I have spoken to many clients who call me very concerned about a letter they got from Social Security. The letter is telling them Social Security set up an appointment for them to see a doctor. Unfortunately, claimants often have a serious mistrust of Social Security and the Disability process so they do not know whether to ignore this

appointment or go. In my experience, when Social Security asks you to do something, it is best to follow their instructions. This doctor's appointment is no different.

 

This appointment is called a Consultative Examination (CE). Social Security usually schedules CE's early in the application process to gather more information about a claimant's disability. The doctor does not work for Social Security, but is an independent source contracted to give his or her analysis of the claimant's medical conditions. One complaint I commonly here about consultative examinations is they are very short and do not give a fair evaluation of the claimant. If you feel this is the case for your evaluation, do not be too discouraged. Remember, a CE is simply another piece of the puzzle Social Security uses to determine your level of Disability. Even if it not a favorable evaluation for your case, there are always alternative ways of proving your disability.