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Are you mentally exhausted from the never-ending flow of COVID patients?  Have you seen more death and suffering than you can even think about?  Are you frustrated, angry, unmotivated, and feeling helpless? You鈥檙e definitely burned out, but are you disabled?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, an unprecedented number of physicians are reporting mental health conditions ranging from anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder.  In a , researchers from the American Medical Association and Hennepin Healthcare surveyed 21,000 U.S. healthcare workers, nearly 3,000 of whom were physicians.  Almost a third (29.9%) of doctors reported experiencing high stress.  Nearly half (47.7%) reported symptoms of burnout; more than a third (37.3%) said they felt overloaded with work.

As a doctor, you鈥檙e used to seeing your patients apply for disability benefits, but the process can seem entirely foreign when it鈥檚 your own claim.  Is burnout a covered disability?  Where do you start when you need to file a long term disability claim?

It鈥檚 a complicated process.  Here鈥檚 what you need to know.

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time 鈥� but those who suffer from anxiety disorders know firsthand how paralyzing it can be to function day-to-day. If you鈥檝e been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, your symptoms may significantly interfere with your ability to perform your job duties.

You may consider filing a long term disability insurance claim due to your anxiety.

Here鈥檚 what you need to know before filing your long term disability claim for an anxiety disorder.

Depression isn鈥檛 just a sad mood 鈥� it鈥檚 a severe clinical condition that can lead to serious problems in functioning for those who suffer from it. The symptoms of major clinical depression can make it difficult to carry out your day-to-day activities, including working.

鈥淒r. X鈥� was a successful Dentist in Westchester County suffering from major depression, anxiety, and associated symptoms.  She applied for benefits and the insurance company granted them under the policy, subject to the two year mental illness limitation in the policy. 

While out on disability, Dr. X subsequently sustained physical injuries to her right shoulder when she fell walking down a flight of stairs.  These injuries, independent of her depression and anxiety, precluded her from performing routine dental procedures with her dominant arm. 

Dr. X promptly notified the insurance company regarding her physical injuries and submitted medical evidence substantiating her physical restrictions and limitations of her dominant upper extremity.  The insurance company, however, discontinued Dr. X鈥檚 benefits by invoking the 24-month Mental Illness Limitation, despite the new physical injuries suffered by Dr. X.

Your long term disability policy may limit your period of eligibility if your disability results from a psychiatric condition.  This is commonly referred to as a Mental Illness Limitation.  Notably, the limitation may affect you even if you are not disabled due to a psychiatric condition.