Has your disability insurer (AOV) rejected a claim because, in its view, your symptoms cannot be sufficiently objectified? Ask which policy definition is being applied and which medical information was taken into account in the assessment. A diagnosis, demonstrable limitations and the consequences for your insured work are separate elements. Have the report reviewed in a targeted way; the name of the condition alone does not decide your benefit.
Nederlands: Lees dit artikel in het Nederlands: AOV afgewezen bij burn-out, long covid of chronische pijn
Türkçe: Bu makaleyi Türkçe okuyun: Tükenmişlik sendromu, uzun COVID veya kronik ağrıda AOV talebinin reddi
Written by Onur Arslan, attorney at Arslan Advocaten. Registered in the specialisation register of the Netherlands Bar for employment law and personal injury. Onur Arslan practised for many years as a corporate lawyer and insolvency trustee (curator) and has extensive experience in financial law disputes. Last updated: 22 September 2026.
For a self-employed entrepreneur, prolonged fatigue, concentration problems or pain can severely restrict their work. If an insurer then states that this has not been sufficiently demonstrated medically, it can feel as though your symptoms are being denied. Legally, however, it must be established precisely which condition the insurer considers has not been met.
What does “objectifiable” mean in a disability insurance policy?
Disability insurance policies may describe the medical requirements that symptoms or limitations must meet. The wording varies. A policy may, for example, refer to medically determinable impairments and their link with illness or accident.
Have the full definition assessed, including any clauses. The question is not only whether a laboratory test or scan shows abnormalities. It concerns the medical assessment within the agreed standard. Conversely, the presence of symptoms does not automatically mean that all the conditions for an AOV benefit have been met.
The terms and conditions of Allianz Absoluut AOV AAOV21 are an example of a product in which the definition and the assessment are set out separately. Always use your own version of the policy; a definition from another insurer is no substitute for it.
These specific terms impose stricter requirements than merely recognising and naming symptoms: they require a medically, objectively measurable impairment. That is precisely why it must be examined what wording your own insurance contains. A general explanation about symptoms that are hard to measure cannot set aside a strictly worded condition of cover.
Burnout, long COVID and chronic pain call for a concrete file
These clinical pictures are not interchangeable. For your claim, it must be recorded which symptoms and limitations have been established in your case, how they are developing and what they mean for your work. That requires relevant medical information, not a self-made diagnosis.
With burnout, for example, the discussion may concern the medical interpretation, concentration, capacity for work and the role of circumstances at work. With long COVID, prolonged and fluctuating limitations may be central. With chronic pain, the difference between experienced pain, medical findings and functional consequences may require attention.
This article is about the assessment of an insurance claim, not about treatment. Discuss medical questions and appropriate care with your treating practitioners. For the legal assessment, it is important that their information describes the relevant period and limitations with sufficient clarity.
Diagnosis, limitations and incapacity for work
A diagnosis does not automatically answer how much of your occupation you can still perform. The medical assessment must make clear which limitations are present. It must then be considered how these relate to the tasks and demands of the insured work.
To do so, a labour expert must have a realistic picture of your occupation. The tasks of a self-employed hairdresser, accountant or installer differ. Even the same job title may cover different actual activities.
Also check whether your policy is based on occupational disability, suitable work or another standard. An opinion on your ability to do other work does not in itself answer the question of whether you can perform your insured occupation.
Which medical information is relevant?
Request the medical advice and the relevant examination reports through the designated route. Check which treating practitioners were consulted, which period was assessed and whether important information is missing. Also see whether the conclusion is consistent with the findings in the report.
Targeted information is usually more useful than an unsorted complete file. Think of specialist findings, the course of symptoms, recorded limitations and relevant information on recovery or relapse. Have a medical adviser assess which additional question to a treating practitioner would be useful.
Your own activity log can provide support, but it does not replace a medical assessment. Describe specifically what you do, how long you manage it, which breaks are needed and what happens afterwards. Record good and bad days, so that the picture is not selective.
