Consultative Examinations, Generally
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| Consultative examinations (CE) of a social security claimant are used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) when the claimant's medical evidence is insufficient to determine the claimant's disability, or lack thereof. Although the claimant's treating physician is the preferred source of medical evidence, there are instances where a medical examination from an independent source is necessary. These include situations where the treating physician is unwilling to perform the examination, there are inconsistencies in the claimant's file that cannot be resolved by consulting with the treating physician, the claimant himself prefers an examination by a source other than his treating physician with good reason, or prior experience in dealing with the treating physician indicates that he may be unable to effectively provide the necessary service.
A CE may only be performed by a qualified medical source. To be "qualified," the medical source must hold a current license and have the requisite training and experience to conduct the necessary examination and tests. Additionally, he must have access to equipment that will allow for the assessment and record of the existence and extent of the claimant's impairment. Finally, the medical source must not be barred from participating in the SSA's programs. If determined to be "qualified," a medical source is generally chosen based on his proximity to the claimant's residence, whether he has an open appointment, and whether he can perform the examination and tests requested by the SSA. Copyright 2010 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. |