How Medical Treatment Impacts your Claim and How to Find Low-Cost Free Treatment Locations

A critical aspect of a social security claim is the submission of medical records for the Social Security Administration to review. These medical records are used to support the existence of your impairments that are stopping you from working. Generally, the Social Security Administration needs all of the records that have been made from the date you alleged you became disabled up to the present, with more weight being placed on objective medical findings, such as imaging or diagnostic testing, in order to find you disabled. However, you may have issues in developing a medical record due to the cost. MRIs, X-rays, pulmonary function tests, and other diagnostic tests and tools aren’t cheap to use or perform.

While the Social Security Administration can and will require you to go to their doctors for the purpose of a consultative examination, these examinations can only take you so far, and may not adequately show how disabling your impairments really are. They only give a snapshot of your health on that specific day. The question then is, how can I find low-cost or free treatment locations, so that I can have a medical record for Social Security to review?

The US Department of Health and Human Services have a number of resources that can help you locate clinics and treatment centers in your community. Low-cost clinics can be found in your area at https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/.

Additionally, you should see if your state has low cost or free insurance options, which are generally available to low-income families or individuals and are accepted at most medical providers and hospitals. Many states have expanded the eligibility standards for Medicaid, and if you live in a state that has not, you still may qualify if your income is below the federal poverty level of $13,590 for an individual.

By: Devon Brady of Premier Disability Services, LLC®