Opinion ID: 2978241
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Dr. Venkataraman’s medical opinion

Text: White next focuses on Dr. Venkataraman’s undated affective-disorders assessment, which opined that White had “marked” restrictions on daily living and social functioning, as well as “extreme” difficulties “in maintaining concentration, persistence, or pace.” Dr. Venkataraman also reported that White had experienced four or more episodes of decompensation. The ALJ did not consider this assessment to be controlling in evaluating White’s residual functional capacity. White argues that the ALJ’s failure to do so violates the treating-physician rule. This rule directs ALJs to given controlling weight to the medical opinion of a treating physician if that opinion “is well-supported by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques and is not inconsistent with the other substantial evidence in your case record . . . .” 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d)(2). Opinions of treating physicians are given great weight even if those opinions are deemed not to be controlling. S.S.R. 96-2p. ALJs must articulate “good reasons” for not giving the No. 08-2292 White v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec. Page 20 opinions of a treating physician controlling weight. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1527(d)(2). But “the ultimate decision of disability rests with the administrative law judge.” Walker v. Sec’y of Health and Human Servs., 980 F.2d 1066, 1070 (6th Cir. 1992). The ALJ gave three basic reasons for not affording Dr. Venkataraman’s affective-disorders assessment controlling weight. First, Dr. Venkataraman’s undated assessment stands in tension with the doctor’s July 1, 2004 evaluation, which concluded that White had a “fair” ability to follow work rules, relate to coworkers, use judgment, interact with supervisors, understand, remember and carry out simple job instructions, maintain personal appearance, behave in an emotionally stable manner, relate predictably in social situations, and demonstrate reliability. The form defines “fair” as an ability to function that is “seriously limited, but not precluded.” Contrary to the affective-disorders assessment, the work-ability evaluation suggests that White had the ability to engage in certain kinds of work, albeit severely limited. The second reason for discounting Dr. Venkataraman’s affective-disorders assessment is its lack of detail. Conclusory statements from physicians are properly discounted by ALJs. Buxton v. Halter, 246 F.3d 762, 773 (6th Cir. 2001) (stating that ALJs are “not bound by conclusory statements of doctors”). Dr. Venkataraman failed to point to particular documents in White’s medical history supporting the doctor’s conclusions. For example, although the assessment asserts that White had experienced four episodes of decompensation, Dr. Venkataraman failed to describe the onset, duration, or severity of even a single such episode. The fact that the assessment is undated also harms White’s position because there is no way for the ALJ to know how long Dr. Venkataraman had been treating White before the doctor rendered her conclusion regarding White’s severely limited ability to work. This information might have supported White’s claim that the ALJ’s finding was unjustified. Finally, the ALJ discounted the assessment because it conflicted with other evidence in the record that indicated White’s sustained improvement. The ALJ’s finding in this regard is supported by substantial evidence for the reasons that have already been discussed above in Part II.B. In light of the foregoing analysis, we find no error in the No. 08-2292 White v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec. Page 21 ALJ’s proffered rationale for discounting Dr. Venkataraman’s assessment of White’s ability to work. In a final effort to undermine the ALJ’s decision to discount the views of Dr. Venkataraman, White cites Bauer v. Astrue, 532 F.3d 606 (7th Cir. 2008). The Seventh Circuit in Bauer chided the ALJ for disregarding the opinions of two of the plaintiff’s treating physicians, both of whom had firmly concluded that the plaintiff’s mental impairment was so severe that he could not hold down a full-time job. Id. at 608-09. Bauer also noted that the ALJ apparently misunderstood the episodic nature of bipolar disorder. Id. But Bauer is readily distinguishable on at least two grounds. First, none of White’s treating physicians have unequivocally opined, as they did in Bauer, that she cannot hold a full-time job due to her mental impairments. See id. Nor is there any indication that the ALJ ignored the episodic nature of White’s disorders. Indeed, as noted earlier in Part II.B.2., the ALJ declined to cut off the closed period in 2003 even though White had shown some signs of improvement during that year. The ALJ apparently understood that temporary improvements in White’s mood during the closed period did not suffice to overcome the particularly severe and disabling downturn in her condition overall during the same time frame. White’s argument that the ALJ erred in light of Bauer is therefore unpersuasive.