The Social Security Administration has strict requirements that residents in Michigan must meet when they’re applying for Social Security disability benefits. The medical requirements for SSDI are very specific, and in order to be approved for SSDI in Michigan you will have to submit enough medical documentation and other evidence to show that you meet the SSA’s requirements.
Understanding the SSA’s Blue Book
When the SSA makes a determination about whether or not someone is too disabled to work they use the Blue Book as a guide.
What is the Blue Book?
The first requirement that residents in Michigan must meet to be eligible for SSDI is that they must be unable to work for at least 12 months to receive benefits. But you also must be able to prove with medical evidence that you meet the requirements for the condition that you have in the SSA’s Blue Book.
The Blue Book is a listing of all the medication conditions, both physical and mental, that qualify someone to receive SSDI or other benefits from the SSA. Every condition that is listed in the Blue Book also contains a specific list of requirements just for that condition that residents in Michigan must meet.
Submitting medical records and other documentation that shows you meet each specific requirement in the Blue Book for the condition that you have is the best way to get your application for SSDI in Michigan approved.
Medical Documentation Needed to Support Your Claim in Michigan
The medical records and documentation that you submit will directly impact your claim for SSDI in Michigan.
Types of Medical Records to Submit
The more medical records you submit with your application for SSDI the better off you will be. But at the very least you must submit at least these records to support a claim for SSDI in Michigan:
- A letter of diagnosis
- Diagnostic test results
- Treatment records
- Doctor’s notes
- Hospitalization records
- Imaging like X-rays, PET scans, or MRIs
- Prescription lists
- Bloodwork results
- Test results
- Emergency or Urgent Care visits
Basically, any records related to your illness or treatment should be included with your application for SSDI in Michigan.
How to Strengthen Your Medical Evidence
Detailed medical records from doctors and other medical professionals are the best way to prove that you meet the SSA’s standards for disability. The more detailed your records are the easier it will be to prove that your condition makes it impossible for you to work.
Proof of regular and ongoing treatment and follow-up medical visits with doctors in Michigan is also important because it shows that the condition is ongoing and expected to last for a long time, if not forever.
Importance of Following Treatments & Follow-Up Care in Michigan
One of the things that the SSA will look for is that you are receiving ongoing care for your condition.
Importance of Ongoing Treatment
Showing consistent ongoing treatment and care for your condition is the key to a successful SSDI claim in Michigan. You must be able to show the SSA that your disability requires continuous treatment and that you are following your doctor’s treatment regimen faithfully.
If you can’t show that you are taking prescribed medication, going to follow-up medical visits, and doing all the things that your doctor recommends for your condition your application for SSDI may be denied, unless you can provide a valid reason for not following the doctor’s orders.
For example, you may not take your prescribed medications if those medications result in severe side effects. The SSA would take that into consideration when looking at your application.
Proving Long-Term Disability
If you’re applying for SSDI in Michigan regular visits to healthcare providers and updated medical records are needed to prove the nature of the condition that you have. On-going treatment also shows the long-term impact of the condition and that you are still unable to work.
Consultative Exams & Their Role in the Evaluation Process
If you don’t submit medical evidence with your application for SSDI in Michigan the SSA may require that you go through a consultive exam.
What is a Consultative Exam?
A consultive exam is a medical exam performed by a doctor that the SSA chooses, not your own doctor. If you don’t have enough medical records or evidence to prove that you meet the SSA’s requirements for disability in Michigan they may require you that you have a consultive exam.
The doctor chosen by the SSA will examine you to help determine the nature of your disability and whether or not your medical condition really makes it impossible for you to work.
Preparing for a Consultative Exam
If the SSA requires that you take a consultive exam don’t get nervous. Always be honest with the doctor about the symptoms that you have and how they limit your ability to work. Don’t embellish your symptoms or the effect that they have on you.
To prepare for a consultive exam in Michigan you should get copies of all your medical records and keep them in a folder or binder. Also, create a list of all the symptoms that you have and how they limit your ability to work. Bring all of your records with you to your consultive exam.
Receiving Benefits if You Don’t Meet Medical Requirements in Michigan
Even if you have medical evidence to support your application for SSDI in Michigan you may not have enough evidence to prove to the SSA that your condition meets their requirements. Or, you may have a condition that is disabling but not listed in the Blue Book.
How to Qualify with Unlisted Conditions
There are more than 200 conditions in the Blue Book, but if you have a rare condition it may not be listed even though it is disabling. Applicants can still qualify for disability benefits in Michigan even if their condition is not listed in the Blue Book.
To have your application for SSDI approved with a condition that isn’t listed in the Blue Book you will need to prove that your condition is equally as severe as a listed condition to receive benefits in Michigan.
Medical records, statements from doctors or specialists, and other documents can qualify you to be approved for SSDI with a medical-vocational allowance.
Medical-Vocational Allowances
Medical-vocational allowances make it possible for someone to prove they are disabled and can’t work even if they don’t meet the Blue Book requirements for disability.
The SSA will look at your medical evidence, statements from your doctors, your age, your work history, your education, and other factors to determine if there is any kind of work you can do.
If they can’t find any type of work you can do with the condition that you have, then you will be eligible for SSDI benefits in Michigan.
Working with a Michigan Disability Lawyer
Working with a Michigan disability lawyer can increase the chances of getting your application approved. A Michigan SSDI lawyer can help you with things like:
- Meeting deadlines
- Understanding the application
- Gathering medical evidence
- Filling out the application
- Filing appeals
Fill out the Free Case Evaluation now to get connected with a Michigan SSDI lawyer who can help you with your Michigan SSDI application.
