Recent Articles

Are Older Medical Records Useful for a Disability Claim? You bet

February 03, 2012 21:15

I recently made a post to the facebook page for SSDRC.com which discussed the value of having social security view your older medical records. Someone made the following comment--"Geee thats funny they told me i couldent use older records". The tone of the comment, combined with the fact that...

Social Security and Medical Record Information

January 11, 2012 14:32

Social Security Disability and SSI disability decisions have two fundamental aspects to them. For adult claims, they are both medical and vocational in nature. That is to say, they are based on the information obtained from a person's history of medical treatment, as well as their history of work...

Should You buy a Toyota Prius Hybrid? I wouldn't. Maybe you shouldn't either

January 11, 2012 14:27

I have a friend who has been driving a generation 2 Toyota Prius since 2005. From the start, he's raved about the car: the fact that its environmentally responsible, that it's made by Toyota and, thus, has outstanding reliability and good resale, and, not least of all, the fact that it saves money...

Calling Social Security about a Disability Exam that was scheduled

January 09, 2012 16:39

Someone recently asked the following: "I'm trying to assist a person who was sent a letter about some kind of disability exam, but he lost the letter and the contact number to schedule an appointment. Is there a central number to call".I answered back with the following:This individual most likely...

More Disability Claims in a Faltering Economy

January 06, 2012 20:31

I came across an article that discussed the spike in disability claims and the point of the article was to contend that both social security disability and SSI disability have become de facto extensions of unemployment benefits. I believe I may have read this in the Wall Street Journal, though I'm...

TBI, Vets, Dementia...and Tinnitus too

January 06, 2012 20:15

Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, for short, is the signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. We hear that statement a lot. So much that we become a bit immune to what it may often entail and accompany. But troops returning from those theaters of operation don't have the same luxury. A very...

"He's just a Judge that Can't say no"...to any claim for Disability Benefits

January 06, 2012 20:15

Someone wrote me recently and said the following: "Did you see in newsweek or somewhere.....96% of disability applications are approved in puerto rico in a timely manner? what's up with that?"I responded with:I heard that a long time ago. Probably a "institutional culture" thing, .i.e some of...

Don't try to fool the Psychologist who conducts a Social Security Exam

January 06, 2012 20:13

Here is a comment from a psychologist who conducts mental consultative exams for the social security administration (actually, the state agency that handles disability determinations for SSA, which in most states is known as DDS, or disability determination...which brings up the interesting...

The Depressing Holiday Winter Blues -- SAD, Heart Attacks, Stress, and Viewpoint

January 06, 2012 20:12

I read a lot of news, perhaps too much. Perhaps that's why I've been a little depressed lately, to the extent that not even the "Today's Comedy" channel on Pandora, or Thirty Rock can sufficiently pull me up from its wintry depths. Or...maybe it's just the season. That wonderful holiday season....

Social Security Hearings Offices institute a new secrecy policy

December 28, 2011 17:13

NOSSCR, the national organization of social security claimant's representatives, has reported on a new policy being adopted by ODAR, the office of disability adjudication and review, collectively known as the social security hearing offices. Apparently, the identify of the ALJ, or administrative...