DISABILITY BENEFIT CASES ARE REVIEWED ON A PERIODIC BASIS

If you receive disability benefits from Social Security you should know that your case will be reviewed periodically to make sure you are still disabled.

Depending on the nature and severity of your impairment and the expectation of improvement your case will be reviewed at least every seven years. If improvement is expected, your first review could be as soon as six months after you start getting Social Security benefits. If improvement is possible but can't be predicted, your reviews will come ~ three years or so. And if improvement is not expected, your case will be reviewed every five to seven years.

When your case is selected for review you'll receive a letter asking you to visit your local Social Security office. However, you can call and make other arrangements if you are unable to come to the office.

The purpose of the visit is to up-date your Social Security medical file. You'll be talking to a Social Security Claims Representative. He or she will not make the decision on your case but will help you provide the necessary information for the person that will.

Bring your doctor's names and addresses to the review. And bring the names and addresses of hospitals and clinics that have treated you. If you have a patient or clinic number provide that, too. You'll also be asked to describe how your condition currently affects you and whether it has improved.

Your up-dated information will be sent to an agency in your state called a Disability Determinations Service (DDS). A team there, including a disability examiner and a doctor, will carefully review all your information and will request medical reports from your medical treatment sources.

Your doctors are not asked to make a decision of whether you are still disabled. Instead they are asked for objective medical evidence. That evidence includes results of tests and examinations and observations of your condition. DDS is responsible for reviewing evidence and deciding whether you still meet Social Security's definition of disability.

The evidence obtained from your doctors is usually~~ enough for DDS to make a decision. But additional evidence is needed about 25 percent of the time. If that's the case you'll have an additional examination, called a consultative examination, at government expense.

A consultative is not necessarily a complete examination. In many cases one specific test or observation is needed and that may take only a few minutes.

If a consultative is needed an appointment is scheduled for you. You'll be notified in writing of the time and place. If you can't make it to the appointment, you must call DDS ahead of time to re-schedule.

Doctors who do consultative exams are not government employees. They are private physicians who contract with DDS. Your own doctor may even be asked to do the consultative.

The average disability review takes about two months. Generally, benefits are stopped only if evidence indicates that your impairment has improved and that you can now return to work.

If you disagree with the decision made on your case you have the right to appeal. You must request your appeal within 60 days after receiving the letter you disagree with. The people at your local Social Security office will help you file your request for appeal.