How to Submit Medical
Records into Your Claims File
You have the right to submit medical records to your claims file. Don’t submit duplicate records if possible, but do not hesitate to send in doctors notes, hospital records and diagnostic test results if you have them and it does not appear that Social Security has retrieved them.
If you are sending in records to your adjudicator or to the hearing office, here are guidelines to keep in mind:
- Use a simple cover letter that includes your name and Social Security number. If you know the name of the claims representative, send your package to that person’s attention
- identify the records by provider and by date of service - ex. Metro General Hospital - hospital records from 6/1/04 - 6/15/04 (35 pages)
- count the number of pages being submitted for each provider and reference the page count in your submission
- make a copy of all of your evidence submissions and keep in your own file
- if a particular provider refuses to provide records, you can ask the Hearing Office for a subpoena to compel that provider to send the records
- submit all records using registered mail, return receipt requested
If you are planning on submitting a form to the adjudicator (such as a Statement on a Listing or a Functional Capacity form) then you should make a determined effort to make sure that treatment records from the doctor who completed the form are in your case record. Social Security law provides that the opinion of a treating doctor should be given significant weight in a disability case. However, if you submit a form from a treating doctor that is not backed up by months or years of treatment notes, the judge may choose to reduce the weight given to the form.
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