Failure to Follow A Prescribed Treatment For Cause

People receiving SSDI must follow treatment regiments unless there is "good cause."

"Prescribed Treatment"

A treatment must be prescribed, not just discussed or recommended

• It must be prescribed by a treating doctor.
• It must be expected to restore the ability to work. Otherwise, failure to follow the prescribed treatment is not relevant to Social Security.
• If you're prescribed alternate choices of treatment, choosing one over another is not failure to follow prescribed treatment.

"Good Cause" for failure to follow prescribed treatment

• Inability to afford treatment.
• Unavailability of treatment.
• Riskiness or experimental nature of treatment.
• Prescribed treatment was tried before and failed in the past.
• Overwhelming fear of treatment -- which generally means that there must be some history to prove the fear.)
• Other credible reason.