Social Security Disability and News Reporters

Here's a link to a story about a woman who was denied for social security disability, despite the fact that she has terminal cervical cancer.

What's interesting about the story is this: individuals who file for disability and have terminal conditions usually don't get denied for disability. Back when I was a disability examiner for social security, that type of case was identified as a TERI case before it even hit an examiner's desk. Now, under what is left of the DSI program (disability service improvement) that was canceled, a QDD unit (quick disability decision) should have been able to flag the case and get it approved in quicker time.

It's always possible, of course, that, the medical records for a claimant can say one thing at one point, and then later illustrate a much greater level of severity. That's simply because A) medical conditions can worsen over time and B) doctors, as they run testing and scans, will discover that a condition is worse than initially thought.

Even having said that, though, I have personally seen cases where individuals were denied disability benefits, and then died while they were in the processing of filing a disability appeal. And, to me, that's pretty much positive proof that someone dropped the ball when they were working on a social security disability or SSI disability claim.

If you read the article, you'll see that the news team "got the SSA to mark her case as 'critical'". Perhaps they're talking about having pointed out that this case should have been designed as TERI (terminal illness). If so, someone definitely flubbed up at social security.


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