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Doctor Says I Have a Disability - Why Did Social Security Deny Me?

Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal LPA /  SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY /  Social Security Disability FAQs /  My Doctor Says I Have a Disability, So Why Did Social Security Deny Me?
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Disability FAQs 

An Answer to Confusion over Disability Benefits in Ohio

It feels like you’re stuck in an impossible jam.

Your health problems have forced you to stop working. Your doctor said you have a permanent disability. But when you tried to get Social Security Disability to keep you going financially, your benefits were denied.

What happened? And how can you fix it?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has highly particular standards for deciding who gets disability benefits. It uses its own standards, not your doctor’s.

It is extremely easy to get denied for many possible reasons. But you can appeal the denial. Appealing will include making sure your medical evidence covers what Social Security needs to see to approve your benefits.

This is what the Ohio disability lawyers at Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal do every day.

We help hard-working Ohioans whose lives have been disrupted by bad health win disability benefits that can put you back on solid ground.

On this page, we’ll explain why your doctor and Social Security may not be telling you the same things.

We’re here for you: “Helping me, that’s HNB.”

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    How Social Security Decides If Your Health Problems Qualify for Disability Benefits

    The main qualifications for Social Security Disability are that you can’t work, the reason you can’t work is serious health problems, and your health problems and inability to work will last at least a year.

    Your doctor may view a permanent medical condition as a disability. But Social Security will run it through several additional tests:

    • Are you working any significant amount right now?
    • Did you have to leave work because of debilitating physical or mental health conditions?
    • Could you switch to another type of work, such as something else you’ve done over the past 15 years?
    • Does your impairment match one of Social Security’s official listings of impairments that qualify for disability benefits?
    • Even if your diagnosis isn’t on their list, what level of physical activity and mental focus can you perform?

    For that last point, Social Security will give you a rating called your “residual functional capacity,” or RFC. This is a measure of how your health limitations effect your day-to-day capabilities.

    Your doctor probably didn’t view your health issues through the same lens, which could be why he or she gave you a different answer from Social Security.

    Social Security will have its own doctors and medical experts examine your disability application. Sometimes, it will ask you to get a new medical exam by a doctor chosen by Social Security.

    It will make its decision independently of your doctor.

    A Social Security Disability lawyer can help you bridge this gap. An experienced disability attorney knows what kinds of medical information to gather from your doctor, and how to square that with Social Security’s rules.

    You can get an HNB lawyer to look at your situation and let you know what you need for your claim at no charge.

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    How Your Doctor Still Has a Role in Your Application for Social Security Disability

    Just because Social Security won’t simply take your doctor’s word and approve your disability benefits doesn’t mean your doctor isn’t important.

    In fact, medical evidence is possibly the most important part of your disability claim.
    You’ll need to show Social Security evidence like this:

    • Reports from medical exams
    • Letters from your doctor or other health care providers
    • Results of medical tests
    • Medical imaging results if it’s relevant
    • Treatment plans
    • Prescription drug lists
    • Mental health evaluations

    A disability lawyer can help you collect and organize your medical records, including getting the right kinds of information from your doctor for your Social Security Disability claim.

    That way, when medical professionals working for Social Security look at your information, they’ll have what they need.

    A disability attorney from HNB Law can help you submit complete medical evidence from your initial application for disability benefits through every level of appealing a denial of benefits.

    HNB has helped thousands of people in Ohio win disability benefits for over 40 years.

    If Social Security says you don’t meet their definition of disability, no matter what your doctor says, talk to us.

    You may have another chance to win benefits after your income is disrupted, and reclaim some peace in your life.

    Call Us!