When a claimant's own medical evidence is not enough to decide an SSDI or SSI claim, the State Disability Determination Services (DDS) buys a consultative examination, preferably from the treating source. The examiner writes a narrative report detailed enough for an independent reviewer to judge the nature, severity and duration of the impairment and, for adults, the ability to do basic work-related activities.
A currently licensed medical source with the training and equipment for the requested exam writes and personally signs the whole report: the claimant's own physician or psychologist, a pediatrician for a child, or another qualified examiner. Licensed support staff may help with the examination.
The issuer sets what the letter or report must contain; check its current rules before you write it.
Consultative Examination (CE) Report
There is no form to fill: the program asks for a letter or report with the content it sets. Vero Scribe writes the visit note it draws on, so the details are ready when you write it.
A form is listed only after its name and number were confirmed on the issuing agency’s or insurer’s own website, or in the form itself. Each entry links to that source. The list was last checked in October 2026. Forms and their requirements change without notice, so check the official page for the current version before you complete one.
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No. There is no single federal form for the report. Each State DDS issues its own request for the case, and the content follows the Green Book's adult or pediatric CE report guidelines. SSA's old printed forms, SSA-3826 and SSA-3827, were discontinued in 2013 and 2010.
The State DDS that orders the exam pays for it, under a fee schedule each state sets. SSA prefers the claimant's treating source when that source is qualified, equipped and willing to do the exam for the fee schedule payment. If the exam suggests more testing is needed, the examiner must get DDS approval before doing it.
The medical source who actually performed the examination must personally review and sign the report and is solely responsible for its contents and conclusions. A rubber stamp, a signature entered by a nurse or secretary, or a report annotated not proofed or dictated but not read is not acceptable.