To be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, you must compile and submit all of your appropriate medical records. Acceptable medical sources are individuals or institutions that can substantiate the existence of your handicap. Such evidence must adhere to the Social Security Administration’s requirements in its publication “Disability Evaluation Under Social Security,” popularly known as the “Blue Book.”
The Blue Book includes information on all medical problems that the Social Security Administration considers to be potentially debilitating and for which you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. Each listing comprises medical data that must be presented to the SSA by an appropriate medical source in order to show the existence, duration, and severity of a debilitating condition.
Acceptable Medical Sources Include the Following:
- Doctors (medical and osteopathic doctors, including psychiatrists)
psychologists - optometrists / podiatrists
- therapists of speech and language
Acceptable Medical Report Examples:
- clinical findings
- medical history
- Laboratory findings provide diagnostic information on the patient’s treatment history, including the
- patient’s response to treatment and a
- prognosis for the patient’s outcome
- statement of residual function.
Residual Capacity for Fiction
The term “Residual Fictional Capacity” refers to a statement that outlines what you can do despite your debilitating condition and what you are unable to perform as a result of your disabling condition. Several examples include the following:
- Your capacity to perform job-related activities such as sitting, standing, walking, lifting, carrying, and handling objects, as well as hearing, speaking, and traveling;
- Mental disability is defined as the inability to comprehend, recall, and follow out instructions, as well as to respond correctly to supervisors, coworkers, and job constraints.
- If the disabled person is a child, children with disabilities are compared with children of the same age who are not disabled when it comes to their ability to learn new things, interact with others, complete tasks and care for themselves; the child’s health and physical well-being are also taken into consideration.
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To be eligible for Social Security disability payments, you must also obtain medical documents from every health care facilities where you have received treatment.
Additional permissible sources of evidence include the following:
Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, naturopaths, chiropractors, audiologists, and therapists are all examples of medical workers.
Educators, counselors, early intervention team members, developmental center staff, and daycare center staff;
employees of state and commercial social assistance agencies;
a variety of non-medical sources, including spouses, parents and other careers, siblings, other relatives, friends, neighbors, and clergy;
To qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, all documentation from all sources must be thorough and detailed. Your medical records as a whole must prove the kind and duration of your handicap, as well as your capacity to function despite the disability. Once the existence of a debilitating ailment is established, the severity of the condition is determined using both medical and non-medical data.
When evaluating a claim for disability benefits, the Social Security Administration prefers records from “treating sources,” that is, medical professionals who are actively treating your condition over time, rather than medical professionals who may have seen you on a limited basis, such as during a brief hospitalization or a one-time examination.
This is because a long-term partnership enables the treating practitioner to provide medical documentation documenting the progression and course of your disability over time.
With credible medical evidence to back up your claim, your chances of getting granted for benefits can dramatically improve. Your chances of a successful claim grow greatly as well with the assistance of your medical professionals and an expert attorney. The Blue Book is a highly technical publication intended for disability experts and medical practitioners.
You may have difficulties comprehending its content and how it discusses approved medical sources due to the terminology employed. Consult your physician or a lawyer regarding the matter.