Translating your work into verifiable tasks
With burnout, long COVID and chronic pain, the discussion rarely turns on what you can do once, but on what you can sustain. That difference only becomes visible in a task overview. Fill it in with your own activities; it is also one of the strongest pieces of evidence in your file.
| Task | % of your work before illness | What this task demands | Manageable now | How long at a stretch | What happens afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Client meetings and consultations | 30% | Concentration, processing stimuli, speaking | Partly | Max. 45 min | 2 hours needed to recover |
| Quotes and administration | 25% | Screen work, focus, detailed work | Partly | 1 hour | Headache, mistakes increase |
| Hands-on work on location | 30% | Physical exertion, travel, pace | No | n/a | Out of action the next day |
| Acquisition and networking | 10% | Energy, social demands, evenings | No | n/a | n/a |
| Management and planning | 5% | Keeping an overview, switching between tasks | Partly | 30 min | Difficulty prioritising |
Draw up an overview of your work before you stopped working. State time spent, physical or mental demands, client contact, deadlines and necessary travel. Then describe, per task, where the limitation arises and which adjustments have already been tried.
Illustrative example: a self-employed adviser may be able to hold a short conversation, but struggles with continuous file analysis and time pressure. Merely establishing that a conversation was possible does not then answer the full question of the workload. The medical and labour expert reports must substantiate that translation.
Do not use an automatic percentage based solely on working hours lost. The calculation method follows from the policy and the labour expert’s assessment. Moreover, a lower number of billable hours may also have causes other than illness.
Challenging a rejection or termination in a targeted way
First ask which element is being disputed: the existence of an insured medical condition, the limitations, the degree of incapacity for work or an exclusion. Then indicate, per element, what you believe is missing or incorrect and what additional examination is needed.
An independent medical or labour expert opinion can help. Agree in advance who chooses the expert, which question is put, which documents are used and who pays. Not every second opinion you request yourself is automatically reimbursed.
If an ongoing benefit is stopped, check the reasons and the effective date. Ask whether a payment or advance payment is possible during the reassessment. That is not an automatic right in every case. More on the general route can be found at AOV benefit rejected or terminated.
Cooperation and privacy
The insurer may need information and reasonable cooperation in order to assess your claim. Do not refuse an examination without consultation, but raise objections to its scope, the burden it places on you or the expertise involved in good time. Ask for a targeted authorisation and a secure route for medical data.
Medical information should not be shared more widely than necessary. Have it checked who needs which data. Also respond if an examination is not feasible in practical or medical terms, and substantiate what adjustment you are requesting.
Frequently asked questions about disability insurance and symptoms that are hard to objectify
Is burnout excluded from disability insurance as standard?
No, that cannot be said in general terms. The policy, any personal clauses and the medical assessment are decisive. Check specifically whether psychological conditions are covered or restricted.
Does long COVID automatically entitle you to a benefit?
No. It must be assessed whether the policy conditions have been met and what incapacity for work exists. The diagnosis alone does not determine the benefit percentage.
Does pain have to be visible on a scan?
That is not a general requirement for every AOV claim. What counts is the precise policy definition and the medical assessment. Ask why the insurer believes the file does not meet the agreed standard.
Is my treating doctor’s opinion binding?
Not automatically. The treating practitioner provides important medical information, but the insurance assessment addresses its own questions. A difference of opinion must be examined on its merits.
Can a good day be used against me?
Activities may be relevant, but they must be assessed in context. Record fluctuations, duration and the need for recovery factually. A single moment does not in itself give a complete picture of sustainable workload.
What if it is mainly the labour expert who underestimates my limitations?
Then the translation to your work must be examined. Read about objecting to the insurance physician or labour expert of your AOV insurer.
Have the rejection and reports assessed together
Has your disability insurer classified your symptoms as insufficiently objectifiable? Contact Arslan Advocaten with the policy and the decision. Medical documents can then be provided through an agreed secure route.
Legally reviewed by Onur Arslan, attorney at Arslan Advocaten. Reviewed on 13 September 2026.
