Will My Doctor Charge Me to Write a Medical Source Statement?

Getting a medical source statement from your treating doctor can be a huge boost to the validity of your disability case. Social Security claims examiners and administrative law judges can treat a supportive opinion from your regular provider as strong evidence in favor of a disability finding. But for your doctor's letter to be helpful, it must be backed up by objective medical evidence and explain specifically how your condition results in functional limitations that keep you from working.

Because comprehensive medical source statements can be very valuable for your disability claim—and because they can be time-consuming to write—some doctors charge a fee to write one. Unlike basic doctor's notes that may excuse you from work or other obligations, medical source statements need to meet certain descriptive criteria to be useful. Before you pay your doctor to write a statement for your disability claim, you should know what exactly the statement should contain in order to be effective (and get the most "bang for your buck").

How Much Can Doctors Charge for Disability Statements?

It depends on the type of paperwork your doctor needs to fill out. If you're asking for a simple check-the-box form (like Social Security's Form HA-1151-BK, Medical Source Statement of Ability to do Physical Work-Related Activities), your doctor might charge a fee of $30 or so. For a longer, more detailed written opinion, the fee could be more like $100, with or without insurance.

Some doctors don't charge for writing letters for their patients. This is more common if you're asking for a note explaining a short absence rather than a detailed medical source statement that will be added to your claim for disability benefits. But if your doctor says that they won't charge you for a note, it's important to clarify what type of note they're expecting to write. A brief letter from your doctor that just says that you're disabled or can't work won't help you prove your disability claim—Social Security doesn't give these types of letters any special consideration when making a decision.

Why It's Worth it to Pay for a Doctor's Statement

Social Security claims examiners and administrative law judges often attach significant importance to medical statements from your treating physician, psychologist, or psychiatrist. In part, this is because they're in the best position to give a detailed, long-term view of your impairments. A doctor who's been treating your condition for some time can offer a perspective and insight that you can't get from medical findings alone, consultative examinations, or brief hospitalization notes.

So if your doctor is willing to complete detailed disability paperwork with the information listed above, it could dramatically improve your chances of being approved for disability benefits—as long as your doctor's statement is supported by medical evidence and isn't inconsistent with your records as a whole. Such a letter might be well worth paying for.

What Your Doctor's Letter Should Say

As mentioned above, Social Security doesn't assign much weight to letters that just say you're disabled or you can't work. The agency considers these to be statements on "issues reserved to the Commissioner (of Social Security)", meaning they contain opinions on legal matters outside the scope of your doctor's expertise. So in order for your doctor's statement to help your case, it should include the following information:

• a brief medical history
• a diagnosis of your impairments
• clinical findings
• your response to treatment, and
• your prognosis.

Your treating doctor (or psychologist) should also include a comprehensive statement expressing an opinion as to your "residual functional capacity" (RFC)—what you can do and what you can no longer do because of your condition. Ask your doctor to complete our RFC form, as it can be extremely helpful for proving your disability case.

The RFC form should state clearly what your doctor feels you're capable of doing despite the functional limitations imposed by your disabling condition. Here's an example of a short doctor's statement:

Patient has been treating with me for the last three years for various musculoskeletal issues, including scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, and L5 nerve root compression, as demonstrated on an MRI taken May 2, 2025. The lumbar radiculopathy causes muscle weakness and pain along the right sciatic nerve, resulting in the following limitations:

• walk and stand no more than two hours of an eight-hour workday
• sit no more than one hour at a time
• lift and carry no more than twenty pounds occasionally and ten pounds frequently
• occasionally stoop, crouch, crawl, kneel, bend, or twist
• never climb ladders, ropes, or scaffolds, and
• occasionally climb stairs or ramps.

Patient should have the occupational flexibility to switch between sitting and standing as needed.

Doctors' Notes on Physical Impairments

The doctor's opinion should list the effects your impairment has on your ability to perform specific activities. If your impairment is physical, it should include activities like:

• sitting
• standing
• walking
• carrying and handling objects
• lifting (and how much you can lift), or
• your ability to hear or speak.

Your doctor should describe the extent of your limitations in numerical quantities, such as time (minutes, hours, or days), weight (pounds or kilograms), and frequency (such as "rarely," "occasionally," "frequently," or as a percentage of the day) whenever possible.

Doctors' Notes for Mental Impairments

If you have a mental impairment, your disability paperwork should include a letter from your doctor describing your ability to:

• understand, remember, and carry out instructions
• perform complex, detailed, or simple tasks
• communicate effectively with coworkers, supervisors, and the general public
• maintain focus and concentration on job duties
• respond appropriately to workplace stressors, and
• show up to work consistently and on-time.

Additionally, your treating physician or psychologist could offer an opinion on how your mental condition affects your ability to perform routine activities such as taking care of your finances, completing chores, shopping, personal hygiene, and attending social functions. Social Security asks about your activities of daily living because it makes sense that something you struggle with at home would affect your job performance, so having your doctor acknowledge the difficulties you face in your daily life can be persuasive evidence pointing towards disability.

My Doctor Wrote Me a Medical Source Statement, What Now?

Now that you've gotten a helpful medical source statement from your treating doctor, you'll want to submit it to the claims examiner or administrative law judge handling your case. Examiners at your state's Disability Determination Services (DDS) office review applications at the initial and reconsideration stages, so if your case is pending at these levels, you should send the medical source statement to DDS. If you're waiting for a hearing with a disability judge, you should send your medical source statement to the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) serving your geographical region.

If you're having trouble getting your doctor's cooperation (and you haven't already done so), consider contacting an experienced disability attorney for help. Your lawyer will know which medical providers' opinions will be most useful for your disability claim and may be able to overcome any concerns your doctor may have about writing a medical source statement.