5 Essential Tips You Should Know Before Your Social Security Medical Exam
The social security benefits application process is no doubt lengthy. It’s even longer if you need to undergo a medical examination. The Social Security Administration conducts the consultative exam procedure to evaluate your disability and ability to work.
Not everyone has to undergo a medical exam.
It’s only those who haven’t provided sufficient information in their case file which needs one.
These tips will prove helpful with the exam if you need to undergo one.
1. Who Conducts the Examination?
The doctor conducting the exam isn’t a social security doctor.
It is a doctor the SSA contracts to conduct examinations as required. So don’t expect to receive the same care and attention from them as you get from your doctor.
On the contrary, most of these doctors conduct the exam in a rush. They just want to get the job done and aren’t much concerned with your claim results.
However, you need to be prepared and make the most of the examination. You can do this by presenting your evidence and answering any questions they ask.
2. No Fixed Time or Test Limit
There’s no fixed time limit for the exam.
It may last only ten minutes and comprise only an x-ray.
Or it could run for more than an hour with multiple diagnostic tests and x-rays.
It all depends on your disability and how much evidence the doctor requires.
3. Do Not Miss the Appointment at Any Cost
You must attend the consultative exam and be on time. You risk the SSA proceeding with your application without conducting an examination if you don’t show up.
It, in turn, may lead to a denial or unnecessary delays.
Emergencies do occur, and it’s usually unannounced. If there’s an emergency, make sure you call and inform the SSA well before a cancellation.
4. Keep the Most Crucial Information Ready
You won’t have much time with your doctor.
So it helps to keep a list of bullet points about the most important things of your disability ready.
The information to mention to include in it include:
- When the disability began
- How often does it keep you out of work
- The pain level
- Any specific tests you’ve conducted with their results.
5. Have Your Medical Records Ready
As you won’t have much time during the appointment, it’s better to take all your medical records. The doctor can go through them to understand your condition better and decide which tests to run.
Remember, you never knew how long the appointment would be, so you need to be prepared for any scenario. You can do your part to save time by keeping all your records ready.
How a Social Security Benefits Attorney in Burbank Helps
Most of the time, the SSA denies an application purely because of insufficient evidence. You can prevent this from occurring with the assistance of an attorney.
The Burbank social security benefits lawyer will help gather and sort all your medical reports. They will also determine which documents you need to provide. And they will pick the weak spots in your application.
In case your application ends up denied, your lawyer will also help with the appeal process. They will find out what went wrong, provide the necessary documents, and make sure you meet SSA’s strict deadlines.
Besides, social security benefits keep abreast with new developments and changes in SSA requirements.
They will thus know about any changes made which may play a huge difference in your claim. With their help, you will be able to fight for and receive your rightfully deserved benefits.