My Doctor Is Not Willing To Cooperate With Social Security or My Lawyer, What Should I Do?

Medical records are a crucial component of any Social Security Disability benefits (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) case.

Unfortunately from time to time I have a client that tells me that either their doctor is unwilling to fill out paperwork stating that they are disabled or the doctor is unwilling to assist them in anyway. This isn't usually a deal breaker. Most of the time, if you've been treating with a doctor, then that doctor will have medical records for you.  Those records include office visit notes, blood work results and any number of other test results that were forwarded back to that doctor's office.

As long as the doctor is willing to turn over those records then there should be no issue. If the doctor is not even willing to give you access to your records then it is critical to get your attorney involved. If it has reached this stage, then I strongly suggest beginning the process of looking elsewhere for a new treating physican.

This is not something that I like to advise and it should be a last resort. However, applying for Social Security can be a stressful process and more often than not a difficult process. There is no reason why you should have to stress out even more or make the process even more difficult. If you have a medical condition(s), either physical or mental that truly prevents you from working, then there are plenty of other doctors in your area who will treat you and are willing to assist you by providing the records needed to help prove to Social Security that you are in fact disabled.

Obviously, as an attorney, it is always much more helpful if a doctor is willing to complete forms that I send to him or her to complete. But, this isn't always necessary and often even if a doctor isn't willing to fill out additional forms as long as they are willing to provide your medical records this will not be an issue.

At some point at the beginning of the process, or preferably, before you have even applied for Social Security disability, you should discuss with your doctor your plans to apply for disability. Often this conversation will give you a better understanding how your doctor truly feels about your condition(s). If the doctor seems on board with you applying for Social Security disability then he or she is likely to be more cooperative when Social Security or your attorney requests information about your medical condition. If the doctor seems skeptical about the process then this could be a hint that in the future that particular doctor may not be of much assistance to your application for disability.

The truth of the matter is, many doctors have no idea what the criteria for Social Security disability is and some are much more reluctant than others to assist you through the process.