GET A MEDICAL SOURCE STATEMENT FROM YOUR DOCTOR

Your doctor cannot approve you or sign you up for Social Security disability.  However, your doctor can and should play an important role in providing evidence for full and fair evaluation of your disability claim.

You should ask your doctor to provide a Medical Source Statement for you, such as form HA-1151 for physical impairments or HA-1152 for mental impairments.  Why is this form so important to a successful Social Security disability claim.

It's important because it goes to the heart of what Social Security needs to approve your claim.  That is, your limitations in the ability to perform work related activity.  Your medical records alone do not show these limitations.  In short, a Medical Source Statement gives your doctor's opinion as to how much you can lift and carry, how long you can sit, walk and stand; and may evaluate your ability to concentrate or react appropriately to other people.

Let's say Sara goes to her doctor with a complaint of chronic back pain.  The doctor examines her and prescribes a muscle relaxer and a light duty pain pill with instructions to return in 30 days if the pain is not a lot better.  Here is what the doctor's medical record will probably say:

Ms. Jones is a pleasant 51 year-old female who presents today for some pain in her lower back, which she has experienced for about 3 months.  She is a well nourished lady in no apparent distress.  Respiration is clear.  Reflexes in all lower extremities (LE) are normal.  I am going to prescribe some Flexeril and Naproxen to try.  She will return in 4 weeks if not improved.

The above notation is virtually useless in a Social Security disability claim.  It presents no severity of symptoms, no limits for lifting, standing, walking, sitting, bending, etc.  In short, it gives Social Security no reason to believe that the patient cannot work every day in just about any capacity.  It says that she has some back pain.  That's all.  And that is not nearly enough.

Ask your doctor to provide you with a Medical Source Statement that gives the specifics of your functional limitations.  Not all doctors will do so, but this form can make the difference between an award an a denial of your claim.   

Social Security will NOT ask your doctor for this statement; they will only ask for medical records, which as explained are woefully inadequate to get you approved.  It is up to the claimant or her representative to obtain this form from the doctor.