Medical Reviews are often feared and neglected… Here are 5 things you need to know.
1. Social Security Reviews Everybody!
Social Security does medical reviews for all individuals on disability benefits including youth under age 18.
2. Get Medical Conditions Reviewed Periodically!
Each person must have their medical condition reviewed from time-to-time to decide if they still have a disability. Reviews happen when your “medical diary date” is set. What’s this? A medical diary date, or medical review date, is scheduled based on your disability. During a medical review, Social Security wants to know if there has been any improvement with your disability.
3. Medical Cessation
If Social Security finds that you do not have a disability anymore, it is called a “medical cessation”. There are a lot of things you need to know if this happens to you.
4. Appealing a Medical Cessation
You have the right to appeal a medical cessation if you disagree.
- You can work with a benefits specialist to find out what you need to know during this process
- There are deadlines! Some things cannot be done if outside of the timeframe Social Security sets, so it’s important to take action as soon as you get the notice
As an example, you have 60 days to appeal a decision from Social Security. An appeal means you disagree with their decision and you want them to look at your case again. One form to use for a medical cessation appeal is called the Form SSA-3441. There are other rules about whether you can have continued payments during the appeal process. This timeline is much shorter. Continued benefits must be requested within 10 days!
5. Help is available
You can reach out to your benefit specialist or DVR counselor for more information about the Social Security Medical Review process.