View from The Helm

Those who handle disability claims may be familiar with the following scenario. You receive a call from a nurse or vocational specialist asking you to confirm the type of cellphone the claimant uses. If you’ve ever questioned why this matters, you may have been told that smartphone use can correlate to additional transferable skills. This... Read more »

Working directly with sick or injured claimants offers disability claim analysts a unique perspective on the prevalence of opioid pain medications for treating chronic pain. On one hand, the use of narcotics to manage symptoms can be helpful in determining the severity of the claimant’s condition and impact on their functionality. On the other hand,... Read more »

Disability insurers are challenged to create realistic and attainable performance standards for the management of newer claims while also monitoring those where the insured is deemed permanently and totally disabled (PTD).  Clearly the focus is on new claims where the insured is likely to recover and return to work; however PTD claims should not be... Read more »