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Social Security Consultative Examinations

Marken Law Group, PS, has helped hundreds obtain Social Security Disability benefits through the administration. We can help at all stages from initial filing, appealing for reconsideration, appealing for a hearing with the judge, appeals council and finally, Federal District Court. Call today for a free consultation. A question many have is what to expect at a consultative examination.

If you have recently applied and have gotten a notice in the mail to attend a doctor/psychologist appointment paid for by Social Security, your case manager with SSA has scheduled a consultative examination. It could be broad, physical consultative examination with a general practice practitioner or mental health appointment with a psychologist. It could be very specific, for instance x-rays of a specific limb or part of the body. Social Security will have questions, essentially, they want answered from a treating medical provider. These examiners are paid by the Social Security Administration and as such, are finding ways to negate or minimize your physical and/or mental health limitations. They are not working for YOU, they are working for the SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. Keep this in mind when the examiner asks questions. Simple answers, you feel are benign and will not hurt your claim, could be damning.

The worst narratives we see in a report come from the activities of daily living section and history. If you have a history of alcohol and/or drug use, this will be asked by the examiner and be devastating to your case, even if you have maintained sobriety for some time.

All examiners will ask what you do during a typical day. Why? Because the Social Security Administration wants to know the answer and it is an easy way to deny benefits. You, entering the consultative examination, will believe this is harmless and most offer what a GREAT day looks like, not a TYPICAL DAY. Any information regarding activities of daily living will, in a consultative examination, likely come back to haunt your claim. The mindset has to be, when entering a consultative examination, that the doctor/psychologist interviewing/examining you is looking for information to find you can work.

Their goal is to find you are NOT disabled. Approach a consultative examination cautiously, knowing every activity you say you can perform will be included in their report to Social Security in an effort to prove you can work.

While consultative examinations do not help, if you are scheduled for one, you must attend! Not attending your consultative examination is grounds for immediate denial of your claim!

How do you counter balance a consultative examination? By having YOUR medical doctor/psychologist complete what is called a TREATING SOURCE STATEMENT, PROVING your disability. Under the Social Security law, a treating source statement is afforded more weight than a consultative examiner anyways, so the evidence, if offered, is more valuable.

Marken Law Group, PS, has specifically tailored treating source statements for hundreds of mental and physical health diagnosis. We prepare you for your consultative examination and walk with your through every stage of the Social Security process. Call today, No Benefits, No Fee!