Disability Secrets: August 2010 Archives

If You Are Receiving A Social Security Disability Check Each Month In One State, Can You Move To Another State?

By Tim Moore on August 30, 2010 11:38 PM | Permalink Sometimes Social Security disability beneficiaries are concerned that they will lose their disability benefits if they move from one state to another. Social Security is a federal disability program and that means an individual can live anywhere in the United States and receive their benefits. What if you live outside the U.S.? Citizens of the US can receive their disability payments as long as they A) remain eligible to receive them and B) as long as they are in a country that is approved for Social Security checks. Now, of course, you may be wondering what is meant by a "country that is approved for Social Security checks". Well, there are countries that Social Security is actually not allowed to send checks to (if you are thinking of moving outside the country, you can check the list of countries Social Security is prohibited from sending checks to on the Social Security website). And if you are in one of those countries your checks will be held until you return to the U.S. or go to a country that Social Security is allowed to send checks too. What if you receive SSI and move out of the country? Generally, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability recipients are not allowed to receive disability benefits once they are out of the United States for 30 consecutive days, so be careful about leaving the United States (and for these purposes, that would be The fifty states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands or American Samoa). The important thing for all Social Security or Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries to remember is Social Security should be made aware of any address changes so that beneficiaries can be contacted to update their disability information, or even receive their disability checks timely if they do no have direct deposit. Supplemental Security Income disability recipients should also consider that their disability monthly benefit amounts could be affected when they move from state to state. Can SSI benefits be cutoff if you move from one state to another? No, Social Security will continue to pay the benefit...but a monthly SSI check may be less if the recipient was receiving an additional supplement from their state and the recipient then moved to a state that has no supplement or a smaller supplement. Return to the homepage for:Social Security Disability Secrets Social Security Disability Resource Sections

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How Do You Avoid A Social Security Disability Overpayment?

By Tim Moore on August 25, 2010 11:25 AM | Permalink While there are other ways to become overpaid while receiving Social Security disability benefits the most common cause of an overpayment is work activity. If you are receiving disability benefits and decide that you are going to return to work, you should contact Social Security and speak with a claims representative so that you can avoid pitfalls that might cause you to become overpaid while you attempt your return to work. It goes without saying that SSA encourages disability beneficiaries to return to work. In an effort to facilitate this, Social Security allows you a trial work period (nine months in a five year period that do not have to occur consecutively) in which you are able to earn whatever you wish (or whatever you can) without it affecting your entitlement to monthly disability benefits. After your trial work months are used, Social Security allows you an extended period of eligibility that lasts thirty-six months. During the extended period of eligibility, you can work while your disability benefits are in suspense. If you have to stop working because of your disabling condition you can begin receiving your disability benefits again with no questions. Although these incentives can help you get back to work, they can also "help you receive" a disability overpayment. If you are returning to work, report your work promptly to your local Social Security office so that your earnings can be monitored. Social Security will notify you regarding suspension periods, when your trial work months have ended, and also with when your extended period of eligibility begins and ends, etc. The important thing to remember if you want to avoid a Social Security overpayment is to always report your work timely. If you feel keeping track of trial work months and the extended period of eligibility months is just too complicated, you can avoid overpayments by working and earning below the substantial gainful activity monthly amount (SGA is a monthly amount of earnings that Social Security considers self support). The only other disability overpayment that can be avoided by your actions is an overpayment of Social Security disability benefits due to your entitlement to either weekly workmanâs compensation benefits or a workmanâs compensation settlement. Social Security disability benefits are offset (reduced) by workmanâs compensation benefits and settlements. If you do not report your workmanâs compensation, you will receive an overpayment. If you receive an overpayment because of work activity or a failure to report workmanâs compensation, Social Security will consider it to be your fault. And...if you are at fault in creating your disability overpayment, it cannot be waived or forgiven, which means you will have to repay the overpayment. Return to the homepage for:Social Security Disability Secrets Social Security Disability Resource Sections

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Can Your Social Security Disability Benefits Stop?

