Phil,
Check out my website on SSDI.  There are a couple of examples and some info
on what the doctor's report should include.

http://pd_ssdi.homestead.com/ssdi.html

Greg
47/35/35


Phil wrote:
Subject: Re: ssdi


> Based on Greg's experience, the key to approval is the medical evidence
> supplied by the physician.  I'm in the application process now, and here
are
> my thoughts on this.  I'll let you know if they are correct after I hear
from
> SSA  ;-).
>
> The average physician probably doesn't know what is required by SSA,
> does not know of the free SSA publications like "Disability Evaluation
> Under Social Security" (SSA Publication no. 64-039) containing
> instructions to physicians, and may not be inclined to read it anyway --
the
> book is 200+ pages in length.  So someone other than the physician must
> research the disability criteria and guide the assembly of medical
evidence
> for the application.
>
> There are a few pages in the book that outline requirements for
> medical reports.  In general, reports should include
>
> * medical history
>
> * clinical findings (results of examinations)
>
> * laboratory findings [there are no lab tests for PD]
>
> * the diagnosis
>
> * the prescribed treatment, with response and prognosis
>
> * the physician's opinion, based on the above medical findings, as to what
> the claimant can still do despite his/her impairment(s), in terms of
general
> work-related capabilities (e.g., handling objects, lifting, understanding
and
> carrying out instructions).
>
> This book is available for the asking from Social Security Administration,
> Office of Communications,  Public Information Distribution Center,  P.O.
> Box 17743,  Baltimore, MD 21235 as are a few more I haven't seen:
>
> Answers for Doctors and Other Health Professionals(Pub. No. 64-042)
> Evaluating Disability Under Social Security (Pub. No. 64-045)
> Social Security Disability Public Information Products List (Pub. No. 64-
> 065)
>
> The SSA booklet "How To Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits,"
> on-line at http://www.ssa.gov/disability.html, outlines the five-step
process
> to determine disability:
>
> "1. Are you working? If you are and your earnings average more than $500
> a month, you generally cannot be considered disabled.
>
> "2. Is your condition severe? Your impairments must interfere with basic
> work-related activities for your claim to be considered.
>
> "3.  Is your condition found in the list of disabling impairments? We
> maintain a list of impairments for each of the major body systems that are
> so severe they automatically mean you are disabled...."
>
> Once the presence of a listed condition with the indicated severity is
> established, there is no need to go on to steps 4 and 5.
>
> Further details on this are given in Social Security Ruling #SSR 82-53 at
> http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/rulings/di/01/SSR82-53-di-01.html
>
> The listing of impairments, which comprises the bulk of the 200+ page
> book, is at http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-ap09.htm   There
> is a brief entry in the listing for PD:
>
> "11.06  Parkinsonian syndrome with the following signs: Significant
rigidity,
> bradykinesia, or tremor in two extremities, which, singly or in
combination,
> result in sustained disturbance of gross and dexterous movements, or gait
> and station."
>
> So the physician's report must include medical evidence of the presence of
> the above diagnosis and of its "signs" and indicate the appropriate
severity.
> There's no  definition, however, of "significant" or "sustained
disturbance".
>
> Nothing is said explicitly as to whether control of symptoms by medication
> is disqualifying.  This is explicit for certain other neurological
disorders,
> however. For petit mal epilepsy a seizure more than once a week despite 3
> months of prescribed treatment is qualifying.  For myasthenia gravis there
> must be "significant difficulty with speaking, swallowing or breathing
while
> on prescribed therapy."  This suggests to me that with PD the presence of
> "significant" response fluctuations to medications is an indicator of
> qualifying severity.
>
> There is nothing mentioned about fatigue from PD.  If fatigue is an
important
> impairment to working, then perhaps evidence needs to be given indicating
> the similarity to some other condition on the list in which fatigue is an
> explicit and crucial part, such as MS.  For MS to qualify there must be
> "significant,  reproducible fatigue of motor function with substantial
muscle
> weakness,  on repetitive activity, demonstrated on physical examiation..."
> This sounds  like the PD neurological test where you are asked to repeat
> opening and  closing your fist. I didn't see any reference to overall
fatigue
> preventing you  from getting through the day -- but I was too tired to
read
> the whole thing.
>
> There are special requirements for documenting mental, including
affective,
> disorders -- too much to go into in this message.
>
> I hope this helps.
>
> Phil Tompkins
> Hoboken NJ
> age 62/dx 1990
>