Workers Compensation
| Adult Consultative Examination Reports |
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| When an adult Social Security Disability Insurance claimant fails to provide, or provides inadequate, medical information to make a "disability" determination, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will request that a consultative examination (CE) be performed. The claimant's treating physician or an independent medical source may perform the CE. When the CE has been completed, a report must be provided to the SSA that meets the minimum requirements specified by the SSA. More... |
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| Payment for Representation of a Social Security Claimant |
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| A social security claimant may choose to be represented by a third party in his dealings with the Social Security Administration (SSA). If the third party accepts the role of "representative" on behalf of the claimant, he is prohibited from charging the claimant a fee without prior authorization from the SSA. This holds true even if the claim is denied. To obtain approval from the SSA, the representative must use either of two fee authorization processes. More... |
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| Supplemental Security Income for Children |
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| Children who are blind or disabled are eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers a "child" to be an unmarried individual who is under age 18 or, if under age 22, is a student who regularly attends school. A "child" cannot be the head of a household. There is no minimum age requirement; a child may be eligible for benefits from birth. More... |
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| Employee Misconduct |
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| Generally, workers' compensation is a no-fault system that provides an employee with benefits for work-related injuries and illnesses without reference to an employee's negligent or wilful misconduct. This is not so, however, when such misconduct occurs outside the course of his employment. Additionally, various jurisdictions have outlined certain instances where an employee's misconduct constitutes a defense to the award of workers' compensation benefits.
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| Confidentiality of Records |
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| The Social Security Administration, like other federal agencies, is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974. The Act prohibits the dissemination of information about an individual that is maintained by the agency including that regarding his education, finances, and medical, employment, and criminal history. An individual's application for benefits, submission of medical records, consultative examination reports, and income and resource information would all seem to be covered by the Act. With exceptions, the SSA can only disclose an individual's personal information if it receives a written request by, or with the written consent of, the individual to whom the information pertains. More... |
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