Opinion ID: 173275
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Thyroid Dysfunction

Text: Hartford initially approved Loughray’s claim largely based on Dr. Brunschwig and Nurse Dalton’s reports that her thyroid condition rendered her unable to work. That Hartford originally deemed Loughray disabled by her thyroid condition does not foreclose Hartford’s “subsequent principled review” of that determination. Kimber v. Thiokol Corp., 196 F.3d 1092, 1098 (10th Cir. 1999). In fact, prior to April 20, 2000, Loughray’s thyroid dysfunction had been controlled for several years. And the parties contemplated that Loughray’s disability, though qualifying for long-term disability benefits, would not be permanent. (See Aple. Supp. App. at 636-37 (anticipating Loughray would return to work by June 2001).) At the time Hartford terminated Loughray’s benefits, Loughray’s thyroid condition appeared controlled. On May 30, 2000, a little over a month after Loughray first went to the hospital in April for her thyroid dysfunction, blood tests indicated that her thyroid stimulating levels had stabilized. In June 2000, an endocrinologist, Dr. Higgins, found her thyroid was functioning normally and that her symptoms were not related to her thyroid condition. Admittedly, around this same time, Dr. Gass of 19 Infectious Disease Consultants opined that Loughray continued to suffer a “slow recovery” from her thyroid and endocrine disorders as opposed to an infection. (Id. at 718-19.) Dr. Gass, however, did not update her diagnosis at any point closer to when Hartford terminated Loughray’s benefits several months later in January 2002. Similarly, as of July 2001 Dr. Brunschwig’s office continued to opine that Loughray remained unable to work because of her thyroid condition; however, when Hartford’s independent medical examiner, Dr. Truchelut, contacted Dr. Brunschwig in November 2001 to obtain additional information on Loughray current condition, Dr. Brunschwig informed Dr. Truchelut that he could not address Loughray’s current condition as it had been three months since he last examined her. In sum then, when Hartford made its decision, Loughray did not present any recent blood tests that indicated her thyroid condition remained uncontrolled, and neither Dr. Gass nor Dr. Brunschwig had provided a recent evaluation of Loughray’s symptoms. Under those circumstances, Hartford quite reasonably declined to find that Loughray remained disabled based on stale diagnoses. Tests performed during the appeals process confirmed that Loughray’s thyroid condition remained under control. A blood test dated April 23, 2002 indicated a stabilized level of thyroid stimulating hormone. Moreover, Loughray’s doctors began to focus on other diagnoses, such as sleep apnea and closed head injury, instead of Loughray’s apparently controlled thyroid condition. Thus, under these circumstances, Hartford had a reasonable basis for concluding that Loughray did not suffer from a disabling thyroid dysfunction. 20