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The Treating Physician Rule In Social Security Disability Claims

In Social Security Disability claims, the Treating Physician Rule provides that substantial weight should be given to the impairment opinions given by a treating doctor in a Residual Functional Capacity Form (RFC).

Social Security’s regulations establish a framework for apportioning weight to medical opinions. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d). The Administrative Law Judge considering your claim must consider all medical opinions. Treating sources are given controlling weight if they are “well-supported by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques and [are] not inconsistent with the other substantial evidence in your case record . . .” Id. at 404.1527(d)(2). Otherwise, treating sources are evaluated upon consideration of the “[l]ength of the treatment relationship and the frequency of examination . . . [the] [n]ature and extent of the treatment relationship . . . [s]upportability . . . [c]onsistency . . . [s]pecialization . . . [and o]ther factors . . . which tend to support or contradict the opinion.” Id. at 404.1527(d)(2)-(6). As a general rule, examining sources are entitled to more weight than non-examining sources, and treating sources are entitled to more weight than non-treating sources. Id. at 404.1527(d)(1)-(2).