- Trying to make it more difficult to get all pertinent medical evidence before the judge;
- Decreasing the weight judges must give the opinions of your own doctors – the ones who are most familiar with your limitations or problems keeping you from working;
- Requiring judges to give more weight to opinions of doctors that have never treated or even examined you (in other words, doctors paid by SSA); and finally
- Make it harder for you to appeal an unfavorable decision unless you give up on claiming at least a portion of benefits you might be entitled to since the time your stopped working.
The National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) responds to SSA’s proposals trying to protect your rights. Fortunately, several Members of Congress recently joined with NOSSCR and voiced similar concerns to SSA. Carl Weisbrod is a founding member and a Past-President of NOSSCR. Paul Burkhalter is a former member of NOSSCR’s Board of Directors. John Driskill is currently a member of NOSSCR’s Board of Directors and also serving as Treasurer. Every attorney at Morgan & Weisbrod LLP is a sustaining member of NOSSCR.
For more information on SSA’s proposed regulations, see the complete overview from NOSSCR.
Members of Congress sent a letter expressing concern about SSA’s proposed changes. View their comments here.
If you would like to contact your member of Congress or Senator directly to voice your concerns, you can find them here:

by Paul B. Burkhalter Managing Partner of Morgan & Weisbrod, Board Certified in Social Security Disability Law.