Hi, there is a question on the disability update medical form that says:
"Is your patient competent to manage his/her own affairs? Yes/No.
I wish to know the significance of this question and the probable reasoning for the request of this information?
Is this question, primarily in regards to whether a disabled person can manage their own financial aspects of the life or is it relate to other aspects of disability?

Thank you

The purpose for this question has to do with an insurer’s ability to communicate and properly adjudicate the claim. If, for instance, you, as a treating health care professional, feel that your patient is not competent to manage his/her affairs, that may affect the insurer’s adjudication process of the claim such that they may need to correspond with someone who has Power of Attorney for the claimant. Please free to reach out to us directly to discuss this further (at no cost) if you have further questions.