That includes Doctors, Clinics, Hospitals, Testing cites etc. I would recommend you find out these medical providers current name and address. This is for SSA to get the data to support or reject your claim. Remember, while SSA has the duty to get those records, the burden of proof is on your, so provider SSA with the list of ANYONE and EVERYONE you had medical treatment with over the last 20 years (Especially medical providers treating whatever is making you disabled).
Second, SSA wants a list of all of your employers for at least the last 15 years (And often goes further back then that). You should get that information before you go (Write it down or print it out of a word processor) AND what did you do in that job. This is important for SSA has a five step process to determine if you are disabled. I have written about it before For example on this DU Disability thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=250&topic_id=353&mesg_id=376The five step goes into what you did before and what you can do NOW. Different rules apply when you turn age 50 and age 55. To apply these rules Social Security MUST know what you can do now and what you did in the past. The best person to get that information from is you. Please note, the test for Social Security Disability is NOT do you have a disability, but does that disability prevent you from working? People who can return to the same type of job as they did in the past 15 years even with the disability are NOT disabled for Social Security Disability purposes. Give them the list (they will check it with you Social Security taxes paid, so list them all) and say why you do not think you can do that TYPE of work (The test for Social Security Disability is NOT being hired for a job, but your ability to do that TYPE of job as it is normally performed in the National Economy).
You should also take your Birth Certificate (Age is a factor) and information on your wife and other potential "survivors" (Through this is often not used till you are ruled disabled).
Remember what SSA is to know WHERE to get the data on your medical problem AND the restrictions those medical restrictions put on you. They want to see if you can continue to do full time employment that exist in substantial numbers in the National Economy (Which includes your past employment, so write it down and HOW you perform the job).
Now I always tell Clients to write down the actual Job name and description AND what you did while doing that job. The reason for this is many businesses (and people) use names for certain jobs that mean something else in the actual government data on jobs. For example a lot of people are called "Carpenters" but that can be one of two jobs, a "Rough Carpenter" who does construction work (This is a heavy semi-skilled job with few transferable skills to other work) AND "Smooth Carpenter" who is a furniture maker, (this is more medium work, as that term is used by SSA, AND skilled, with skills transferable to other light work).
"Transferable skills" is a term used for people with a Skilled job background who can no longer do that type of Skilled work but can use those skills in other, less physically demanding, jobs. For example a Diesel Mechanic is a skilled Heavy jobs, but the skills can be transferred to repairing small lawn mower engines (Which is a "light" job). Another example are Nurses. Nurses have to be able to carry heavy loads, over 50 pounds and often over 100 pounds when dealing with patients, but can have skills in dispersing medicines and other care related to nursing to do other jobs like a lab tester, which is a light job. Please notes we are discussing "Skills" not "Trait", being nice to customer is a "Trait" NOT a "Skill".
I bring this up for a lot of people list job names and then when I talked to them the job they did IS not the Job SSA said they could return to (or had skills from that they can transfer to other jobs) so list what you did and your education for that job (And what education you had, including any collage you may have gone to, any schooling you went to etc, it will all come up later on so list them NOW).
Please note I would recommend you take a list of each of the above with you to the meeting. You may have to write them again on SSA forms, but that fact you have then already will speed up the process. Remember the purpose of the Meeting is NOT to determine if you are disabled, but where SSA can go to get evidence on that disability AND where they can get information on what you can do (part of which is from you). The real key is NOT how much data you get SSA to obtain, but for SSA to get the evidence that supports your claim you are disabled and can not work.
One last Comment, I do NOT believe you need a lawyer when you make the application, but if you are denied, file the appeal and look for a lawyer. You have only 60 days to file the appeal, and the sooner it is filed the sooner you will have a hearing (In my area they are running over a year AFTER the appeal has been filed). They is not much the attorney can do on the appeal except to make sure the medical record is complete (At the hearing that is a different story, but I am talking about the appeal itself). The attorney can send to SSA any medical data he or you finds out was not in the Medical file after you have contacted the attorney, but only if the appeal was done within the 60 day period. If you have filed the appeal that is one less thing the attorney has to make sure was done within the 60 day period and can spend more time trying to make sure all the medical record was actual obtained by SSA.
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