Whether you receive your disability benefits as a result of a private policy, an employer-sponsored plan, or from the Social Security Administration, it is as important to continue medical treatment after you are awarded benefits as it is when you first apply for them.
First, consistent and continuing medical treatment is good for your health. To try to improve, you should always see your doctor(s) on a regular basis, and continue to follow their advice.
Second, those who receive disability benefits, know that periodically, every other year or every year, insurance carriers ask for updates on your medical condition. They often ask for treatment records from your physicians. If you cannot submit updated medical records or your doctor refuses to fill out that Attending Physician’s Statement because it has been 3 years since he/she has seen you, you are giving the insurance carrier a green light to investigate further; or, to terminate your benefits, outright.
I have had clients who have told me that their medical conditions are permanent and will not change, and they see no need to continue treating with their doctors. That could not be further from the truth. Even if your impairments are likely not to change (or even if they are likely to get worse), you still need a qualified doctor to attest to that fact, periodically. No insurance carrier will take your word for it.
Of course, there are many people who simply cannot afford the proper medical care, and therefore do not see their doctors (or any doctors) because they haven’t the proper medical insurance (or none at all). In that instance, it makes more sense to financially plan for a medical visit at least once a year. Even if that visit is out-of-pocket for you, that one visit literally can save your benefits from being taken away, which is especially a concern if your disability benefits are your only source of income.