Fibromyalgia, there are a number of medications that can be prescribed. Additional suggestions for managing the pain associated with a Fibromyalgia diagnosis include physical exercise, eating healthy foods, and utilizing some relaxations techniques, such as yoga.
Fibromyalgia Disability Claim Denial - Why Does this Happen?
Even though Fibromyalgia was recognized by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in 1998, not everyone who has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and applies for long- term disability benefits will receive them. How can this be when even the court system has also acknowledged Fibromyalgia as a condition that is proven to be disabling? Because insurance companies state that the type of testing used to diagnose Fibromyalgia is not adequate enough in their distinct ability to substantiate the diagnosis. If your Fibromyalgia claim denied you the ability to receive benefits, it is most likely due to the fact that your medical records weren't substantial enough to prove to the courts liking that your fibromyalgia symptoms are indeed severe enough to render you as disabled.
This means that if you've recently experienced a Fibromyalgia disability claim denial, you'll need to be able to create a very strong case in order to prove to the courts how Fibromyalgia has specifically affected you. You'll need to place a large focus on how this debilitating syndrome has affected your ability to work on a regular basis. In essences, you'll need to have extensive notes, by both you and your doctor, that explain exactly how Fibromyalgia has impacted your life. These notes should contain all the various limitations you now experience due to the fact that you are now living with Fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia Disability Claims Attorney
There are not a lot of medical issues that have come under so much debate as Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia symptoms are symptoms that can be connected to other conditions, making it quite the difficult task to only use a list of Fibromyalgia symptoms to prove your case. Fibromyalgia symptoms are debilitating and need to be recognized and acknowledged due to their distinctive ability to often render the person suffering from them as unable to work and thus unable to support themselves. Fibromyalgia disability claim denial happens much too often.
When someone that has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and has had their Fibromyalgia claim denied, they should look into hiring a Fibromyalgia disability claims attorney. A Fibromyalgia disability claims attorney knows exactly what the courts want when it comes to proving your case. A Fibromyalgia disability claims attorney will have the experience necessary to know which cases are more likely to win, making it a good idea to contact a Fibromyalgia disability claims attorney if you've recently experienced a Fibromyalgia disability claim denial and are looking to file your first disability case.
