As a result of a three-year effort by the Patient and Client Council in Northern Ireland, dedicated services will now be established across Ireland’s health trusts to treat fibromyalgia patients as a long-term condition, according to a report from the BBC’s Northern Ireland bureau this week. Patients will now be able to get services from medical professionals, including medical care and information about alternative therapies.
The news article sounds exactly like what we hear in America. Patients suffering from pain, muscle and joint aches, sleep disorders and headaches are not always treated kindly by physicians or insurance companies. The problem is well known to fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers. These illnesses cannot be documented by blood tests or radiology studies.
The profound fatigue and chronic pain that are the hallmarks of fibromyalgia and CFS makes it very difficult for patients to concentrate and perform the usual tasks of day-to-day living, and that includes their ability to perform the tasks of their occupations.
CFS and fibromyalgia are generally recognized as chronic illnesses by most doctors in our country, but challenges to people with these conditions remain. A fibromyalgia or CFS diagnosis still sends up a red flag for disability insurance companies. Claims are aggressively challenged and often denied.
Frankel & Newfield represents many fibromyalgia patients and has a great deal of experience in battling disability insurance companies in this area. Partner Jason Newfield served a four year term on the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee, a federal committee that advises the United States Department of Health and Human Services regarding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. His clients benefit from his experience and knowledge in this area.
Please call the office at 877-LTD-CLAIM (877-583-2524) if you are a fibromyalgia or CFS patient and are considering making a claim for long term disability insurance or if your claim has been denied, delayed or terminated. This is one battle you don’t have to fight alone.
