Social Security Disability benefits are designed to help those who have suffered medical conditions that prevent them from working, but who determines eligibility?
Many people believe that if their doctor has diagnosed their condition and medical evidence of the diagnosis can be provided, they should be approved for benefits. However, this isn’t the case. Doctors can’t determine if people are eligible for Social Security Disability—only Social Security Disability medical consultants can make these determinations.
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), a medical consultant is a person who makes disability determinations for the agency. Most are licensed physicians, but many are trained in specific areas of medicine and meet the requirements of their specialty areas.
They make their determinations based on the standards for the medical conditions outlined in the SSA’s Blue Book.
This is why it’s essential to have a Social Security Disability lawyer examine your case before filing for benefits. A lawyer can help ensure the evidence and documentation presented in your filing will likely meet SSA requirements.
At Newlin Disability, we have worked with thousands of Social Security Disability applicants and know how to navigate the SSA’s application process. Please find out how we can help you by calling our legal staff.