Obtaining the support of one’s treating doctor is an essential element in preparing, formulating and filing a Federal Disability Retirement application under FERS or CSRS. The “treating doctor” is a unique animal, and one who possesses peculiar and particularized knowledge specifically relevant to a Federal Disability Retirement case.
The treating doctor usually has a longstanding relationship with the potential Federal Disability Retirement applicant; through extensive and multiple clinical encounters, has formed a professional opinion about the overall health issues of his/her patient; has often spoken about other matters, including personal issues, and therefore has formed that puzzling emotional bond identified as a “relationship” with the potential Federal or Postal Disability Retirement applicant; has knowledge of the history of the Federal or Postal employee, including personal tidbits of information; and other important information.
Aside from the fact that the Merit Systems Protection Board’s specific acknowledgement of the importance of the treating doctor (while not denigrating the ability of a referral doctor or disability specialist in also playing an important part in the determination of an OPM Disability Retirement application), it is precisely because of this knowledge that he/she possesses — based upon a thorough understanding grounded upon historical information gathered over a span of time; based upon intimate clinical encounters; based upon a professional observation of the chronicity, impact and progressive nature of a medical condition upon the abilities and capabilities of the Federal or Postal employee — that a special “place” of status and stature is granted to the Treating Doctor.
This is important to know in preparing, formulating and filing a Federal Disability Retirement application under FERS or CSRS.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Filed under: OPM Disability Actors - The Doctor | Tagged: a personal relationship with your doctor and opm disability claims, advising your treating doctor about your opm disability application, an essential element in preparing your disability claim with the opm, attorney representing federal workers for disability throughout the united states, Federal Disability, federal disability law blog, federal disability retirement, fers disability - treating doctor versus other doctors and specialists, FERS disability retirement, medical determination of the treating physician in fers disability retirement, medical opinions matter in opm mspb cases, medical report from treating physicians for fers disability claim, mspb opinions in the fittest physician in csrs/fers disability cases, OPM disability retirement, owcp disability retirement, Postal disability, representing federal employees in and outside the country, securing commitment from your treating doctor, the applicant's best ally in fers disability application cases, the fittest health care professional for opm disability claims, the importance of the personal relationship of the treating doctor in fers disability claims, the valuable support from your treating physician, USPS disability retirement, your treating doctors |
OPM Disability Retirement 
Hello, my name is Cindy Rodrigues. I will be contacting you to ask about OPM disability retirement. I have medical problems from my feet to my neck and then some.I am trying to hold out because I will have 30 years by the end of 2014. I work as a distribution clerk that is more then I can handle I have herniated discs in my neck that was from a fall in 2003 .I unfortunatley did not file but I fell again in 2007 ripped splenadis I filed ca1 was accepted. I am going to pain managment I was tested for corporal tunnel It was diagnosed severe in left moderate in right hand.I have no cartilage left in the bones on the top of my feet. I have the disabled sign for this in my car. I feel like I need to seek direction on where to start to get help. One thing Dr said is find out if filing disability will affect my retirement . I want to give you a simplified idea of my current situation before I call. Hope to hear from you Thank You CR.