By Tim Moore on August 20, 2010 4:27 AM | Permalink The simple answer to this question is yes, Social Security disability benefits can stop for a variety of reasons. Continued receipt of Social Security disability benefits can be affected by a couple of things: work activity and medical improvement. For the most part, all suspensions are work related, though disability benefit termination can be due to work activity or medical improvement. Social Security disability depends upon two factors: medical or mental impairments that are medically determinable, and the inability to perform substantial gainful activity (SGA). SGA is simply a monthly earnings amount that Social Security determines each year to be self-supporting. Keeping this in mind, if you work and are earning over the SGA amount, it would stand to reason that it would affect your entitlement to disability benefits though it may or may not indicate medical improvement. However, it does not matter if you have medically improved or not if you are maintaining work activity that is over the SGA monthly earnings limit. Work activity may still cause suspension or termination of your disability benefits. Initially, Social Security allows all disability beneficiaries a trial work period that lasts nine months (the months do not have to be consecutive, they just have to occur within a five year period that begins with the first month of earnings that are over the trial work monthly earnings limit). Once a disability beneficiary completes their trial work months, they may begin their extended period of eligibility if they are working over the SGA limit in the tenth month. The extended period of eligibility lasts for three years and your disability benefits may be suspended any months you earn over the SGA limit. If you are working over SGA in the thirty-seventh month, your disability benefits will be terminated. If you find that you are disabled and unable to work after that point, but are less than five years from your termination date, you can request an expedited reinstatement if you are unable to work due to the same conditions that enabled you to be initially approved for disability benefits. An expedited reinstatement allows you to receive six months of provisional disability payments while Social Security sends your disability claim for another medical determination. If you are found disabled you will continue to receive benefits; if not your benefits will be terminated. If you still feel you are disabled, you can appeal your expedited reinstatement decision in the hopes of being approved on a reconsideration appeal or at an administrative law judge hearing. If you have not worked, there is still a chance that your Social Security disability benefits will stop. All disability beneficiaries have to have periodic medical reviews. These reviews are generally performed every three to seven years and are designed to ascertain if a disability beneficiary has had any medical improvement. Rarely does Social Security find that an individual has had medical improvement. Basically, medical improvement would have to be found in a person's medical records. Of course, if Social Security finds that you have had medical improvement to the point that you are capable of performing SGA, your disability benefits will be terminated. If you feel you have not improved, you are allowed to appeal your disability cessation decision. And it could be a long wait for benefits if you have to appeal it to an administrative law judge. Return to the homepage for:Social Security Disability Secrets Social Security Disability Resource Sections

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Arteriosclerosis concerns the hardening of the arteries for any reason

By Tim Moore on August 14, 2010 11:19 AM | Permalink 1. Arteriosclerosis is any disorder in which arteries, which are blood vessels that pump blood away from the heart, become hard, stiff, or less elastic. The word âarteriosclerosisâ is taken from a combination of two Greek words: arterio, which means artery, and sclerosis, which means hardening. 2. Arteriosclerosis was formerly called âmyoconditis;â however, this term is no longer used. 3. Arteriosclerosis manifests in several specific diseases, which include arteriolosclerosis, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis obliterans, and medial calcific sclerosis. A patient with arteriosclerosis may suffer from one or all of these diseases, but in different arteries. 4. Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis are frequently referred to as the same disease. However, atherosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries due specifically to cholesterol build up in the artery. Arteriosclerosis, on the other hand, concerns the hardening of the arteries for any reason. 5. The specific type of arteriosclerosis known as arteriosclerosis obliterans causes the arteries to become narrow. This can lead to tissue death known as gangrene. This disease is also known as peripheral artery disease, and often affects the legs. Elderly men are the most likely to suffer from arteriosclerosis obliterans. 6. Medial calcific sclerosis, which is also called Monckeberg's arteriosclerosis, is the form of arteriosclerosis in which arteries harden due to the build up of calcium deposits. It is more common in elderly people and those with diabetes, and is generally less harmful than other types of arteriosclerosis. Monckebergâs arteriosclerosis is named after Johann Georg Monckeberg, a German pathologist in the early 1900s. Return to the homepage for:Social Security Disability Secrets

