The secret to winning disability benefits (as we have written about frequently in this newsletter) is accurate and up-to-date medical records, which prove that your health impairments prevent you from working.
A key component of those medical records is your doctor’s notes on how your medical conditions have responded to treatment. The disability lawyers at Nash Disability Law have seen too many clients make the mistake of stopping their medical treatment after they have qualified for disability benefits.
Once you are entitled to receive Social Security Disability, it is still critically important to continue your medical treatment while you are receiving disability benefits because your condition can be reviewed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) every few years to see if you are still eligible for benefits.
In fact, if you are receiving disability benefits, the SSA is required by law to conduct periodic checks of your medical condition to determine if you still meet disability standards.
These evaluations of a person’s disability status are called Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) and are typically conducted every three to seven years. This is the form that the SSA will send you when reviewing your case for continuing disability: Continuing Disability Review Report (ssa.gov).
If you are receiving disability benefits, you may receive notice that your case is under review.
The notice will be accompanied by a form which, among other questions, will ask you about your current symptoms and how they have responded to the treatments prescribed by your health care providers.
Continued medical treatment and taking your medication as directed are key to proving to the Social Security Administration that you still need and are still entitled to Social Security Disability benefits.
If you are not seeing a physician for your impairment, or you are not following a prescribed treatment plan, an SSA review may find there isn’t sufficient medical documentation supporting your claim that you continue to have a qualifying disability—and they may cut off your benefits.
If you receive notice from the SSA of a CDR, don’t panic. Absolutely the best course of action is to fill out the form completely, accurately, and promptly.
Losing your benefits after the long and often frustrating qualifying process can be devastating. Our advice is to faithfully see your health care providers and continue your medical treatments.
This way, if your case is reviewed, you can prove that your impairments continue to prevent you from working. Do you have questions? Get an initial consultation with Nash Disability Law for free.