James Barrett v. Nancy Berryhill, Acting Cmsnr

GREGG COSTA, Circuit Judge:

In deciding whether a claimant is eligible for Social Security disability benefits, administrative law judges often consider the reports of medical consultants. These doctors, who work for either Social Security or a state agency, do not examine the claimant but review the medical files of those who have and assess the claimant's physical limitations. We decide whether a claimant has an absolute right to question these consultants-a right we have previously recognized when applied to examining physicians-or whether that right should depend on a case-by-case…