Are you closely following your doctor’s orders? Are you taking all your medication? Are you going to your follow-up appointments on time? Are you working on losing some weight, as per your doctor’s instructions?
If not, you could be putting your Social Security Disability (SSD) claim in danger. Not following doctor’s orders is one of the top reasons that people see denials of their claims. In Social Security’s logic, if you aren’t doing everything you can to correct your own condition, you’re essentially “creating” a disability that isn’t real.
Sometimes, however, it isn’t possible to follow a doctor’s orders like you should. It often seems like doctors barely live in the same world as their patients. They’ll rattle off a complicated list of “recommendations” for you to follow, including medication, physical therapy and referrals to specialists without regard to how difficult it may be for a patient to comply.
With the help of your Social Security Disability attorney, you may be able to overcome a denial of benefits by showing that you aren’t deliberately trying to avoid getting well. Some possible “good excuses” for not following your doctor’s orders include:
- You cannot afford the treatment because of insurance issues, copays and other costs.
- You cannot obtain care because you need specialized treatment that isn’t available where you live and you’re unable to travel.
- You suffer from a mental impairment that makes it impossible for you to follow your doctor’s directives.
- You followed the treatment for an extended period of time and it was unsuccessful and your doctor has failed to recommend anything new.
If your Social Security claim has been denied due to noncompliance with your medical treatment, don’t lose hope. Explain your situation to your attorney to see what can be done.