Disability claims are needlessly rising and likely to continue doing so, it has been argued.
The claim was made by Dr Pieter Coetzer, Chief Medical Officer of Sanlam Limited, at ‘Panorama - a 360˚ view of Innovation in Risk Management', organised by Medicals Direct.
Dr Coetzer noted that as a result of the economic crisis the incidence of disability claims was rising and likely to rise for years to come.
He argued that examining doctors "too readily judge their patient incapable of working" and should restrict their involvement in claims management to the medical impairment, rather than a diagnosis of disability.
Pointing out the negative effects of joblessness on claimants, Dr Coetzer also stressed the importance of prompt and pro-active rehabilitation, arguing that employers and insurers are more efficient at promoting and providing routes back into employment than the medical profession.
He added that pre-selection criteria for rehabilitation and return to work programmes may "more efficiently identify the claimants who are likely to benefit."
Dr Coetzer also asserted that socio-economic factors should be rated as more important than medical factors in the underwriting process and that a specialist's opinion may be more pertinent that that of the client's GP in the event of a claim.
Emphasising the importance of obtaining supporting evidence for some of the most commonly reported, yet subjective conditions (such as lower back pain and chronic fatigue syndromes) he suggested that adequate treatment guidelines were not always being followed.
