How can I be sure that Social Security has a medical doctor review my claim?

You have the right to have a fair, impartial, intelligent, expert to review the medical portion of your claim. To maximize your chances of receiving a quality review of your claim, we recommend that all claimants send a letter to the claims adjudicator assigned to their claim as soon as the identity of this person is known, copying their state and federal representatives on the letter, to advise the adjudicator as follows:

I am writing to request that the medical portion of my claim be reviewed by a fair, impartial, competent licensed medical physician, osteopath, psychiatrist or psychologist. I _object_ to a non-medical person evaluating the medical portion of my claim. I request that you maintain this letter in my file until my claim has been completely resolved.

It is recommended that you or your representative remain actively involved in your claim, keeping in touch with your claims adjudicator often to resolve any problems that may arise, to keep apprised of the status of the claim, to determine what evidence is outstanding and to make sure that your claim is being processed efficiently and properly. By doing this, the claims adjudicator will understand that you are very serious about your claim and that you are willing to assist him or her in any way possible to move your claim along.