RFC FORMS or MEDICAL SOURCE STATEMENTS

First, let me define an important term upon which your disability claim will depend.

RFC means "residual functional capacity."  Simply put, it is the most a person can do in terms of work related activities, such as lifting, walking, standing, bending, etc. 

Before Social Security can make a decision on whether you are disabled or not, they must adopt an RFC.  It is far better if your own treating doctor will provide an RFC for you in the form of a Medical Source Statement (MSS).  The MSS is the doctor's professional opinion about your functional limitations, based on your medical conditions and treatment.

A few doctors will gladly help their patients by filling out the RFC/MSS form.  Other doctors want to be paid to fill these out.  Some doctors just refuse to do so.  If you have been seeing your doctor for a long time and have a good relationship, it makes it easier to get the residual functional capacity form.

My experience has been that doctors often don't know much about what Social Security wants from them.  Many times when a patient asks their doctor for a form, the doctor will offer to send them out for special tests. This is a bad idea for 2 reasons.


1)  Your own treating doctor knows more about you than any doctor who does a one-time examination.

2)  Insurance usually won't cover an examination for Social Security purposes and it may cost you up to $1,500 out of pocket.  I don't advise spending this kind of money for something that may not help you that much, anyway. 

It may work better simply to make an appointment with your own doctor and take the RFC/MSS form with you.  Explain to the doctor why you need the form and ask for it to be completed.  My office will provide these forms free of charge upon request, even if we don't represent you.

Click here to contact the Forsythe Firm via our website