Social Security Disability, McDonald's, and a Bad Economy

By Tim Moore on August 10, 2010 12:48 AM | Permalink Yesterday was notable in the news for at least two reasons. The first was that trading volume on Wall Street was nearly four billion shares lower than it was last year. Secondly, however, was the fact that McDonald's stock hit a lifetime high after reporting prior month sales data that was even stronger than what had been expected. I have this theory. It may be completely wrong, it may fall short of anything attempting to cloak itself as a valid theory, and maybe it's just my invalid and ill-thought opinion. But here it is. The better McDonald's does, the worse the nation does. Think about it. Food costs at the grocery store are skyrocketing (each time I go I am amazed at how much I spent and how much I did not bring home). McDonald's is cheap, and has that built-in comfort feeling that derives from decades of advertising, value dinners, and happy meals. And, quite frankly, though it may not be the healthiest stuff around (ever see the movie "Supersize Me"?), it tends to taste not so bad. In other words, McDonald's is perfectly primed to act as a barometer of how badly we're doing...or at least how badly we think we're doing. Disability claims that are filed with the social security administration also tend to go up noticeably in a bad economy. You have a plant closing in a certain area and then, poof, you begin to see significantly more disability claims being filed. I've noticed the phenomenon for many years. And its quite understandable as to why it happens. Person A works at a factory and performs a specific job function. This individual may have osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, plantar fascitis, COPD and perhaps two or three other conditions that make daily living a bowl of cherries. But...they've been doing the job for so long that its now second nature to them and they can practically do it in their sleep. In other words, they've become experts at what they do, to the extent that they can do it far easier than a new and younger recruit. In some cases, too, the individual's extreme familiarity with the job position and/or technical knowledge, borne of many hours of labor at the position may be valuable enough to the employer that they give special consideration to them. "Well, Jack's not as fast as some of the others, but no one can handle that press the way he does". Then the plant closes and Jack is out of a job. And suddenly the weight of his various conditions becomes more because he cannot transfer his years of work experience with a specific job function, or within a specific work environment, to something else. And, certainly, in some cases, the task of trying to find new work is made even more difficult by the fact that many employers do not want to give him a chance due to his age or conditions, fearing that he A) may be more difficult to train, B) may have outdated skills, C) may be more likely to file a worker's compensation or long term disability insurance claim, or D) may contribute to higher group health insurance rates. A bad economy is bad for everyone. But it tends to be even worse for individual's with severe conditions. And, because of the scenarios I've just described, a bad economy can take an individual out of the "working" category and put them into the "disability benefit" category. However, a bad economy does seem to be fairly good for companies like McDonalds. And, though I haven't checked their stock, I would not be surprised if the same holds true for Walmart as well. Return to the homepage for:Social Security Disability Secrets Social Security Disability Resource Sections

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Early Diagnosis For Dementia and Treating it Sooner

By Tim Moore on August 6, 2010 10:45 AM | Permalink Dementia is a loss of brain function, usually found in people over 60, that usually begins with simple forgetfulness. It is most often caused by strokes and Alzheimerâs disease, but can also be caused by low B12, thyroid conditions, infections, metabolic issues, brain tumors and other causes. A long-term study held by doctors at Oxford University might have some clues as to how to find early signs of dementia and in turn, help diagnose and treat dementia sooner. This is great news, especially since many people do not realize they have dementia until extensive brain tissue is lost, and the earlier dementia is treated the more effective the results of the treatment. There is no cure, but treatment can help to control symptoms and allow those with dementia to live more productive, fulfilling lives. The study was held over a 20-year span and involved over 240 healthy seniors. The researchers used language tests and memory tests to measure the cognition of their volunteers and tests that measure their thinking abilities. They found that they could recognize early symptoms through subtle clues such as lower learning, recall, and language expression. Researchers found that these mild cognitive impairments definitely hinted at pre-dementia. Those who scored lower on the tests also deteriorated quicker. Even though the signs were mild, they were still measurable. Some early warning signs of dementia included forgetting the name of common everyday items, not being able to define common words, and having a hard time remembering the words they wanted to use. Some people start using simpler words and reduce their vocabulary. Researchers are excited at the thought of being able to make an early detection on mild cognitive memory problems that might turn into dementia. This early detection could increase the effectiveness of treatment and even help improve prevention and drug testing. Return to the homepage for:Social Security Disability Secrets Social Security Disability Resource Sections

