Regenauer, A · Versicherungsmedizin · 2008
This article examines a group of conditions—including ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and others—that are difficult to diagnose with standard medical tests and have become controversial in healthcare and insurance systems. The author explores why these illnesses are questioned by insurers, what they have in common, and why cases are increasing in Western societies. The paper aims to help insurance companies better understand these conditions rather than dismiss them as imaginary.
This study directly addresses a key challenge ME/CFS patients face: stigma and skepticism from insurers and healthcare systems that question the legitimacy of illnesses lacking objective biomarkers. By framing ME/CFS within a broader group of similarly disputed conditions, the paper highlights a systemic problem affecting diagnosis, treatment access, and disability recognition for millions of patients.
This review does not establish any biological mechanism linking these diverse conditions, nor does it provide epidemiological data definitively proving that prevalence is actually increasing versus being better recognized. The paper's opinion that some insurers suspect illnesses are 'imaginary' reflects bias rather than scientific evidence about the validity of ME/CFS or related conditions.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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