FAQs About Medical Evidence
What evidence does a physician give for an SSD case?
Your physician can supply a variety of evidence, and the more evidence you give, the easier it will be to prove that you qualify for SSD or SSI benefits. The strongest piece of evidence is one that has an explanation from your physician that speaks to other physicians – because other physicians would review this document. This report should include a long history that states your initial symptoms, the onset of symptoms, and when those symptoms started to impact your ability to work. Next, your physician describes the workup and diagnosis. Your physician must report on any observations and treatments they used. Also, the report needs your diagnosis and prognosis. Your physician should go into detail about how they came to this decision, tests used to confirm that diagnosis, and a summary of how your injury affects your employment future. Your physician needs to go into detail about how your injury limits your ability to walk, lift, carry, stand, sit, and function if you were to work part-time or full-time. If there are emotional elements to the injury, your physician must describe how these would impact your ability to concentrate, handle social situations, deal with coworkers, and follow the instructions of your job. Most importantly, your physician must be clear that he or she feels your injury, condition, or illness disables you from working.
Why do you need to see an SSA physician to receive benefits?
Social Security has a team of consulting physicians who they feel are more equipped to determine if you are truly disabled than your physician. Some state programs will hire third parties to investigate and evaluate your condition. Other states use volume physicians, like general surgeons, who cannot find a position elsewhere. These examinations are substandard, and the qualifications of that physician examining you are questionable. While it is reasonable for the government to request an examination, it is not reasonable for them to send you to a physician that is not qualified to examine you. An attorney from Liner Legal, LLC will ensure that the physician examining you for SSD or SSI is qualified and not selected based solely on price.
What is past relevant work?
When you apply for SSD, the SSA considers not only your diagnosis and prognosis, but past relevant work as part of their assessment. You must give a clear past work history as part of your initial claim. The SSA then reviews each type of job you have had, and decides whether you could return to work at any of those positions. If they feel you could return to a past type of employment, they can deny your benefits.
What is a dire need request?
A dire need request is a claimant’s way of encouraging the SSA to process their claim faster and help them receive benefits. These requests are only useful when the claimant has a terminal illness or presumptive disability. In other cases, your attorney will need to use various methods to do what they can to speed up the process. Even then, realize that there is no much you can do to push the SSA to review your case or approve your benefits. Liner Legal, LLC can request an on-the-record letter first to the judge and then seek a bench decision to bypass your hearing.