What if my doctor said that I am disabled? Why was I denied for SSD or SSI when my doctor says I can’t work?

Treating with a doctor and other medical professionals that believe you are disabled can certainly increase your changes of being approved for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits. However, the fact that your doctor believes that you are disabled is usually not enough on its own to get you approved for benefits. The Social Security Administration looks at a lot of different things when determining whether a person is disabled. This includes, but is not limited to, your own statements about your abilities and daily activities, the past work you’ve done, your medical treatment records and whether you have objective evidence, like MRIs, x-rays, and blood tests, that supports your disability case, whether your conditions improve with treatment, whether you are following your doctor’s prescribed treatment and advice, what kind of medications you take, whether substance abuse is contributing to your limitations, and so on.

Typically, the more your medical records consistently document your symptoms and the more objective evidence there is to support your case, the better your chances of being approved. SSA will take into consideration any opinions from the medical professionals that treat you when they make their decision, but they will also consider all the above evidence and the medical opinions of any Social Security consultant doctors that review your case or examine you. For example, if your doctor’s opinion is not consistent with your treatment records, SSA may reject your doctor’s opinion and ultimately deny your claim for SSD or SSI.

Even though an opinion from the medical professionals that treat you usually cannot get you approved on it’s own, it is an important part of the process. Not having such opinions will make it significantly harder to get approved, especially if the Social Security consultant doctors don’t find you disabled. Medical opinions from those that treat you may not be an automatic slam dunk, but they are extremely important to your case overall.

If you have any further questions about this topic or about obtaining Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits, please contact us anytime.