Does My Health Care Provider Count as an Acceptable Medical Source?
When you think about all of the health care providers you see, you might imagine a family physician or a particular type of specialist, but you might also think about some of the providers you see who work in an area commonly considered to be “alternative medicine.” As the National Center for Biotechnology Information explains, “alternative medicine is a broad term encompassing a variety of medical modalities,” and it is an old designation that is still used to distinguish “alternative medicine” from “allopathic medicine,” with the latter referring to “Western medicine, evidence-based medicine, conventional medicine, or mainstream medicine.”
How do you know which of your providers to ask for medical evidence in support of your application and eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits? In short, your medical evidence submitted to prove eligibility for SSD benefits must come from an “acceptable medical source” as it is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is the definition the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses in making SSDI determinations.
Definition of an Acceptable Medical Source
Under Section 404.1502 of the Code of Federal Regulations, an “acceptable medical source,” which you may see abbreviated as an AMS, means the following:
- 1) Licensed physician;
- 2) Licensed psychologist;
- 3) Licensed optometrist for impairments of visual disorders, or measurement of visual acuity and visual fields only;
- 4) Licensed podiatrist for impairments of the foot, or foot and ankle only;
- 5) Qualified speech-language pathologist for speech or language impairments only;
- 6) Licensed audiologist for impairments of hearing loss, auditory processing disorders, and balance disorders within the licensed scope of practice only;
- 7) Licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurse for impairments within their licensed scope of practice; and
- 8) Licensed Physician Assistant for impaired within their licensed scope of practice.
Considering the Health Care Provider and Your Specific Impairment
As you can see, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and other practitioners of “alternative medicine” are not identified as acceptable medical sources by the Code of Federal Regulations, and thus your medical evidence for your SSDI application should not come from such a provider. Instead, it should come from one of the types of providers listed above.
In addition to your medical evidence needing to come from one of the acceptable medical sources listed above, it is also essential to link your acceptable medical source to your particular impairment. For example, even though a licensed audiologist can be an acceptable medical source, you cannot provide medical evidence of a musculoskeletal disorder from a licensed audiologist, for example.
Contact a National SSD Eligibility Attorney to Discuss Your Application and to Seek the Benefits You Need
When you are applying for SSDI benefits, it is critical to ensure that all medical evidence in your application is accurate and complete, and that your medical evidence involves an acceptable medical source as the SSA defines it. While there are many forms of alternative medicine that can be popular and can provide benefits to patients, it is essential to ensure that you are not relying on evidence from a provider who does not meet the definition of an acceptable medical source. By working on your application or any appeal with one of the experienced national SSD eligibility lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz, you can be sure that you will be submitting the type and amount of medical information required to prove your eligibility for disability benefits. Contact us today for help with your case.
Sources:
ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1502.htm
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538520/
