Posts under ‘Doctors, Records, & Medical Treatment’

As a general rule, if you are applying for Social Security disability benefits or appealing a Social Security denial, Social Security will penalize you for noncompliance with your doctor’s instructions. That means Social Security may deny your disability claim if you do not do what your doctors tell you.
But there are exceptions!!! Social Security [...]

Your doctor’s opinion of your disability is critical evidence in your Social Security disability case. If your doctor does not believe in you, you and your lawyer are facing an uphill battle.
Chances are, Social Security either sent you to one of their doctors for a consultative examination, or had your medical records reviewed by a [...]

A 100% impairment rating from the VA is usually terrific evidence in a Social Security disability case. While a VA rating is not binding on Social Security (Social Security does not have to agree with the VA that you are disabled), Social Security will often give strong deference to a 100% disability rating from the Department [...]

In Colorado the cost of medical records are based on the number of pages you get. This means getting your records can quickly get expensive. But, you do not have to request every single scrap of paper, phone message, or referral that was ever generated by your doctor’s office. If you want to, you [...]

So, how much is it going to cost me to get my medical records? 
The cost of obtaining medical records differs from state to state. In Colorado, where my practice is located, doctors’ offices are supposed to charge no more than the “reasonable cost” of providing the records.
Under Colorado law, the “reasonable cost” is $14.00 [...]

How do you get your medical records?  In Colorado, anyone over the age of 18 can get a copy of their medical records by making a written request to their doctor’s office.
If you have only one doctor, or just a couple of doctors, you can simply ask. Sometimes, the records will be waiting for you by [...]

In Part 1, we talked about some of the reasons why Social Security may not get all your relevant medical records.
Here is the real kicker: you often only find out what records Social Security has obtained in the denial notice.
In Colorado, where my Social Security practice is located, Social Security used to send out [...]

If you just filed for benefits, you may be wondering if there is anything you can do to improve your chances of being approved?
Yes! Get your medical records!
Why should I get my own records? Social Security is supposed to get my records themselves — and that does not cost me anything. Why should [...]

It is vital to get regular medical treatment when you are appling for Social Security disability benefits. I have even seen Judges roll their eyes when a claimant says there are no doctors they can see.
But, I don’t have insurance and I can’t afford to see a doctor on a regular basis. What am I supposed [...]

I hear a number of reasons for not seeing a doctor on a regular basis: 
I don’t like going to the doctor.
I prefer herbal medicine.
I have a high threshold for pain.
When I hurt I just stay in bed.
This is unfortunate because regular and ongoing treatment is one of the foundations of building a Social Security case.
Why? [...]