Disability Determination Question

[longshot975]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? South Carolina

I have a question because right now I am just grasping for any hope with the claim I have right now since it was started in middle March of this year. They have not made a decision yet and was told by the examiner they would try to have one by the end of next week. But trying to get some advice and see if anyone thinks this is a good thing or bad thing for my claim. The claim was started in March and they had all the information for all my doctors etc to contact at that time. I went through a DDS exam for them through their independent doctor at the end of June for visual field loss because my doctor diagnosed me with tunnel vision in both eyes and suggested a nuerological workup which I still have not been able to get, waiting on a free clinic to get back to me with an appointment that has not yet and can not afford the $300.00 first visit payment all the nureologist in my area expect you to pay if you do not have insurance. Long story short I went to their exam and the doctor would not release the results which I know they were not able to and I asked if he felt I still needed to see a nuerologist and was just informed that he still thought that would be a good idea. All of that aside, when I called my examiner last week she stated they were trying to wait on some eye exam from 2006 that she had just requested the same day she had gotten the results from their doctor. She asked if I drove any and stated that they could make a decision on what was in the file right now or they could wait, but did not give any indication what way they would go. But it just seemed off to me that they would not have had those eye exams prior to me seeing their doctor since the application was done in March. And do not know whether these can be looked at as good signs for the case or bad? Just trying to get a feeling because I know I have to eventually see a nuerologist and trying to get SSI because since I have no children I can only get Medicaid if I am approved for disability, which I know I will need if this clinic does not come through for an appointment. Any support or anyones take on this that may have been through the claim process and their examiner may have done the same would be greatly appreciated.

 

[csi7]

The exam from 2006 would give the examiner a baseline to start with the disability. The more information provided in the medical evidence that supports your disability level, the better it is for the person requesting disability.

 

[longshot975]

Respone

I understand that but evidently the condition was not that bad in 2006. The claim was denied and have an appointment with a lawyer next week but wanted to get some feedback on some issues and see if anyone thinks it should be included in the appeal.

1) DDS only used six sources when making this decision even though they had a list of over 13 doctors and/or hospitals. It does not even show where they pulled any information from the other doctors and some of them had information relating to conditions and showed how long they had been going on.

2) According to their own consultive exam I meet listing 2.03B of SSA Adult Impairments, and on that report there were questions where the doctor they sent me to did not give a "yes" or "no" answer but "probably" answers, list the progonosis as good when it is evident between my doctors exam and his that the MD had gotten worse since my doctor used the 24-2 test and theres used a 30-2 test. The prescription had also changed from a -3.25(LE), 3.00 (R) to -5.00(L), -5.50 (R).

On the exam it ask is the visual behavior is consistent with results oif acuity and visual field testing , and if answered "no" to comment on remarks section and there is nothing anywhere with remarks.

Does anyone think all of this should be noted in the appeal. My doctor recommended a neurological look up because he knew my family medical history, head injury issues, etc before he would define it and their doctor without any of that information and no more than a visual field test and exam ruled it as nonphysiological. Have the exam with a clinic but it is not until Dec. so I can not have anything from that report until than and the appeal needs to be filed within 60 days. So should I include all of those issues with their exam and lack of information from medical pulls in the appeal when I do that.