|
Individuals who file for Social Security Disability or SSI Disability benefits are required to jump through several hoops, including but not limited to: 1) Going through a disability interview, conducted by a field office claims rep at a social security office. 2) Filling out numerous reports and forms. 3) Being asked to provide additional information as their case is processed, including work history and daily activity information. 4. Possibly being sent to a social security medical examination. The entire process of filing for social security disability or filing for SSI disability can seem exhaustive, partly due to how long the decision process can take (an inital claim can easily take 4-6 months, and a reconsideration appeal can take just as long, though reconsiderations are typically faster). However, after going through the time-consuming process of applying for disability, claimants can sometimes make the mistake of assuming that the social security office knows more than it does, or has access to more information than it really does. This phenomenon is occasionally seen when claimants who have been denied send in their disability appeal paperwork and fail to provide updated information regarding their medical treatment sources (new doctors they have been seen by), medications, diagnosed conditions, and tests that have been run (such as lab work, xrays, MRIs, CT scans, etcs). Somehow, some individuals who are going through the "second round" (in other words, filing their first appeal) mistakenly assume that social security will automatically have access to their most recent medical developments...even if the claimant hasn't actually supplied this information on the appeal paperwork. This, of course, is a faulty assumption. In fact, the only way for a disability examiner (the person who makes the decision on a disability claim) to know that a claimant has a newly diagnosed condition, a new prognosis, or a new doctor---is for the claimant to point this out in the paperwork submitted to the social security administration. Claimants who submit disability appeal paperwork should be very careful not to omit any medical information that might potentially help them in being awarded disability benefits. In fact, to be on the safe side, a claimant should not only submit updated information with their appeal, but also every bit of information that was submitted when they first applied. Of course, an easy way to do accomplish this is to: A) Make copies of everything that has been sent to social security. This way, the same information can easily be submitted again simply by sending a copy. B) Keep a hand written record of doctor visits, so on future appeals a claimant can be sure to remember which visits, tests, changes in medication, changes in doctors, and diagnosed conditions have been reported to SSA, or still need to be reported. 
Social Security Disability and SSI Disability Information
Disability Attorneys Help with Claims Free Case Evaluation |