How Much Medical Evidence Do I Need for My SSDI Application?

The application process for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits can be daunting, especially when you have no experience seeking federal benefits or knowing how to prove your medical eligibility. You might already be aware that SSDI eligibility has two separate requirements: a medical requirement and a work history requirement. When it comes to the medical requirement and proving your eligibility, how much medical evidence do you actually need?

There is no specific answer about the number of health care providers you must see or the number of pages of medical records you must submit. Rather, you must meet the specific evidentiary requirements set forth by the Social Security Administration (SSA), and evidence can vary depending on the individual’s circumstances. Our national SSDI eligibility attorney can explain in more detail below.

Medical Evidence You Submit Must Show the Existence of an Impairment and Its Severity

In order to be medically eligible for SSDI benefits, you must be able to prove that you have an impairment that is expected either to result in your death or to last for at least one year, and it must be severe enough that it prevents you from engaging in “substantial gainful activity,” or SGA, which essentially means work.

In order to prove the existence of the impairment and its severity, the SSA clarifies that you must submit as much medical evidence as necessary to provide that proof, and it must be considered “objective medical evidence” that has come from an “acceptable medical source.” What do those latter terms mean?

Understanding “Objective Medical Evidence” and the “Acceptable Medical Source”

In general, objective medical evidence means data — it cannot solely refer to a person’s opinion. While a health care provider’s findings and diagnosis will be relevant, those findings and diagnosis must be derived from objective information and measurable data, such as physical examinations, different types of imaging such as CT scans or PET scans or MRIs or ultrasounds, and different types of lab tests such as blood tests or urine tests.

The definition of an “acceptable medical source” comes from the Code of Federal Regulations, and it means any of the types of licensed health care providers who are listed in that statute, such as licensed physicians, licensed psychologists, and many other qualified or licensed providers identified.

Contact Our National SSDI Eligibility Attorneys Today for Assistance with Your Application 

When you are applying for SSDI benefits, it is extremely important to work with an attorney from the start. Even if you believe you have more than enough medical evidence to support your application and eligibility for benefits, the experienced national SSD eligibility lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz know what successful applications look like and can ensure that yours is as comprehensive and complete as possible. In many cases, applicants who initially apply on their own do not supply sufficient medical evidence and receive a denial, which requires going through the reconsideration process and providing additional evidence of medical eligibility. To be approved for SSDI benefits the first time around, contact our firm to get started on your application.

Sources:

ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/evidentiary.htm

ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1502.htm