Treating Source Statements

When you apply for Social Security Disability benefits, all medical records during the relevant time period of disability must be requested and submitted. Along with submitting mandatory medical records, you also may ask your treating doctor or health provider to fill out and submit a treating source statement form. A treating source statement form is essentially paperwork that your doctor fills out indicating his/her opinion regarding the severity of your medical condition(s) as well as their opinion as to what limitations that these medical conditions place on your ability to work. This form will ask your doctor for information such as the conditions they are treating you for, how long have they been treating you, what their opinion is regarding your ability to work, and what specific limitations you may have in regard to physical requirements like sitting, standing, walking, and lifting. While this form may be very helpful to your disability case, there are some important points to note. First, this form is NOT required to be filled out and submitted by your doctor. Filling out the form is totally voluntary, and your doctor cannot be forced to fill it out. Secondly, there is no guarantee that your treating doctor will fill out the form favorably (i.e., in a manner that will support or help your case for disability). Thus, it is important consult with your treating doctor prior to sending the form to explain what the form is and to see if they would be willing to fill it out. This is very important because all forms filled out and submitted by your doctors must be exhibited in your file. It does not matter if the form is favorable or unfavorable, once it is submitted by the providing doctors it will be evidence for the judge to consider.