Initial inquiries concerning filing for Federal and Postal disability retirement benefits often ask the following question: Do I have a doctor to whom I can refer the individual? This question often follows upon the unfortunate circumstance that the individual does not have a very supportive doctor, or has been under the “medical care” of an OWCP-referral doctor. The answer is always an unequivocal: No. The reason: The Merit Systems Protection Board is very clear about the issue — that in Federal Disability Retirement cases, a medical report is persuasive when written by a doctor who has a long-standing patient-doctor relationship; has had regular contact with the individual; has had clinical contact over a sufficient period of time, such that the doctor can, within reasonable medical probability, provide a rational basis for stating that the individual is no longer able to perform one or more of the essential elements of his or her job. Thus, even before considering taking a disability retirement, it is important for the individual to make a proper assessment as to whether or not one’s doctor is “supportive”; if not, it may be a good idea to think about switching doctors, and finding one who is supportive.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Filed under: Application, Appeals, and Other Medical Documentation Submitted To the OPM | Tagged: applicant's statement of disability, CSRS disability attorney, CSRS disability lawyer, federal disability attorney, federal disability lawyer, FERS disability attorney, FERS disability lawyer, FERS disability retirement, FERS medical retirement, getting OPM disability benefits, medical evidence, MSPB disability attorney, MSPB disability lawyer, OPM disability attorney, OPM disability lawyer, OWCP disability, OWCP doctors, physician's statements in an OPM disability case, Post Office disability, USPS Disability, Workers Comp disability, your treating doctors
I have a supporting doctor (psychiatrist) for my federal disability retirement. He has deemed my condition permanent. However, our patient/doctor relationship is only 1 month. I had been seeing a psycologist for 8 months prior as well, but he did not believe my condition would be more than 1 year. However, the psychiatrist DOES and I am currently on a outpatient treatment plan with him. Medications, etc..He is currently working on a medical narrative in support of my disability retirement. Isn’t that great?Will this suffice even though we do not have a long term doctor/patient relationship? It was difficult finding a supporting doctor. P.S: Thanks for your wonderful articles on the internet. They answered many of my questions.