As an independent disability claims consultant, one might think that my main objective is to get people to remain off work and receiving disability benefits for as long as possible. That is a common misperception—I do not revel in keeping people off work, for I know and understand too well the substantial human, social, and economic cost of disability. What I strive to do is to find an early resolution to claims disputes so that the claimant can focus his energy on the most important task at hand—to recover and regain his functional abilities so that he can return to being a productive member of society. But if he is embroiled in a “battle” with the insurance company because his disability claim was rejected or his benefits have been prematurely terminated, then he is not moving forward towards recovery. In fact, while he is focusing his efforts to prove his disability, he is unwittingly programming his sub-conscious mind to remain in a state of disability so that he can prove his case. This, of course, is entirely counter-productive, for science has proven that our bodies function congruently with the “messages” of the sub-conscious mind. Essentially, the mind is the general that gives orders to every cell in our body. Hence, if our mind believes us to be disabled, the cells in our body will behave accordingly. This scenario, of course, is entirely counter-productive, for believing himself to be disabled—even willing himself to be disabled—the claimant will inevitably remain in, or worsen, his state of disability. The insurance company may then find themselves in a situation where they are then compelled to accept the disability claim, and will find it much more difficult to work productively with this claimant.
Studies have shown that the longer a claimant remains off work, the more difficult it is to get them to return to work. Therefore, every stakeholder in a disability claim—whether it’s the claimant, the employer, the doctor, the insurer, and in a broader sense, our society as a whole—benefits in having the disability claim resolved so that all parties can move towards a more positive state of being. The insurer has an important role to play in actively managing a claim in a supportive and positive way so that the claimant is encouraged, not pushed, to return to work when he or she is mentally and physically ready to do so.