When you apply for Social Security Disability benefits, the Social Security Administration will usually ask for input from your treating physician. This request is done via a form referred to as a Medical Source Statement Form. The Medical Source Statement that is provided by your doctor provides the SSA with your doctor’s opinion regarding the severity of your condition and the limitations that your disability places on you.
Your doctor will receive the Medical Source Statement form from the Social Security Administration and will fill the form out accordingly. The doctor then signs the form and sends it back to the SSA so that the SSA can better understand your functional limitations.
The Medical Source Statement is a very important part of a Social Security Disability claim. The SSA gives the majority of weight to the opinion of your treating physician when deciding whether or not to approve your Social Security Disability benefits. If your doctor believes that you are unable to work and there is sufficient medical evidence to support the statement made by your doctor on the Medical Source Statement, it is likely that your Social Security Disability benefits will be approved.
If your doctor does not believe that you are impaired to the point of being unable to work and states such information on your Medical Source Statement, your Social Security Disability case could be put into jeopardy. This is why it is important to discuss your plans to file for Social Security Disability benefits with your treating physician prior to actually filing a disability claim.
Since the Medical Source Statement is a crucial part of you disability case, it is important to keep your physician up to date with your disability.
