Filing seems straightforward — a form and a list of doctors — but incomplete records are the most common reason for early denials. We build the file before DDS makes its decision.
Steps in the process
- Consultation — We review your work history, conditions, and current medical treatment.
- Records request — We contact hospitals, clinics, and specialists. You sign SSA-827 authorization forms.
- Application filing — SSA-16 for SSDI, plus disability report forms describing daily limitations.
- DDS review — Colorado DDS may send you to a consultative exam if your treating records are thin.
- Decision — Approval, denial, or partially favorable decision with an onset date you may want to appeal.
Documents to gather
- Photo ID and Social Security number
- Names, addresses, and dates of treatment for all medical providers (last 12 months minimum)
- Current medication list with prescribing doctors
- Work history: employers, job duties, and earnings for the past 15 years
- Most recent W-2 or self-employment tax records
Onset date matters. Benefits can only be paid back to your alleged onset date (with a five-month waiting period for SSDI). Waiting to file does not help your case.
Colorado DDS
Initial medical decisions for Colorado residents are made by Disability Determination Services. Appeals of DDS denials go to the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) for a hearing.