by: Cindy Olson

The most important thing you can do to help in winning your disability claim is very simple: Go to your doctor and do what he or she says! This seems like a simple idea, but many people do not do it for one reason or another. However, it is vitally important that you have medical evidence of your disabilities, or there is no possibility of winning your case. It doesn’t matter how much you hurt or how sick you are, if you are not seeing a medical provider on a regular basis, you will not win disability benefits!
Seeing a doctor on a regular basis helps you in many ways. First of all, it gives you your best chance of getting better. It also documents the conditions that keep you from working. If nothing else, it shows Social Security that you are doing everything in your power to get better, and that you would be working if you could.
Sometimes it is difficult to see a doctor on a regular basis because you have no insurance. However, there are many doctors who will see patients on a sliding fee basis, depending on your income level, and some will even treat you for free. The Midtown Clinics in Davis and Weber Counties will treat you on a sliding scale. The Maliheh Clinic and the * clinic in Salt Lake County treat people for free, as does the Fourth Street Clinic. Many IHC hospitals and clinics have patient assistance programs to help you obtain the treatment you need. Check with the doctors in your area, to see if they would be willing to help you, or refer you to another clinic which specializes in helping people with low incomes.
It is very important that you do all in your power to get better, even if it seems impossible that you will be able to get back to work, so we can show Social Security that you really are disabled, and have a better chance of winning your case.