What to do if you don’t get help from your doctor in filling disability forms

Applying for disability benefits can be difficult to do on your own. It doesn’t get easier if you don’t receive the support from your doctor in filling out the disability forms. Some doctors may be reluctant complete disability forms. We’ll review some of these reasons below and provide helpful advice on submitting a successful disability application.

Lack of information

Some doctors simply assume that the process of filling long-term disability forms is lengthy and complicated. They may not know what is expected of them or have never filled out these forms before and may feel they are not qualified to comment on the medical-legal tests required by your disability carrier.

The best way to deal with this kind of situation is to have a conversation with your doctor. These forms can be completed during your next appointment so perhaps you may want to focus on having the doctor outline your limitations and participation in treatment. Other important areas that need to be filled by the doctor include the current and future treatment plans.

Medical opinion

Another reason for a doctor refusing to fill the disability form is that in their own medical opinion, they don’t believe that you’ve met the disability criteria. Some doctors may have a mistaken belief on the tests for disability.

If this is the case, try and have a discussion with the doctor and understand why they don’t think you’ve met the disability criteria. If the physician offers recommendations, take them into account. If you still experience difficulties or limitations even after complying with treatment recommendations, you may want to seek a second opinion in order to move on with the next steps.

It may be helpful to have a trained independent medical assessor assess your medical file, complete your application for disability and comment on the medical-legal tests prescribed by your disability insurer. An experienced disability lawyer can assist you with navigating through the process and assist with any necessary appeals and litigation if your application for short-term and long-term disability benefits are unfairly denied.