CRNA with Long Covid Denied By Unum After 5 Years Wins Disability Appeal

Unum denied long term disability benefits for a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Virginia Commonwealth University after paying her claim for five years, and Dell Disability Lawyers won the appeal. Attorneys Gregory Dell and Stephen Jessup discuss this case. Call 800-698-9161 for a FREE consultation — we represent clients nationwide. Our client was a CRNA at Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital in Virginia — one of medicine's most demanding roles. Nurse anesthetists manage airways, administer anesthesia, monitor multiple patients simultaneously across operating rooms, and bear direct responsibility for patient safety during surgery. A mistake in this role can be fatal. Her disability began in 2020 when she developed long COVID, causing cognitive impairment, chronic fatigue, and post-exertional malaise. Unum approved her claim and paid benefits for approximately five years under an own-occupation definition of disability. Then Unum denied continued benefits using four medical reviewers — two psychiatrists, a neurologist, and a physiatrist — who acknowledged her diagnosis but concluded her symptoms were not severe enough to prevent her from working. Unum also attempted to classify a CRNA role as sedentary, ignoring that nurse anesthetists are constantly on their feet moving between operating rooms and performing physically demanding patient care. Some days our client could not get out of bed due to post-exertional malaise. If Unum denied your disability claim for long COVID by acknowledging your diagnosis but disputing the severity, this case shows how experienced long term disability lawyers build the evidence to bridge that gap. Attorney Stephen Jessup built a multi-layered appeal. A new neuropsychological evaluation by an independent specialist concluded the cognitive impairment was significant enough that he would not want a member of his own family put under anesthesia by her. We arranged a Functional Capacity Evaluation to counter Unum's sedentary characterization. When Unum's peer reviewers disagreed with the neuropsych findings, Jessup coordinated a detailed line-by-line rebuttal. Unum's appeals specialist then ordered an Independent Medical Examination with an occupational medicine physician — and after that examination, Unum reversed its denial and reinstated benefits. Dell Disability Lawyers continues to manage this claim. 00:00 Introduction & Case Overview 00:16 Background: Nurse's Long COVID Claim 00:49 Unum's Denial & Medical Reviews 01:35 Policy Type: Own Occupation & ERISA Exemption 01:57 Preparing the Appeal After Denial 02:50 Gathering Evidence: Neuropsych & Functional Testing 03:52 The Demanding Role of a Nurse Anesthetist 04:43 Challenging Unum's Sedentary Job Argument 05:00 Submitting Comprehensive Appeal Evidence 05:31 Handling Peer Reviews & Intensive Response 05:36 Unum's Appeal Process & IME Offer 06:18 IME Process and Outcome 07:08 Claim Reinstated: Decision and Outcome 07:43 Reflections on the Appeal Experience 08:18 Closing Thoughts & Contact Information For an immediate free consultation with one of our nationwide disability insurance lawyers please 📞 call 800-698-9161 or 💻 email https://www.diattorney.com/contact/?r.... We do not charge any fees or costs unless we are able to recover benefits. Learn how our lawyers can help you win your Unum disability insurance appeal: https://www.diattorney.com/unum-disab... ABOUT DELL DISABILITY LAWYERS Dell Disability Lawyers is a nationwide disability insurance law firm that guides clients through every stage of the long term disability claim process — from initial applications to appeals and litigation. Managing attorney Gregory Dell and the firm's disability insurance attorneys have handled thousands of claims against every major insurance company, including Unum. We represent clients in all 50 states. #DisabilityInsuranceDenial #DisabilityAppeal #LongTermDisability #DisabilityInsuranceLawyer #Unum