Do Social Security Disability Judges Read your Medical Records?   This might seem like an odd title for a post but someone in a forum or on another site--I can't recall which--recently wrote that ALJs (administrative law judges, the individuals who conduct disability hearings for social security)...do not read medical records, nor do social security administration MDs, who, the poster went on to say, also do not perform lab tests. Is this even remotely true? Well, the "social security administration MDs", as this person phrased it, are actually medical consultants who are assigned to case processing units that are full of disability examiners. The examiners themselves spend the better part of their days reading medical records. And, no, these SSA medical consultants do not perform lab tests. But, then, why would they? Their purpose is not to deliver treatment, nor is it to render a diagnosis. Their purpose, in part, however, is to do something similar to what a disability examiner does, which is read the claimant's medical records and then determine the claimant's relative ability to engage in work activity, either at one of their former jobs or at some type of other work. Why is there a disability examiner and an MD employed by the social security administration performing similar functions? Because the examiner is the individual who actually takes care of the leg work for the development of a disability claim. The examiner requests the records, does followups when the records fail to arrive, conducts interviews with disability claimants (usually regarding their work activity, medical treatment sources, or their activities of daily living), and considers vocational issues that may influence the case, in addition to medical issues that may influence the residual functional capacity rating a claimant is given. The Social Security Disability doctor does none of the legwork required to get the actual elements of a case lined up. However, the medical consultant (or psychological consultant, if the claimant's alleged impairments are of a mental nature) does review the examiner's writeup of the case and performs his or her own rating of the claimant's functional abilities and limitations. And the doctor does this because...he or she is a doctor while the examiner is not. Disability examiners are not medical professionals. They are trained to evaluate medical record documentation and to consider such documents in the context of the SSA disability process. But, in most instances, the opinion of a disability examiner only becomes valid if the examiner's unit medical consultant signs off on the case, thereby giving it a stamp of approval from a licensed physician. About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. For assistance on a disability application or Appeal in NC, click here. Most popular topics on SSDRC.com Social Security Disability in North Carolina Common Mistakes to avoid after being denied for Disability Tips to Prepare for Filing for Social Security Disability or SSI Advice to Win SSD and SSI Benefit Claims Social Security Disability SSI Questions What is the difference between Social Security Disability and SSI? How to get disability for depression Getting disability for fibromyalgia SSI disability for children with ADHD What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? Social Security Disability SSI Exam tips More Social Security Disability SSI Questions What makes you eligible for Social Security Disability or SSI? Related pages: How to file for disability in Indiana Denied Twice For SSD or SSI Disability, What Do I Do? Personality Disorder and Filing for Disability Pain medication and applying for disability How many disability appeals are won and what are the chances? What do I need to give Social Security for a disability determination If your disability claim is approved or denied Applying for disability with seizures How to file for disability in Utah SSD Benefit Requirements and Work Credits When does SSA, the Social Security Administration, consider disabled Calling about a Social Security Disability Claim Help your disability case with a congressional inquiry Social Security Award letter for SSD, SSI How Much Income Can you Earn If you draw Social Security Disability?