A denial doesn't mean it's over. It means the real case is just beginning.
Those letters land like a verdict. They make you feel like maybe you weren't really sick. You were. The system is built for attrition — and the appeal is where most claims are actually won.
Consultation. No fee unless your appeal wins.
You have 60 days from the date on your denial letter to appeal. Miss the window and you start over from scratch.
Three things to know after a denial
A denial is not a verdict.
Roughly two-thirds of first applications are denied nationally. The system defaults to denial unless every box is checked and every condition is documented in exactly the right language.
Most approvals happen on appeal.
Reconsideration and the ALJ hearing are where the majority of valid claims actually get approved — usually because someone finally built the medical file the right way.
"Insufficient evidence" is fixable.
Most denials cite missing evidence — not that you don't qualify. That usually means SSA didn't have what they needed, not that it doesn't exist.
Source: SSA, Annual Statistical Report on the Disability Insurance Program.
What we handle after a denial
From denial letter to approved claim
A clear, four-step process — starting the moment you hand us the letter.
Most denials cite specific gaps. We identify exactly what SSA was missing — and what we need to add to overturn it.
We request records you didn't know existed. We get treating physicians to write statements in the format SSA examiners and ALJs actually credit.
Reconsideration or hearing request, filed on time with the new evidence and a written argument addressing every reason in your denial.
Your case manager is in the room with you. We rehearse questions. We bring vocational and medical experts. You're not walking in alone.
"I was denied twice. After the second one I almost stopped. Fortis won the ALJ hearing six months later. The judge said it was one of the most thorough files he'd seen."
Robert C., 62 · Michigan