While You Are Still Working, Preparing To File For An Income Due To Your Health

Especially in this age of managed care, doctors don't often have time to be as thorough as they would like to be in entering information into the record. It would be nice if it weren't true, but It's your responsibility to make sure the paperwork you will need to file a disability claim is in order.

If you have more than one doctor, decide which one should have the complete medical record relating to your health condition. This could be your primary care physician or a specialist.

Let that doctor that know you are considering going on disability and that you want to make sure that your medical record is complete, and that it reflects the facts that will make it likely you will be able to obtain disability benefits when you need them. Consider reminding the doctor that means you need to have all your physical and mental symptoms noted on a continuing basis, as well as how each symptom affects your ability to do your job. Also ask the doctor to note how the symptoms affect your activities of daily living.

If you have a symptom that is constant, make sure the doctor enters it at every visit. This is especially true of subjective symptoms that cannot be measured with a lab test or a scanner, such as pain or fatigue.

If you start keeping a symptoms diary, you can print the appropriate pages and hand them to the doctor at each visit. This way you can maximize your time together while at the same time make sure your record is complete.

If it hasn't happened already, we recommend that you ask each of your other doctors to send a report that summarizes your health history with respect to your medical condition(s) to that doctor. Ask the doctors to be sure to include the same information you asked the doctor who keeps your complete record to include.

Please share how this information is useful to you. 0 Comments