* Names, addresses, and phone numbers
of doctors, hospitals, clinics, and institutions that treated
you and dates of treatment;
* Names of all medications you
are taking;
* Medical records from your doctors,
therapists, hospitals, clinics, and caseworkers;
* Laboratory and test results;
* A summary of where you worked
in the past 15 years and the kind of work you did;
* A copy of your W-2 Form (Wage
and Tax Statement), or if you are self-employed, your federal
tax return for the past year;
* Dates of prior marriages if your
spouse is applying;
* A certified copy of your birth
certificate.
Also provide at least one doctor's
report based on a recent examination that:(1) establishes
the diagnoses of injuries or illnesses that are causing severe
impairment of work capacity; (2) explains
the restrictions on work capacity resulting from the diagnosed
medical conditions; (3) gives examples
from real life of what the patient can and cannot do; (4)
explains whether severe impairment is expected to last at
least 12 months or result in death.
For doctors, the Physicians' Disability
Services, Inc. ("Pds") booklet, Disability Evaluation in a Nutshell,
provides concise guidance on SSA needs in medical reports,
containing evaluation checklists and a sample medical report.
For applicants, the Disability Workbook for Social Security Applicants,
by disability lawyer attorney Douglas Smith, shows how to
document, file and manage a claim for benefits. It also is
available from Pds.
