Q: I recently applied for social security disability benefits and was requested to undergo a consultative exam. Why?
A: Not everyone who applies for social security disability benefits has to undergo a consultative exam (CE.) A consultative examination is requested because of one of two things. In some cases, medical records are not very comprehensive and an exam is requested to fill in some informational gaps. If the medical records of a claimant are not current, then a recent examination will be needed to provide an updated record of the injury or condition. If a CE is required for your claim, try not to worry. Make sure you attend the examination, as it is necessary in order to make a decision on your case. If you intentionally miss the consultative exam and do not try to reschedule, your social security disability claim could be denied due to your failure to cooperate. You will not have to cover the cost of the CE.
Q: Will my doctor conduct a requested consultative examination?
A; A consultative examination is almost never provided by the doctor who currently provides your care. A doctor who has not previously treated you will most likely provide the scheduled exam. Speak with the social security disability examiner assigned to your case if you believe you have not been treated fairly by the doctor who provided your CE. If that doctor provided an exam for a previous case of yours that was not approved, for instance, you can request a different physician. The Social Security Administration does not necessarily have a staff of doctors on the payroll to handle consultative exams. The physicians who conduct the exams are independent physicians that have a contract to provide such services to the agency.
Q: Is it possible to get retroactive benefit payments for social security disability?
A: Many social security disability claims are awarded back payments for benefits. The approval process for cases can take months or years, which means that most claimants are awarded retroactive payments for benefits. Applicants can accrue benefits retroactively from the date of application and, in some cases, up to a year prior. You cannot be paid retroactively for the first five months after date of onset.