If you are trying for Social Security disability, you need to know what a Medical Source Statement (MSS for short) is and how to use it. It can and should be Exhibit 1 in your medical evidence.
The "source" is your doctor or other healthcare provider. The statement is your doctor's opinion about you can and cannot do. The statement is a form which attempts to state your physical or mental functional ability, with your impairments being considered. A physical MSS will state how much you can lift, how long you can sit, stand, walk; how frequently you can bend, stoop, crouch, crawl, etc. There is a separate form for mental impairments. Social Security has it's own form; however, they will not send it to your doctors. You must get your hands on the form, get it to your doctor, get it completed and send it to Social Security yourself.
Try to pick your most sympathetic doctor to fill out the form. If a certain doctor encouraged you to apply for disability, he or she would be a good candidate to fill out the MSS. It works best if you take the form to the doctor during an appointment and ask him/her to complete it for you. Doctors are busy and forms often get lost, misplaced or delayed.
Try to tailor the medical source statement to your particular disability. For example, if you have a back problem, use a form that addresses that issue--and have it completed by a doctor who treats your back pain. You would not want a cardiologist to fill out an MSS about back pain.
Submitting a medical source statement can make the difference between being approved or being denied. At Step 3 of the consideration process, the law requires Social Security to have a residual functional capacity. If your doctor has not provided them with one, they will make up one. Your doctor's will nearly always be more favorable to you. Medical records never address how your medical condition affects your function. Routine doctor's records never state how much you can lift, for example, or how your condition limits your ability to stand, walk, reach above your head or bend.
I've never seen a medical record that says, "Mr. X's back pain prevents him from lifting more than 10 pounds occasionally or standing for longer than 20 minutes." They just don't go there, yet Social Security must determine this type of thing before they can give you a decision.
Finally, if you also have mental impairments--such as anxiety or depression, use a different MSS form for that. Have this form completed by your psychiatrist or licensed psychologist.
Below I am giving links where two common medical source statement forms can be found. One is for physical conditions, the other is for mental impairments.
MEDICAL SOURCE STATEMENT - PHYSICAL
MEDICAL SOURCE STATEMENT - MENTAL
Medical Source Statements work best in the hands of a competent disability attorney or trained advocate.
SOCIAL SECURITY JUSTICE: THE FORSYTHE FIRM
The "source" is your doctor or other healthcare provider. The statement is your doctor's opinion about you can and cannot do. The statement is a form which attempts to state your physical or mental functional ability, with your impairments being considered. A physical MSS will state how much you can lift, how long you can sit, stand, walk; how frequently you can bend, stoop, crouch, crawl, etc. There is a separate form for mental impairments. Social Security has it's own form; however, they will not send it to your doctors. You must get your hands on the form, get it to your doctor, get it completed and send it to Social Security yourself.
Try to pick your most sympathetic doctor to fill out the form. If a certain doctor encouraged you to apply for disability, he or she would be a good candidate to fill out the MSS. It works best if you take the form to the doctor during an appointment and ask him/her to complete it for you. Doctors are busy and forms often get lost, misplaced or delayed.
Try to tailor the medical source statement to your particular disability. For example, if you have a back problem, use a form that addresses that issue--and have it completed by a doctor who treats your back pain. You would not want a cardiologist to fill out an MSS about back pain.
Submitting a medical source statement can make the difference between being approved or being denied. At Step 3 of the consideration process, the law requires Social Security to have a residual functional capacity. If your doctor has not provided them with one, they will make up one. Your doctor's will nearly always be more favorable to you. Medical records never address how your medical condition affects your function. Routine doctor's records never state how much you can lift, for example, or how your condition limits your ability to stand, walk, reach above your head or bend.
I've never seen a medical record that says, "Mr. X's back pain prevents him from lifting more than 10 pounds occasionally or standing for longer than 20 minutes." They just don't go there, yet Social Security must determine this type of thing before they can give you a decision.
Finally, if you also have mental impairments--such as anxiety or depression, use a different MSS form for that. Have this form completed by your psychiatrist or licensed psychologist.
Below I am giving links where two common medical source statement forms can be found. One is for physical conditions, the other is for mental impairments.
MEDICAL SOURCE STATEMENT - PHYSICAL
MEDICAL SOURCE STATEMENT - MENTAL
Medical Source Statements work best in the hands of a competent disability attorney or trained advocate.
SOCIAL SECURITY JUSTICE: THE FORSYTHE FIRM
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