Social Security Disability Law: News and Facts

I often times have people ask me why did the social security consultative exam doctor tell me that I am disabled and I should not be working, yet Social Security denies my application. If a doctor has said that you are disabled, you might be thinking you have an easy Social Security Disability case. While this scenario is not all that common, it does happen. The fact of the matter is the consulative examination is a quick visit. If your there more than 30 minutes, that is very long. The consultative examiner is seeing multiple people that day and he/she wants to get done because they do not get paid alot of money. They also her paid per exam, not how long you are in the exam room.  The consultative examination doctors do not work for SSA. They are paid just to do some exams. These could be private doctors just trying to make some extra money.  From time to time a client tells me that they went to the Consultative Examination that Social Security requested that they go to and t...

A consultative examination is a medical or psychological exam that the Disability Determination Service (DDS) will request an individual undergo. A consultative exam essentially allows the individual applying for Social Security to provide more information and context for their disability claim. These exams are especially important in cases where the individual does not have a lot of medical treatment or records supporting their disability claim.  If the SSA requires you to have a consultative exam, you need to make your best effort to go to the appointment on time. If you cannot make the appointment, try to reschedule as soon as possible. It will help your case if you go to the consultative exam prepared to answer the medical provider’s questions. You should prepare a list of your medical condition(s) and treatments you have and are taking for it. -Be  completely honest-do not exaggerate your symptoms but explain how they affect your daily life. Do not hide anything, such as ...

The Social Security definition of disability mandates that you must have a medically determinable mental or physical impairment and that the impairment has prevented you from performing work activity that earned SGA-level income for the past twelve months, or can be expected to prevent SGA for twelve months. After each claim is initiated and a disability interview has been conducted, claims representatives at social security offices gather the medical and work information for your disability claim and then send the claim to a state disability agency (DDS, or disability determination services) for a medical determination. Once your disability file is received at the state disability agency, or DDS, it is assigned to a disability examiner, who then sends for your medical records. Ordinarily, the wait for your medical records will constitute the bulk of the time that it takes to process your case. In some instances, your records will be gathered within a couple of weeks. Very often, howev...