When you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you essentially claim that you have a qualifying disabling condition that hinders you from maintaining substantial gainful employment activity. With this, you need substantial medical proof of your eligible disability, mostly from appointments with your treating medical professional. With that being said, please continue reading to learn whether skipping medical appointments will affect your application and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI attorney at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can help you take the necessary steps to recover.
Can skipping medical appointments affect my SSDI application?
Skipping your scheduled medical appointments with your treating medical professional may not do anything to help your pending SSDI benefits application. The same goes even if you consistently attend these appointments, but fail to comply with the doctor’s orders thereafter. As mentioned, missed appointments may leave significant gaps in the medical evidence you require for your claim. Of note, the SSA majorly denies applications due to a lack of necessary evidence, which includes an inconsistent medical history.
But also, this may have the Social Security Administration (SSA) start questioning the seriousness of your claimed disabling condition. That is, they may assume that since you do not attend appointments, you already feel better, enough to rejoin the workforce. Or, they may believe you are not serious about making your condition manageable and better. And if you were, your disability may not have gotten so severe that you can no longer perform substantial work activity.
Am I required to go to an SSA-approved medical professional?
You may rest assured knowing that, even when you are working on your SSDI benefits application, you may continue going to the doctors, therapists, and other medical professionals who have treated and evaluated your disability thus far. In other words, you do not have to switch your medical appointments to an SSA-approved medical professional.
However, say that you do not have sufficient or consistent evidence of your medical history. In this case, the SSA may ask you to schedule and attend a consultative examination with an independent, licensed medical professional before they make their final decision. After this examination, this medical professional will provide the SSA with their expert opinion on whether or not you have a disability that is recognized under Social Security law.
You must not skip this consultative examination. If you do, the SSA may base its decision on the information provided thus far. And if you lack the necessary medical evidence, this may inevitably lead to a claim denial. Ultimately, if you disagree with the report produced from this examination and the SSA’s ruling on your application, you may take steps toward appealing it.
In conclusion, you should retain legal representation before you even get close to submitting your SSDI benefits application. So please, contact a skilled New Jersey SSDI attorney from The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur today.
