The Social Security disability claims process can be prolonged and somewhat confusing. You might be feeling this way if you’ve been notified that you’ve been requested to attend a consultative medical examination. After all, you’ve submitted your claim and your medical evidence. Why do you need another examination?
The purpose of the consultative examination
There are a number of reasons why the Social Security Administration might request that you attend a consultative examination. In many instances, the medical evidence submitted with a SSD claim is limited or dated, and the claims examiner needs additional information to allow him or her to either approve or deny the claim. Therefore, the consultative examination isn’t meant to serve as any sort of treatment, but rather is a fact-gathering tool used by the government to allow it to better assess your claim.
What does the consultative examination entail?
The extent of your exam depends on the facts of your case. The doctor might assess your physical or mental well-being, which might include conducting a number of tests such as X-rays and other physical examinations. The goal is for the doctor to issue a report that essentially gives an opinion as to the severity of your condition, which may or may not align with your position listed in your SSD claim. They can even given an indication of what you physically can and can’t do at the time of the examination, which speaks directly to your ability to work.
Protect your interests
The problem is that these doctors oftentimes don’t fully review the claimant’s full medical history, or they don’t go far enough in their examination to give the claim adjuster the accurate and in-depth information to come to an appropriate result. That’s why you need to do everything you can to support your claim with strong medical evidence outside of what a consultative examination might provide. If you have questions about how to do that, then it might be time to talk to an experienced Social Security disability attorney.