How do I submit new medical evidence if there is a change in my condition?
Any time there is a change in your medical condition—whether you have just submitted your Social Security disability application or have already been approved for benefits, you are required to keep the Social Security Administration (SSA) informed. You will need to submit any new medical records to the SSA.
Although you probably collected a great deal of medical evidence prior to submitting your initial disability application, chances are that several months will pass before you actually receive decision on your claim. Therefore, if your condition worsens or changes, you will have additional medical reports to contribute to your application.
It is important to note that any evidence from new doctor appointments, tests, or treatments you undergo while your application is still in the initial review stage should be submitted to the SSA. Where you send your additional information to will vary depending on which stage of the application process you are going through.
Before you are assigned a claims examiner- If you receive new medical evidence before your claim has been assigned to a claims examiner, then you should submit the new documentation to your local SSA office. You can mail the evidence to the office, or you can drop it off in person.
After you have been assigned a claims examiner- Once your case is assigned to a claims examiner, you will be notified by the SSA. If you have new evidence once your claim has been assigned to an examiner, you will need to submit this new documentation directly to the examiner at the Disability Determination Services (DDS) office. The notice you received in the mail will include the name of the examiner and the mailing address for submitting new documentation.
Before appealing a denial- If you are denied benefits, you will have the option to appeal the decision. Any new evidence you have regarding your condition should be submitted along with the appeal forms you send to the SSA. The notices you receive regarding your denial and will include the contact information and mailing address to which new evidence and forms should be sent.
After you are approved-If you are approved for benefits and your condition changes, you are still required to keep the SSA updated. This is true whether your condition worsens or improves. Again, the documentation you receive from the SSA regarding your benefits will include appropriate contact information.
When submitting any evidence to the SSA, you should keep copies of all documents and include them in a case file that you maintain at home. This will ensure that you have a copy of everything that has been turned over to the SSA as part of your disability claim and supporting records.
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