Being disabled and incapable of working due to a physical ailment can be very stressful. Along with the pain that comes from the impairment, there is the burden of knowing one may have difficulty supporting oneself. As we have seen previously, people who suffer from a disability for more than a year, or whose disability is expected to last more 12 months may be eligible for benefits under the Social Security Disability program or SSD.
One of the main hurdles in receiving such benefits is demonstrating to the Social Security Administration or SSA that you are, in fact unable to work due to your disability. Whether you are attempting to fit under one of the administrations impairment listings, or attempting to qualify based upon other criteria, you will almost certainly have to produce evidence that is medical in nature about your disability.
One piece of evidence that is often required is a medical report from a professional who has knowledge of your medical case. This report is usually best provided by a treating professional, i.e. the doctor who you are actually seeing to help with the physical impairment. The medical report filed by this physician should include a number of pieces of information.
There should be a complete a medical history and an explanation of results of both clinical and laboratory findings. This means a record of what was discovered during examinations as well as test results, such as blood tests or imaging. Further, the report should include a diagnosis, treatment plan and prognosis. Finally, there needs to be a statement from the professional regarding what activities the patient is still able to engage in. This means some evaluation of to what extent the subject of the report can do activities related to work, such as standing, sitting, hearing, speaking, etc.
When looking at the above information, the medical report can be seen to be an important piece of evidence in your application for SSD benefits because of your physical disability. It should be noted that the list above is not necessarily an exhaustive one, and that there may be more information needed to make your case. If you have questions or concerns about how to make your case for disability benefits, you may wish to seek legal guidance about your rights and option
Source: Social Security Administration, “Disability Evaluation Under Social Security,” accessed Feb. 16, 2015