Physician-Turned-Patient Launches Advocacy Campaign to Spotlight Disability Insurance Barriers
illi News/10313078

DALLAS - illiNews -- Dr. Sharisse Stephenson is a triple board-certified neurologist, medical-legal expert, and veteran disability evaluator who has performed numerous disability exams for both military and civilian claimants. But after sustaining a psychological injury in her own workplace, she found herself navigating a system she once analyzed from the outside — this time, as the patient.

"I knew how disability claims were supposed to work. I'd seen the barriers my own patients faced. But I never fully understood how isolating and devastating the system could be — until I had to use it myself," said Dr. Stephenson.

What began as a professional awareness campaign has now grown into a broader advocacy movement around disability insurance accountability. Dr. Stephenson is using her platform to elevate stories and structural barriers she encountered — not only from her own experience, but from public forums, legal records, and social media conversations.

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She points to examples involving multiple group disability carriers, many of which have faced lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny over claims handling.

"People often talk about health insurance or medical bills, but disability insurance is its own system — with very little public understanding," she says. "And yet, when people are sick, injured, or recovering from trauma, these policies are supposed to be their safety net."

Recent legal cases against major insurers have included allegations of:

• Delayed claims review and benefit payments
• Retaliation or surveillance during recovery
• Denials based on outdated or biased medical review
• Procedural complexity that overwhelms injured professionals

In one well-known case, an Illinois federal court ruled a carrier's decision to deny an LTD claim was arbitrary and capricious. In Wisconsin, a carrier was reprimanded by a court for excessive and costly surveillance used to try to discredit a claimant's disability.

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Dr. Stephenson's campaign also highlights Reddit threads, survivor blogs, and social media posts where disabled workers — including teachers, nurses, lawyers, and tradespeople — describe being let down by their employer-sponsored disability plans.

"It's not just about me," she says. "This is about how many of us — professionals, parents, caretakers, veterans — are blindsided when the system we paid into refuses to support us in our most vulnerable moment."

Sharisse Stephenson, MD, MBA

https://nantexas.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharisse-stephenson-557846a