Diagnosis
The medical label a doctor assigns — a name for what they think you have.
Ladder step 2: What medicine records — What has a doctor documented?
This is
- ICD-10/11 code, specialist opinion, hospital discharge summary
- Starting point for medical chronology
This is not
- Proof you cannot work
- The insurer's final decision
ClaimBuddy resources
Cross-links to Clinical Atlas, glossary, traps, and policy terms — hover for a quick summary.
How do you know?
Practical signs that this term applies to your situation — not legal advice.
- A clinician writes a named condition on a certificate, script, or specialist letter.
- Hospital discharge summary or ICD code appears in records.
- It describes what you have — not whether you can work.
What triggers it?
Events or thresholds that typically activate this concept in a claim.
- Specialist consultation, hospital admission, or formal assessment.
- Insurer medical review may accept diagnosis but still dispute disability.
- Pre-existing condition arguments often turn on diagnosis dates vs cover start.
Check yourself
Highlighted words link to language-map explainers.
- Does my certificate only list a diagnosis , or does it link to work duties?
- Is the insurer rejecting the diagnosis — or rejecting duty impact ?
- When was this diagnosis first recorded vs when did duties stop?
How this links to other terms
Diagnosis names the condition; symptoms are what you feel day to day.
Serious diagnosis ≠ automatic disability under policy wording.
Pair every diagnosis with at least one duty it prevents.
Illness is everyday language; diagnosis is the medical record label.
Diagnosis on a sick note does not equal policy incapacity.
Evidence
Consultation notes, specialist report, hospital summary
Often mixed with
Confusion drill-downs
Side-by-side guides for pairs people mix up with Diagnosis.
"Major depressive disorder" on a script is a diagnosis , not a disability finding.