How Important Are Medical Records When Applying For Social Security Disability?

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Medical records are very important and play a major role in determining whether or not you will be approved for Social Security Disability Benefits. When you apply for Social Security Disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you have to prove to Social Security that you are disabled. You would not believe the amount of people that ask for my assistance in applying for SSD or SSI who have very limited or no medical records. Often, it's because the person has very few finances or has no health insurance. However, even if this is the case, it is essential that you do your best to seek medical treatment.

Why? Well, aside from the fact that seeking medical treatment is a good way to improve your health or get a better understanding of your disabilities it is also critical evidence that can be very useful in proving to Social Security that you are in fact disabled.

When you initially apply for SSD or SSI, you are required to inform Social Security of any doctors, hospitals or clinics you have seen that will have medical records. Social Security also wants a list of all medications that you are currently taking and all tests (X-Rays, MRIs, CT Scans, etc.) that you have done pertaining to your disabilities.

If you are considering applying for SSD or SSI, or have already done so, it would be a good idea to keep track of all doctor and hospital visits. Make sure you document what tests you have done and have a general idea what disabilities you have and any medical conditions that you have been diagnosed with. It's always better to clearly indicate to Social Security what conditions/impairments prevent you from working, rather than assuming that someone at Social Security will read through pages and pages of medical records to understand what your problems are.

If you do not have health insurance or have limited finances you should contact Social Services in your area to see if you qualify for Medicaid or contact local hospitals/clinics to see if they have Charity Care programs. If you apply for Charity Care in one hospital or clinic and are told you do not qualify you should not give up, each individual facility has different size Charity Care programs and different criteria for qualifying.

I cannot stress enough how important a role medical records plays in determining whether a claimant will receive Social Security Disability benefits through the Social Security Administration.