Disability Insurance, Ophtho & Wrist "Discomfort" - A Specific Question

[linevasel]

Hi All,

I'm finishing training and have started to develop what I think is a cubital tunnel syndromes or some sort of ulnar pathology with numbness (no weakness yet) in the characteristic distribution [basically feels like i'm always in some sort of half-shoulder shrug and my 4th5th fingers frequently feel like they are asleep). No weakness yet (from what I can tell). It hasn't at all affected my ability to operate. But I can't type for long without having to flex my fingers. One-handed texting is a problem, etc etc Its annoying enough that I went to an Hand Surgeon to have it evaluated. This was probably naive of me... but I explained I was a surgical fellow and asked him if we could refrain from being very specific with respect to my charting as I had not yet applied for disability insurance, there was enough uncertainty at the time regarding the diagnosis, and I didn't want a litany of disabling wrist diseases entering my medical record needlessly. The Hand surgeon looked at me like it was the craziest request he had ever heard which kind of made me think maybe I was overthinking things.

So... I need to see a hand specialist again. Do I need to be even more judicious / discrete about seeing a hand specialist. Does "wrist overuse", "arm stress", or "upper extremity tension" generate the same red flags and increase in premium as specific diagnoses. Will the very act of going to see a hand specialist twice trigger the increase in my future premium. I really have no idea how to even go about seeing a specialist in a "judicious" manner. But I figured someone in sdn may have had a similar challenge and thought I would ask.

Note this is not a question about medical advice regarding wrist pain... This really a how much am I screwing myself financially by going to see a hand specialist.

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[OphthoApplicant04]

Have you already gotten disability insurance? If so, then unless you change your policy (triggering a medical history review), I do not think you need to worry about premiums going up.

 

[linevasel]

Have you already gotten disability insurance? If so, then unless you change your policy (triggering a medical history review), I do not think you need to worry about premiums going up.

Unfortunately. I haven’t. But I need to within the next four months before starting as an attending

 

[DrZeke]

Get disability insurance first. Then go see PMR/sports medicine doctor. IT's likely coming rom your C/T spine and not your wrist or elbow. Take it from a veteran physical therapy junkie.

 

[MstaKing10]

You should have disability insurance in place ASAP. Not sure why you are waiting until you are an attending. Lock in those cheaper rates now. Then sort out these other issues after your disability is in place.

 

[anonperson]

Hi All,

I'm finishing training and have started to develop what I think is a cubital tunnel syndromes or some sort of ulnar pathology with numbness (no weakness yet) in the characteristic distribution [basically feels like i'm always in some sort of half-shoulder shrug and my 4th5th fingers frequently feel like they are asleep). No weakness yet (from what I can tell). It hasn't at all affected my ability to operate. But I can't type for long without having to flex my fingers. One-handed texting is a problem, etc etc Its annoying enough that I went to an Hand Surgeon to have it evaluated. This was probably naive of me... but I explained I was a surgical fellow and asked him if we could refrain from being very specific with respect to my charting as I had not yet applied for disability insurance, there was enough uncertainty at the time regarding the diagnosis, and I didn't want a litany of disabling wrist diseases entering my medical record needlessly. The Hand surgeon looked at me like it was the craziest request he had ever heard which kind of made me think maybe I was overthinking things.

So... I need to see a hand specialist again. Do I need to be even more judicious / discrete about seeing a hand specialist. Does "wrist overuse", "arm stress", or "upper extremity tension" generate the same red flags and increase in premium as specific diagnoses. Will the very act of going to see a hand specialist twice trigger the increase in my future premium. I really have no idea how to even go about seeing a specialist in a "judicious" manner. But I figured someone in sdn may have had a similar challenge and thought I would ask.

Note this is not a question about medical advice regarding wrist pain... This really a how much am I screwing myself financially by going to see a hand specialist.

Kind of a mistake seeing someone for this before having a policy in place. What's done is done though.

I would see what the first physician wrote as his diagnosis.

I would apply/sign up for a policy first before pursuing more of a work up.

There are three things that can happen depending on this situation when applying for disability insurance now:

1. They could deny you a policy based on your history

2. They could approve a policy but stipulate a large exclusion (like any disorder of the upper extremity etc)

3. Approve any type of policy with our without exclusions but charge higher premiums


Meet with an agent and get this process started

 

[docdoc2012]

If you are still in training you should be able to get a policy with no medical exam required through the university

 

[MD Financial Services Scott]

You mention that "before becoming an attending", you might ask if there is a GSI plan at your training program, those come with no underwriting....

 

[kablemach2o]

What kind of disability insurance should we get? Which plans should we look at.

 

[cms5423]

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[MD Financial Services Scott]

If it is a GSI then there will be one carrier that has a plan for purchase and that is it. In order to do a GSI the carriers know they are taking on more risk due to lack of underwriting thus they need more people to spread that risk that is why you won't see multiple GSI offerings at the same program.