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Social Security and Average Life Expectancy

By Tim Moore on August 3, 2010 4:01 AM | Permalink Now and then, there is discussion about upping the minimum retirement age for social security. Usually, this occurs as a proposed cost-saving measure. However, the efficacy of this is doubtful since, as many have pointed out, if you increase the retirement age, you inevitably just get more disability claims; after all, many people "wear out" as a result of arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and a whole host of age-related degenerative processes. Nonetheless, this got me thinking about the issue of life expectancy in general. Average life expectancy is the average number of years that one can be expected to live. It can be calculated from any age, although it is usually based on the age at which 50 percent of the population of a certain geographical area has died. There is no âaverage life expectancyâ that can be given to a person without taking many factors into consideration. The criteria used to determine average life expectancy includes gender, race, what country you live in, and the different factors involved in the area you live in, such as diet, prevalent diseases, war, medical care, and public health. Even your financial state and standard of living has a bit to do with your life expectancy. That being said, for the United States, the overall general life expectancy is 78.1. This varies and if you are male it is lower, around 75.65, while the average life expectancy for women in America is 80.69. Average life expectancy in the U. S. seems to be continually rising. The global life expectancy age is, understandably, lower at 63 years â with males having an average life expectancy of 61, while women have an age of 65. However, around the world the age that one is expected to live on average can vary greatly. For instance, in 2008 it was estimated that the average life expectancy for Japan was 81 years, while a country in Southern Africa called Swaziland (or Ngwane) only has an average life expectancy of 40 years. Now, with that out of the way, can you really use "average life expectancy" in a meaningful way to determine disability and retirement benefit policy? Not fairly. 1. By the time many individuals get to their fifties and sixties, their bodies are, for lack of better words, shot. There are a few individuals in this age range that are doing much better than their peers. But it all depends on genetics and environment. 2. Genetics are a little beyond our control, of course, though the study of epigenetics suggests we can attempt to overcome the bounds of our DNA. 3. Environment, for many of us, is somewhat beyond our control as well. Why? Because environment, for the sake of this discussion, includes diet and work environment. Diet, as in having a good diet that leads to good health, tends to be expensive. Fruits and vegetables simply cost more than McDonald's. And work environment, as in hard, labor-oriented work environments versus desk-bound jobs, is often a factor of education and other opportunities that are afforded to some, but certainly not to all. Tying retirement and/or disability benefit policy to average life expectancy may essentially amount to rewarding those who have been luckier in life, i.e. more opportunities for education, more money for better food, and jobs that are less physically demanding. Is that fair? Many would immediately interject that life is not fair. But...many others might point out that in our system, one of the principal benefits of government is its ability to inject fairness into the fabric of society. Return to the homepage for:Social Security Disability Secrets Social Security Disability Resource Sections

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Disability Secrets: August 2010 Archives

Social Security Disability

Workers Compensation

If You Are Receiving A Social Security Disability Check Each Month In One State, Can You Move To Another State?

How Do You Avoid A Social Security Disability Overpayment?

Can Your Social Security Disability Benefits Stop?

Arteriosclerosis concerns the hardening of the arteries for any reason

Social Security Disability, McDonald's, and a Bad Economy

Early Diagnosis For Dementia and Treating it Sooner

Social Security and Average Life Expectancy

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