The More The Merrier

The saying, “The More The Merrier,” is particularly apt when applying for disability benefits. Most disability applications do not require more than one treating source as a prerequisite to receiving benefits. However, as the number of supporting sources increases, so too do the chances of securing disability benefits sooner.

I had a perfect application of the more the merrier saying to a disability claim last Friday. I represent a 46 year old health care attendant with her Social Security Disability (“SSD”) and her Disability Pension Retirement (“DPR”) claims. It took only a few months for her SSD claim to be approved, which should increase the chances of her DPR claim, which was just filed, also being approved. An SSD claim typically takes much longer than just a few months to be approved, particularly for a claimant less than 50 years of age.

My client’s claim was approved quickly because supporting reports from three treating sources were submitted. While the claim could have been approved eventually by relying solely on one of the physicians’ reports, it is highly unlikely that the approval would have occurred after only a few months.

When filing a disability application it is critical to ask as many treating sources as possible to prepare supportive reports, even if the doctors or other health care providers are not treating the primary medical condition. If treating sources will not complete paperwork, which happens fairly frequently for a variety of reasons, then start treating with other health care professionals who will. The sooner multiple treating reports are submitting to support a claim, the sooner the claim is likely to be approved.