Gregory Dell and Stephen Jessup discuss whether doctors employed by disability insurance companies are fair when reviewing claims. Both attorneys agree that these doctors are overwhelmingly biased, routinely cherry-picking medical records to justify denials while ignoring evidence that supports a claimant’s disability. They point out that these physicians are paid and bonused by the insurance companies, creating an inherent conflict of interest, and that the same small group of doctors appears across carriers producing denial after denial.

The attorneys explain that these internal doctors become desensitized over time, reducing complex medical situations to a few boilerplate sentences without ever speaking to the claimant or their treating physicians. Rather than treating the patient — a core principle of medical training — they simply “treat the chart.” Many are retired or couldn’t sustain a private practice, and they frequently review claims outside their specialty, yet their opinions are used to override multiple treating specialists.

Despite the unfairness, Dell and Jessup emphasize that claimants do have legal rights to challenge these biased reviews. They encourage anyone facing a disability insurance dispute to build the strongest possible medical record, document symptoms thoroughly, and consult an experienced disability insurance lawyer who can hold the insurer accountable and overcome these stacked odds.