| Unlike other disability benefit programs, Social Security | | | | examinations is to ascertain A) if the individual does |
| disability, a program that is administered by the social | | | | indeed have a medically determinable impairment and |
| security administration, compensates individuals who | | | | B) the severity of the impairment (s). |
| are totally disabled not partially disabled. Social Security | | | | In the social security disability and SSI disability system |
| disability benefits are paid to individuals who are | | | | there is no concept of partial disability, so disability |
| determined to be unable to engage in any kind of | | | | examiners must use the available information gained |
| substantial gainful work activity because of a medically | | | | from medical record documentation and, if applicable, |
| determinable mental and/or physical impairment, or a | | | | consultative examinations, as well as information about |
| combination of either types of impairments. | | | | an individual's past substantial and gainful work activity |
| When making a Social Security disability decision, | | | | to determine if their functional capacity (what they are |
| disability examiners--the individuals who actually | | | | able to do despite their limitations) is so restrictive that |
| process SSD and SSI claims at state-level disability | | | | it precludes all other types of substantial gainful work |
| determination services for the social security | | | | activity they may have performed in the past 15 year |
| administration--must gather information from the | | | | period, as well as any other type of work performed in |
| medical sources provided by the individual claimant at | | | | the general economy. |
| their initial disability interview. If the medical, and | | | | Most federal disability decisions are a complex blend of |
| sometimes school, records gathered by an examiner | | | | medical and vocational factors that will either support |
| are insufficient to make a disability determination, SSA | | | | the fact that the individual's condition is totally disabling, |
| will pay for an individual to attend something known as | | | | or not. If there is a possibility that an individual is able to |
| a CE or consultative examination. Consultative exams | | | | perform substantial work activity with the limitations |
| are performed by independent doctors who have | | | | imposed upon them by their medical or mental |
| agreed to conduct them in exchange for | | | | condition, their disability claim will be denied. |
| compensation. The purpose of consultative | | | | |