If you have managed to get social-security disability benefits, you may be heaving a sigh of relief. The road was likely long and difficult, but now you can count on your monthly payments to help with your financial situation. You should know, however, that the Social Security Administration (SSA) holds applicants to a high level of honestly and accuracy when it comes to their medical conditions. The Continuing Disability Review (CDR) allows the SSA to periodically review your medical condition to ensure that you still qualify for disability benefits. To ensure that you have a full understanding of a CDR so that you are prepared, read on.
When will my CDR happen?
The nature of your medical condition will play a large part in how often you will face a CDR. Those with permanent or fatal conditions may never be subjected to a review, but younger applicants are far more likely to fall under the scrutiny of a CDR, since the likelihood of improvement may be expected with those applicants. You can expect a CDR to be called for any time between three to seven years, depending on your age and your specific medical condition.
Triggering events.
In addition to normally scheduled reviews, the SSA will investigate and request you undergo a CDR if some of the following so-called triggering events occur.
- You tell the SSA that your medical condition has improved and that you intend to go back to work or have already returned to work.
- A third party has reported you to the SSA, informing them that your medical condition has improved.
- You are reporting income for work that you previously claimed to be unable to do. For example, if you had been unable to drive a forklift due to nerve damage in your feet, but are now employed in that very same position, that may trigger a CDR.
What will happen with my CDR?
The actual "review" part of the CDR is mostly forms that need to filled out by you or your doctor. There are short-form packages of several pages long, and you may also be required to fill out a long-form package, which is quite lengthy. In some instances, the SSA requires you to send in your medical records, and in some instances the SSA will contact your doctor directly for the information. If you have not been receiving regular medical care for your condition, you may be putting your continued ability to get benefits in jeopardy, since the SSA has no other way to ascertain the state of your medical condition than with a record of treatment.
If you are in danger of losing your benefits, you have a right to appeal the ruling. Talk to a social-security attorney, such as one from A Affordable Attorney Gerling Law Group, right away.
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