Assessment for Insurance Purposes

In the event of a disability claim against an insurance company, the policy holder may be requested to undergo neuropsychological evaluation with the aim of determining their level of functional impairment. Typically the insurance company will supply copies of medical reports that they already have in their possession, but if there is additional information that you believe may be relevant, please bring it to the examination.

Ideally the claimant should be accompanied by a spouse or other person who knows the claimant well.  The examination begins with a clinical interview during which a comprehensive medical history will be taken and the patient’s current complaints will be canvassed.  Thereafter the patient is required to submit to a battery of neuropsychological tests that assess brain functions such as memory, concentration and reasoning. Emotional functioning may also assessed if appropriate.

A comprehensive examination will usually take in the order of three to four hours to complete. Thereafter a report will be submitted directly to the insurance company. In most instances the insurance company will pay for the examination, but in some cases the claimant is liable.

It should be appreciated that the final decision regarding level of disability rests with the insurance company. Our report deals with only one aspect of the claim process: the patient’s level of functioning, typically with reference to their ability to work in their own or a similar occupation.  The insurance company will contextualise that information within the bigger scheme of things.