Opinion ID: 222918
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Social Security Framework

Text: The Commissioner determines the merit of a social security disability claim by following a sequential five-step analysis. See 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520. The Commissioner must determine: (1) whether the claimant is working; (2) whether the alleged impairment is severe; (3) whether the impairment meets or equals a listed impairment; (4) whether the claimant can still do past relevant work; and, (5) when considering the claimant’s age, education, work experience, and residual functional capacity, whether the claimant can do other work. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1520(a)(4). The claimant has the burden of satisfying the first four steps. See Longworth v. Comm’r Soc. Sec. Admin., 402 F.3d 591, 595 (6th Cir. 2005). The burden then shifts to the Commissioner to answer the final inquiry. Id. The Commissioner is required to “evaluate every medical opinion” that is presented in the record. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d). Furthermore, the Commissioner is bound by the “treating physician rule,” which “requires the ALJ to generally give greater deference to the opinions of treating physicians than to the opinions of non-treating physicians.” Blakley v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec., 581 F.3d 399, 406 (6th Cir. 2009). The opinion of a treating physician must be given deference unless it is not “well-supported by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques” or it is “inconsistent with the other substantial evidence in [the] case record.” Wilson, 378 F.3d at 544. This rule is embodied in the Social Security Regulations at 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d)(2), which states: 10 No. 09-4524 Treatment relationship. Generally, we give more weight to opinions from your treating sources, since these sources are likely to be the medical professionals most able to provide a detailed, longitudinal picture of your medical impairment(s) and may bring a unique perspective to the medical evidence that cannot be obtained from the objective medical findings alone or from reports of individual examinations, such as consultative examinations or brief hospitalizations. If we find that a treating source’s opinion on the issue(s) of the nature and severity of your impairment(s) is well-supported by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques and is not inconsistent with the other substantial evidence in your case record, we will give it controlling weight. If the Commissioner determines that it will not give controlling weight to the opinion of a treating physician, it must provide “good reasons” for its decision. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d)(2) (“We will always give good reasons in our notice of determination or decision for the weight we give your treating source’s opinion.”). “[A] failure to follow the procedural requirement of identifying the reasons for discounting [a treating physician’s] opinions and for explaining precisely how those reasons affected the weight accorded the opinions denotes a lack of substantial evidence, even where the conclusion of the ALJ may be justified based upon the record.” Rogers, 486 F.3d at 243. Lastly, for the purposes of Social Security, “[a]n individual shall not be considered to be disabled . . . if alcoholism or drug addiction would . . . be a contributing factor material to the Commissioner’s determination that the individual is disabled.” 42 U.S.C.A. § 423(d)(2)(C). “The key factor [the Commissioner] will examine in determining whether drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing factor material to the determination of disability is whether [the Commissioner] would still find [the claimant] disabled if [the claimant] stopped using drugs or alcohol.” 20 C.F.R. § 404.1535(b)(1). Monateri argues that if the Commissioner is unable to separate the substance abuse from the claimant's otherwise established disabilities, the Commissioner must find that the substance abuse is not material. See Soc. Sec. Admin. Emergency Teletype, No. EM-96-94 (Aug. 11 No. 09-4524 30, 1996). We can assume this is true, because substantial evidence supports the Commissioner's decision that Monateri's substance abuse can be separated from her disabilities.