{"id":353913,"date":"2023-05-25T12:14:52","date_gmt":"2023-05-25T17:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/socialsecurity\/disability\/social-security-disability-determinations-and-consultative-exams.html"},"modified":"2023-05-25T12:14:52","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T17:14:52","slug":"social-security-disability-determinations-and-consultative-exams","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/socialsecurity\/disability\/social-security-disability-determinations-and-consultative-exams.html","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Social Security Disability Consultative Exam?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What Is a Social Security Disability Consultative Exam?<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Jennifer Steinberg, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Steven Ellison, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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At a consultative examination, a medical provider will assess your condition. Their notes can show medical evidence for a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claim. The Disability Determination Services (DDS), a state agency, may order this exam when it needs more information about the claim. The DDS uses it to determine eligibility for disability benefits.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

You submitted your disability application to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Then you got a message from your local state Disability Determination Services (DDS). The DDS informed you that you must undergo a “consultative examination<\/a>” (CE).\u00a0<\/p>\n

A required exam during the application process isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This exam can help you get evidence of a disability to prove you’re eligible for SSDI benefits. Plus, you won’t have to pay for it yourself.<\/p>\n

This article explains what a consultative examination is, when you may be asked to attend one, and other parts of the process. If you face any challenges with the Social Security benefits process, find a disability law attorney<\/a> near you for help.<\/p>\n

What Is the Consultative Examination Process?<\/h2>\n

During a consultative examination, a qualified medical source conducts a mental or physical examination or test.<\/p>\n

The medical source then submits the CE report to DDS for the decision-makers to make a disability determination. An administrative law judge may also order a consultative examination before making a decision at the hearing level.<\/p>\n

The decision-makers prefer that your treating source conducts the examination. But that treating doctor must be qualified to perform consultative examinations, trained and equipped for testing, and willing to perform the examination. Even if only one additional test is needed, the treating source is still generally the preferred source for this service.<\/p>\n

The Social Security Administration’s\u00a0rules for using a medical source<\/a> instead of your treating source include:<\/p>\n