An In-Depth Look at Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

How to Prove a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Disability Case to Get LTD Insurance Benefits

Are you applying for long term disability insurance benefits for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Here’s important Information to help you understand and prove chronic fatigue syndrome to the insurance company.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, is one of five conditions that are commonly labeled as “subjective disorders.” What does this mean? It means that they can’t be proven through objective medical testing.

Because of this, long term disability insurance providers typically fight hard to deny these types of claims. If you want to get the benefits that you deserve, you need to understand how the condition works, what kinds of information and documentation is necessary for a diagnosis, and how to convince your long-term disability insurance provider that you truly are dealing with an issue that prevents you from working.

People with chronic fatigue syndrome aren’t lazy, and they aren’t just a little bit tired. This complex and debilitating condition causes sufferers to feel a profound and ongoing exhaustion that just won’t go away. It can’t be alleviated by sleeping or resting more and the symptoms can get worse if the person attempts to engage in any mental or physical activity.

What are those symptoms?

• Insomnia
• Impaired memory
• Impaired concentration
• Muscle pain
• Weakness

These problems typically impact multiple systems of your body and make it incredibly hard for individuals to participate in regular daily activities.

Can You Prove Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Objective Evidence?

To make matters worse, CFS can’t be diagnosed using any known objective medical tests, it isn’t specifically associated with a organic pathophysiology, and no true objective criteria exists for deciding who receives a diagnosis and who doesn’t.

However, just because there are no specific objective criteria, this does not mean that objective evidence does not exist.

A recent study into individuals suffering from CFS shows that they must work harder to process auditory information than their healthy peers. The study provides specific objective evidence pointing to the fact that people who have CFS experience cognitive problems, and this may improve your chances at getting the benefits you need.

Were Your Denied Long-Term Disability Benefits on a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Disability Insurance Claim?

Specific obstacles must be overcome in chronic fatigue disability cases. We have helped many clients receive the CFS disability compensation they desperately need, and we can help you. Chronic fatigue is difficult to measure. Although abnormal results on brain MRI and white blood cell count have been reported in CFS patients, no specific tests exist that medically confirm the diagnosis of chronic fatigue.

Physicians must base diagnoses on specific symptoms and physical signs, after ruling out other possible causes. This is one reason claims for chronic fatigue disability benefits are difficult to win for many patients without experienced legal representation.

The specific causes of CFS disability are unknown. However, many medical theories attribute the syndrome to Epstein-Barr virus or herpes virus-6, inflammation in the nervous system, as well as prior illnesses, stress, genetics, environmental factors and age.

The disease is characterized by incapacitating fatigue that lasts a minimum of 6 months and cannot be relieved by bed rest. The fatigue is so extreme that patients are unable to work or do most normal daily activities. Additional symptoms include concentration and memory problems, confusion, headaches, joint pain, low fever, muscle weakness, and painful lymph nodes of the neck and under the arms.

Chronic Fatigue Disability Claims for Long Term Disability Insurance Benefits

Successfully challenging billion-dollar insurance companies where chronic fatigue is diagnosed requires knowledge and experience.

Many insurance companies will attempt to reroute your claim into the mental illness category (for which they have a limiting clause) claiming that symptoms are due to depression. Others will deny claims on the basis of symptoms being subjective and without irrefutable objective evidence of disability. The list goes on.

Do you have individual or group disability claim questions?

If you have filed or are preparing to file an individual or long-term disability insurance claim – or if your benefits have been wrongfully delayed or denied – Mehr Fairbanks Trial Lawyers can help you retain your rights and benefits today by calling toll-free: 800-249-3731.