If you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in Minnesota, you may still get a denial even when your doctor says your condition limits your ability to work. That result can be confusing, especially when the same doctor has treated you over time and documented those limits.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not automatically accept your doctor’s view of what you can do at work. Instead, SSA looks at the medical evidence behind that view and compares it with the rest of your claim.
How SSA weighs your doctor’s opinion
For claims you file on or after March 27, 2017, SSA does not give a treating doctor’s opinion special or controlling weight. Federal rules identify supportability and consistency as the two most important factors when SSA reviews a medical opinion.
Supportability focuses on the medical findings and explanations your doctor provides. Consistency looks at how well the opinion matches other evidence in your file. SSA also considers your history with that doctor, but those first two factors carry the most weight.
How medical records support your limits
Detailed medical notes can explain why your condition restricts certain work activities. An exam may show reduced strength or limited movement. Treatment records can also track symptoms that continue despite care.
Your doctor might connect those findings to a specific limit, such as how long you can stand during a workday. That explanation gives SSA a direct link between the medical findings and the restriction your doctor described. It also helps distinguish a medical opinion from a general statement that you cannot work.
Reviewing the reason for your denial
You may want to compare your denial notice with your doctor’s opinion and the medical records behind it. Look for the limits SSA questioned and the records that support your doctor’s view. Keeping those documents together can help you understand the disagreement and get ready for an appeal.
