Insurance company doctors and representatives are sometimes inclined to dismiss the severity of symptoms that mark one especially notable neurological disorder.
That is epilepsy, a malady that few other people with insight into the condition’s symptoms and life-upending impact would ever seek to downplay or underestimate in any way.
And for good reasons. As noted in one legal source addressing epileptic symptoms and outcomes, the seizures that closely define the disorder “can affect all areas of your life.”
Is epilepsy a rare yet easily treated condition?
This quick and conclusive answer can be supplied to the above-posed header query: no on both counts.
In fact, epilepsy afflicts high numbers of people (and, of course, their loved ones) across the United States and globally. Here is some relevant information concerning the condition:
- World’s 4th-most common neurological disorder
- Nearly 3.5 million people dealing with the condition in the U.S.
- About 4% of all Americans will battle with epilepsy at some point
- No known cause in approximately 60% of all cases
- Effective treatments undiscoverable for more than 30% of victims
Those relevant numbers and statistics are instantly sobering and underscore how vital it is for legions of epilepsy sufferers to receive quality care and be dealt with fairly in their interactions with insurance providers.
Unfortunately, it is quite commonly for an epilepsy disability claim – which can obviously link in many instances to a long-term and even permanent challenge – to confront insurance blowback. Coverage is sometimes denied following initial application, based on alleged unclear causes, failed receptivity to given treatments or other factors. Claimants are also routinely denied on appeal or ultimately have existing benefits summarily terminated.
Symptoms: an often dire need for treatment and coverage
Insurers often fall back on less-than-absolutely-clear causes linked with epilepsy in a given case to challenge or terminate a claim. Sufferers do not uniformly experience the same symptoms. That is a point explicitly noted by the Mayo Clinic, which stresses that, “Seizure symptoms can vary widely.” They broadly include complications such as these:
- Seizures ranging materially in intensity, duration and frequency
- Loss of awareness and even consciousness
- Marked confusion/lack of orientation
- Blank staring
- Psychic reactions (e.g., unusual sensations, fear and anxiety)
It is readily apparent how serious and difficult to deal with such symptoms are for millions of people. Their challenges can increase monumentally when further complications tied to insurer obstinacy or rejection arise.
A long-term disability claimant can often secure valued help through alliance with an experienced and caring disability legal team. That on-point and knowledgeable advocacy can be especially beneficial in an epilepsy claim.