• Social Security Disability
    • SSI/SSDI Application Checklist
    • Social Security Disability Frequently Asked Questions
    • Social Security Office Information
  • Resources for the Disabled
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us Today
  • Press for The Foster Law Firm

Tips for Consultative Exams

6/3/2015

 
Social Security usually sends applicants to one of their doctors for exams when people first apply for disability and during the first appeal.  Everyone likes to think that if they just say a secret word or have a secret handshake their disability will be approved.  For better or worse it doesn’t work like that.  But there are a few tips you keep in mind when going to one of these consultative exams.  We’ve already discussed mental exams, so let’s talk about physical exams.
The doctor will likely not have any of your medical records.  Unless you are told to do so, do not bring any of your test results or copies of your x-rays or MRIs.  Sometimes Social Security will send you for x-rays.  This means that you will walk into the appointment and the doctor will have no idea what your medical condition is.  You need to be very clear about what your condition is.  Do not say “I have pain.”  Or “I don’t feel good.”  Or “I can’t work because I’m on a lot of medications.”  Tell the doctor exactly what your diagnoses are.  Write them down if you have to.  The doctor needs to know what to look for during your exam. 

Keep in mind that most people applying for Social Security disability benefits are doing so for back pain.  This means that the consultative examiners are used to testing solely for back pain and giving limitations based off of back pain.  The doctor will ask you to stand and walk, they will ask you to hop on one foot walk on your toes, walk on your heels and other exercises that are designed to see if someone has back pain.  This is fine unless your issue is something like migraines or heart disease where you won’t have any symptoms that show up with these tests.

 Your consultative exam is also not going to last very long.  While the mental exams are usually an hour or more, the physical exams are usually about fifteen minutes or less.  Whether this is enough time to get a good idea of what you can and cannot do is a matter for another post.  Be prepared that it will be a quick appointment.  Try to answer the doctor’s questions as best you can. 

Try not to hurt yourself but give it your best effort when the doctor asks you to do something.  With a lot of medical conditions it will be difficult to hop on one foot or squat.  If you really can’t do something – say so.  But you don’t want the doctor to think that you aren’t giving your best effort on the exam. 

Be aware that the doctor and his staff are also watching you in the waiting room and probably as you go to and from your car.  While you might not be faking your symptoms, Social Security knows that it has the (unearned) reputation for having undeserving people on its books collecting benefits.  This is one of their chances to see if people are as disabled as they say.  You do not need to exaggerate your symptoms as you walk to the door.  Just be aware that you might be watched.

These exams are not worth stressing over.  Tell the doctor the truth about your conditions and symptoms.  Explain what you can do on an average day and what your worst days are like.  This is not the time to pretend that everything is fine, but it’s also not the time to cry and scream and act like you are in horrible pain if you are not.  Remember, Social Security will compare your exam to your medical records.  Like everything else with Social Security, tell the truth and move on. 

If you have any further questions, please contact The Foster Law Firm at (480)621-7231


Comments are closed.

    Archives

    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    October 2013
    August 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012

    The Foster Law Firm

    2345 S. Alma School Road
    Suite 210
    Mesa, AZ 85210

    (844)303-0735

    Categories

    All
    Activities Of Daily Living
    AHCCCCS
    ALTCS
    Anxiety
    Appeal
    Appeals Council
    Arizona
    Bipolar
    Cash Assistance
    Children's Benefits
    Child's Benefits
    Compassionate Allowance
    Consultative Exam
    Continuing Disability Review
    Depression
    Diabetes
    Disability
    Disability Benefits
    Employment
    Facebook
    Federal Court
    Fibromyalgia
    Food Stamps
    Free Clinics
    Function Report
    Gay Marriage
    Goodwill
    Green Card
    Hallucinations
    Healthcare
    Hearing
    Hearing Request
    Homeless
    Homeless Shelters
    Housing Help
    Immigration
    Independent Medical Exam
    Industrial Commission
    Insurance
    Judges
    Long Term Disability Benefits
    Lost Wages
    Lupus
    Marijuana
    Marriage
    Medical Marijuana
    Medicare
    Mental Exam
    Mental Health
    Mental Health Assistance
    Multiple Sclerosis
    Narcotics
    Neuropathy
    Obamacare
    Opiates
    Overpayment
    Pain
    Pain Medication
    Payment Issues
    Phoenix
    Physical Exam
    Physician
    Pre-existing Condition
    Prescription Help
    Psychiatric
    Psychological
    Refugee
    Rehab
    Representative Payee
    Request For Reconsideration
    Resources
    Retirement
    Retirement Benefits
    Same Sex Marriage
    Schizophrenia
    Short Term Disability
    SMI
    Social Media
    Social Security
    Social Security Appeal
    Social Security Attorney
    Social Security Forms
    Social Security Hearing
    Special Needs Trust
    Spousal Benefits
    Ssdi
    Ssi
    State Assistance
    Substance Abuse
    Suicide
    Terminal Illness
    Ticket To Work
    Twitter
    United States District Court
    Veterans
    Veterans Administration
    Vocational Expert
    Vocational Rehabilitation
    Wages
    Welfare
    Widows Benefits
    Workers Compensation
    Work History Report
    Work While On Disability

    RSS Feed

Powered by
✕