All insurance claimants — disability claimants included — have a duty to mitigate their various losses. The duty to mitigate generally entails the exertion of “reasonable effort” towards the minimization of your losses.

In laymen’s terms, this means attending your rehabilitation sessions, following through with treatment (by attending appointments), being consistent about taking your medication, and more. The insurer is not required to pay full benefits a disability that was exacerbated by the claimant’s own failure to act reasonably. If you fail to mitigate, then the insurer may have a reasonable basis to either deny your claim or undercut your benefits significantly.

Additionally, most disability insurance policies specifically require that you receive appropriate ongoing medical care; failing to do so, may be a separate reason for an insurer to deny your claim.