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More people are denied SSI and Social Security Disability than are allowed benefits the first time they apply. This includes children and adults. Appeals can take a year or more. In a simplified step-by-step guide Mike Davis gives disability applicants the crucial information they need to know and exactly what to do to make the best case the first time around. A former SSI and Social Security Disability Claims Examiner, Davis has worked on more than 4,000 cases over a seven-year period. "Too often I have had to deny a claim when I thought there was a genuine disability, but the case was not complete enough to render a favorable decision. What I have tried to do in this book is give the reader the information needed to present his or her case fully, accurately, and in the best possible light. I believe this will increase the chances of a favorable decision dramatically." How To Get SSI And Social Security Disability is the inside scoop on what the decision makers are really looking for and how you can help them to get it.
| Preface | 1 | |
| Acknowledgments | 5 | |
| List of Abbreviations | 7 | |
| Introduction | 9 | |
| Part I | Step by Step Instructions | |
| Introduction to Part I | 15 | |
| Chapter 1 | The Application | 17 |
| Introduction | 17 | |
| The Application Step by Step | 19 | |
| Chapter 2 | The Disability Determination Service | 25 |
| Introduction | 25 | |
| Medical Records: The Heart of Your Claim | 28 | |
| Medical Source Statement: The Determining Factor | 30 | |
| Physical and Mental Examinations | 32 | |
| Questionnaires: More Important Than You Think | 35 | |
| Exit Interview or Reconsideration? | 37 | |
| One last piece of business here | 40 | |
| Children's Claims: Difficult At Best | 40 | |
| Children's Function Questionnaires | 44 | |
| Read This Important Hint | 45 | |
| Help, I Don't Have A Doctor | 47 | |
| Part II | Increase Your Chances Even More | |
| Introduction to Part II | 53 | |
| Chapter 3 | More on Medical Records, Exams and the MSS | 55 |
| Understanding the Disability Examiner | 61 | |
| Chapter 4 | Medical Evidence; Disability Defined | 65 |
| Medical Evidence | 65 | |
| Disability Defined | 68 | |
| Chapter 5 | Denials and Cessations | 73 |
| Denials | 73 | |
| I have been denied at my reconsideration or following my exit interview | 75 | |
| My claim has been denied by the ALJ. Now what? | 78 | |
| I have been receiving benefits, but I have been notified that they are about to be discontinued or they have been stopped. Now what? | 79 | |
| Reviewing Your File | 83 | |
| Reviewing Your Consultative Examination | 85 | |
| Chapter 6 | Mental Disorders | 87 |
| Activities of Daily Living | 89 | |
| Social Functioning | 90 | |
| Concentration, Persistence, and Pace | 92 | |
| Deterioration or Decompensation at Work | 93 | |
| Afterword | 95 | |
| About the Author | 97 | |
| Appendix | 99 | |
| Appendix A | The Disability Examiner | 99 |
| Appendix B | Field Office Information | 103 |
| Appendix C | Treating Source Information | 106 |
| Appendix D | Denial Record | 121 |
| Glossary | 125 |
Anonymous
Posted March 7, 2001
Finally a book on a difficult subject that the average person can understand and use. This book is relatively short (and inexpensive compared to other books on the subject) and in just two chapters there are all the steps you need to go through to get disability. He tells how to work with your doctor, the disability workers, and how to fill out your form correctly. He tells what's really going on behind the scenes and what to do if you don't have a personal doctor. He goes step by step through the forms and tells what they are looking for and how to answer questions to have the best chance of getting disability. He also tells what to do to not lose your benefits when your case is being reevaluated, as well as what to do when you have been turned down. I'm recommending this to everyone I know who is applying for disability or knows someone who is.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 6, 2001
This is the ULTIMATE source for anyone who wants or needs to know all the basic information on how to get SSI or Social Security Disability benefits. The author does an excellent job telling the reader what to do when their case comes up for review in order to keep disability and what procedures to follow if you they are turned down. Its recipe-style delivery is easy to understand and doesn't seem to waste time discussing technical details that the reader really doesn't need to know. The book is very clear on what is required as well as where and how to get it. The really vital information can be found in an insightful step-by-step instructional format. My sincere thanks to the author, Mike Davis, as this is exactly the book I've been searching for! Why didn't someone write a simple 'how-to' guide like this before? I GIVE THIS BOOK A ROUSING THUMBS-UP!!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 10, 2006
This book simplifies a complicated process by giving step by step instructions from an experienced Disability Examiner on how to present your case fully and accurately to win your Disability claim. The author makes the requirements understandable to a lay person and explains what is needed from the Examiner's perspective. He provides his e-mail address and responded promptly and helpfully when I contacted him. I highly recommend the book.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 28, 2003
From the perspective of a disability claims examiner, Mike Davis effectively articulates the importance of the completeness of the application and also the communication with doctors and the claims examiner. Volumes of documentation are critical, and Mr. Davis helps claimants through this process. Mr. Davis returned my emails promptly and provided a great deal of support. I would highly recommend this book to anyone filing for SSI or SS Disability Insurance.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 5, 2013
I didn't see any information I didn't find on the internet for free.
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Overview
More people are denied SSI and Social Security Disability than are allowed benefits the first time they apply. This includes children and adults. Appeals can take a year or more. In a simplified step-by-step guide Mike Davis gives disability applicants the crucial information they need to know and exactly what to do to make the best case the first time around. A...