Posted on Jan 23, 2014

According to a recently released report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, more than 630,000 people who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in 2011 were issued medical denials. These denials demonstrate that many applicants simply do not understand how to qualify SSDI benefits. The new report is titled the “2012 Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program.”

Top Reasons That Medical Denials Are Issued

  • 24.5% of claims were medically denied due to a finding that the impairment was not severe enough.
  • 22.7% of claims were medically denied due to a finding that the person was able to do his past work.
  • 32.4% of claims were medically denied due to a finding that the person was able to do a different type of work.
  • 15.5% of claims were medically denied for reasons cited as “other,” which applies to reasons such as insufficient medical evidence and lack of claim development.
  • 5% of claims were medically denied due to a finding that the impairment did not or is not expected to last 12 months.

While the above percentages pertain to medical denials of SSDI claims, there are several other reasons why an application may be denied as well. When considering an application, the Social Security Administration will evaluate the applicant’s work history, as well as the types of jobs previously worked. It is vital that applicants provide documentation and records to support their claims. For those who were unfortunate and received a medical denial, they can file an appeal of the finding.

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Sean D. Cuddigan
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SSA and VA Disability Attorney in Omaha, Nebraska