Originally Posted by catra121 (Post 832618)

Unfortunately I'm not in your area or familiar with doctors that would be...but I am sure someone on here can give you some advice about a good one. Have you just been seeing an orthopedic? I know many people on here see several doctors with one sort of being the "lead"...usually a pain management specialist and a neurologist combined with physical therapy, chiropracter, primary care physician, or possibly others that escape me at the moment. Everyone is different of course...the most important being that you just find a doctor who can give you the care you need.

The couple othopedic doctors I have seen have told me that since RSD is not an "orthopedic" condition and I am fine from an "orthopedic" standpoint that there is nothing he can do for me. Maybe from an insurance perspective or SSDB standpoint you would need another specialist who is more familiar with treating RSD? This is just a guess...but it seems like insurance companies are getting more nit-picky when it comes to these sorts of things...always looking for a reason to deny coverage. Maybe there are new rules in place that limit what types of doctors are able to certify disability for specific conditions? In which case maybe your current treating doctor might not be "certified" to fill out a form for permanent disability based on your diagnosis. Or maybe they require doctors to take continuing education to maintain their ability to be "certified" and be recongnized to fill out such forms?

Unfortunately those are just guesses. But in your search for a new treating physician it is a question you should definitely try to get answered up front. And I am sorry that you have to go through this because I can only imagine it will take time before a new doctor would be willing to fill out such forms for a new patient...as they wouldn't know you well enough at the get go to be able to say whether you are or are not permanently disabled. Maybe your doctor who cannot fill out the forms now could refer you to someone who can...someone he has a professional relationship with that would be more inclined to respect and agree with his assessment of your disability?

I'm sorry I don't have anything more useful to offer except my sympathy for the situation you find your self in. I hope someone pops in soon with some doctor recommendations for you.

Originally Posted by LIT LOVE (Post 832753)

SSDB? I'm familiar with SSI and SSDI...

I just want to clarify before commenting further. :)

Originally Posted by twocabinet (Post 832839)

I believe it's like SSDI whereby I worked and paid SS taxes long enough to apply. I believe they refer to it as I had enough credits of working years to apply. It's not SSI.

Originally Posted by LIT LOVE (Post 832906)

What your describing is SSDI.

SS will send out CDRs, but yearly would be very surprising. The short form asks if you've discussed certain things with your doc, but does not require a signature from your doc.

Social Security does not require special certification from doctors, all that is required is q valid medical license. Your doc's opinion, both upon initial application and during a Continuing Disability Review, is only one factor in regards to your receiving benefits. Even if you're sent to a "Social Security" doc, they can only give their opinion of the severity of your disability, they don't have the power to grant or deny your SSDI benefits.

Your doc may no longer be comfortable supporting your disability claim. Or he might just be misunderstanding what's required of him. Please verify his signature is even required. If you can post the SS form number if you have more questions, that would help. ;)