The Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn’t weigh all doctor’s opinions the same.
When you are going through the process of applying for Social Security disability benefits in Louisville, having your doctor’s opinion can make or break your case. Unfortunately, however, not all doctors’ opinions are given the same amount of weight. In our last post, we went over a couple of the factors that the SSA considers when determining how much weight to give your doctor’s opinions. Keep reading to learn about more of those factors:
#4. The amount of medical support used to back up the opinions.
It’s important that your doctor not only gives their opinion on your disability but that they also back up their opinion using medical evidence. If your doctor simply gives his or her opinion without the medical evidence to support it, it will most likely get ignored by the SSA.
#5. If the opinion is consistent with the rest of the evidence in your claim.
Some doctors try to help their patients get approved for benefits by exaggerating symptoms, but you shouldn’t encourage your doctor to do this as it will only hurt your claim. If your doctor’s opinion doesn’t match up with the rest of the evidence in your claim, it won’t be given very much weight.
Your doctor’s opinion can be very helpful in your Social Security disability application, but if your doctor simply says that he or she thinks that you are disabled, it is often not enough. Your doctor also has to back their opinion up with medical evidence and treatment plans. If you have any questions or concerns about your doctor’s opinion in your situation, contact us!
