tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5533026746681219792010-05-12T08:19:33.321-04:00A blog by a former social security disability claims examiner about social security disability and SSI Disability issues and questions, but also general, health, and medical news.Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comBlogger424125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-71963666199111176732010-05-12T08:19:00.001-04:002010-05-12T08:19:33.409-04:00

All disability beneficiaries (both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability) have to have continuing disability reviews (CDRs) periodically.All disability claims receive a "diary" date (think of this as a schedule date) for a continuing disability review when they are approved. Most individuals receive a diary date of three years, because they have conditions that may medically

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-86178127206996133192010-04-30T10:16:00.002-04:002010-04-30T10:20:02.219-04:00

The Social Security administration uses a five step sequential evaluation process to determine if an individual meets the definition of disability under Social Security disability guidelines. The last two steps of the sequential evaluation process involve an individual’s ability to work. Social Security addresses an individual's past work in step 4 of the evaluation process. When determining past

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-74075115430676354172010-04-30T09:45:00.002-04:002010-04-30T10:12:17.070-04:00

Most SSD and SSI disability decisions are based on a perception of your residual functional capacity and how if affects your ability to perform work activity. In order to determine if you actually can perform work activity, the disability examiner or the disability judge, depending on the level your claim is at in the disability process, need to have information about the various jobs you have

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-36500235047162621302010-04-29T09:04:00.002-04:002010-04-29T09:13:40.187-04:00

If an individual is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability, they are not qualified to receive Medicare insurance coverage until they reach the age of sixty-five years old. SSI is a disability program that is based on need rather than insured status. Consequently, SSI beneficiaries are not entitled to receive Medicare benefits based upon disability, because they are not insured

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-28060549139830912652010-04-28T16:40:00.001-04:002010-04-28T16:41:48.035-04:00

All Social Security and Supplemental Security disability beneficiaries have periodic disability case reviews. When an individual’s disability claim is approved for disability benefits, a medical diary is set up. Once an individual has their first "diaried" continuing disability review, another review diary is set for the next, subsequent continuing disability review. Social Security establishes

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-56298080003310155072010-04-27T14:52:00.002-04:002010-04-27T14:58:47.995-04:00

When it comes to social security disability and SSI disability, any condition may potentially be considered disabling. Social Security’s definition of disability basically states that any medically determinable mental or physical condition that has prevented an individual from performing substantial gainful employment (SGA) for twelve months, or is expected to prevent an individual from

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-91671983144667114382010-04-27T10:37:00.002-04:002010-04-27T10:45:36.413-04:00

Insured status for SSD, or social security disability benefits depends upon two things: fully insured status and disability insured status. Social Security insured status depends completely upon QCs, or quarters of coverage (a.k.a. work credits) for both fully insured and disability insured status. To be fully insured, you need at least one quarter of coverage for each year after the year you

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-26786535335845032942010-04-25T11:46:00.003-04:002010-04-25T15:34:01.558-04:00

No individual receives both Social Security retirement and disability benefits at the same time.  There may be some confusion when individuals who are retirement age file for disability simultaneously with retirement, or they are receiving retirement and file for disability. Social Security rules do allow an individual to receive retirement checks while waiting for their disability decision. If

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-58013507247424282112010-04-10T10:11:00.000-04:002010-04-10T10:29:46.526-04:00

All Social Security Disability recipients can receive Medicare coverage two years after the first month they are eligible for their monthly disability benefits. This does not mean that every individual who is approved for social security disability will necessarily have to wait two years for their medicare coverage, however, because if the claimant's established onset date is far enough back,

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-37914667948292930942010-04-03T15:54:00.006-04:002010-04-10T10:10:16.108-04:00

Social Security disability determinations are made as inexpensively as possible. Millions of individuals file for disability each year so Social Security has to keep developmental expenses down for each disability case.Social Security likes to have a twelve month longitudinal medical history and current medical treatment records from treating medical sources to make their disability determination

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-19610652682848279552010-03-28T20:29:00.003-04:002010-03-28T20:41:59.983-04:00

Social Security disability decisions can be based upon older and newer medical records. Ideally, Social Security likes to have all records when making a disability determination because disability examiners can get a better picture of an individual’s disabling condition if there is a complete medical treatment history available to them. Older versus newer medical recordsOlder medical records help

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-39041447549476981602010-03-19T12:14:00.001-04:002010-03-19T12:19:16.836-04:00

Social Security does not require that an individual have a lawyer for their disability hearing. In fact, Social Security allows an individual to represent himself or herself, or choose any other person (regardless of knowledge or competency) to represent them at their disability hearing. However, disability applicants should take into account that their disability hearing may be their very best

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-29688542827055151382010-03-13T08:15:00.002-05:002010-03-13T08:26:04.458-05:00

Social Security disability benefits eligibility is dependent upon both medical and work factors. Even if an individual has a significant disabling condition, their disability claim may be denied. Or, if they are receiving disability benefits, their benefits may terminate if they earn too much. Social Security disability uses the term “substantial gainful activity” to describe an earnings amount

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-38808791650295558202010-03-09T14:18:00.002-05:002010-03-09T14:23:20.642-05:00

Social Security disability is a federal disability program that has uniform rules and regulations which determine factors of entitlement, how medical decisions are processed, and how benefit amounts are determined. In fact, Social Security has to make all things uniform to ensure that all disabled individuals receive a fair disability determination no matter where they live in the country.Social

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-18725236179896966752010-03-07T12:12:00.001-05:002010-03-07T12:17:05.374-05:00

Many people think that Social Security disability is just for individuals who have no assets or income, and that having a home or money prevents them from being eligible to receive disability benefits from Social Security. However, Social Security disability is not a need based disability program; it is based upon an individual’s earnings over their lifetime prior to becoming disabled and the

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-51180268964063703492010-02-25T09:05:00.001-05:002010-02-25T09:10:56.457-05:00

Social Security does not deny any individual the right to apply for disability; consequently, an individual can apply for disability even if their husband or wife gets disability. However, Social Security manages two disability programs: one based upon insured status and the other based upon need. If an individual is insured for Social Security disability, it does not matter if their husband or

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-76401517667605557462010-02-21T13:56:00.001-05:002010-02-21T14:11:51.535-05:00

Here's a recent question: "How Long Does It Take To Get An Answer For Disability From Social Security, It’s Been Two Months?"Unfortunately, there is no hard rule as to how long Social Security has to make a decision on a disability claim. Social Security strives to meet processing time goals; however there are times when disability claims take longer. Generally, Social Security would like for all

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-626132284193591542010-02-17T15:04:00.001-05:002010-02-17T15:30:03.624-05:00

This is a fairly common concern. However, the answer is no. You should not be worried if you have to attend what is known as a CE, or consultative examination, otherwise known as a social security disability medical exam.As a disability examiner working on social security disability and SSI claims, I found that a fairly high percentage of the cases I processed required the scheduling of a medical

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-23392832463367594422010-02-14T22:04:00.002-05:002010-02-17T09:27:35.614-05:00

Neuropathy is a medical label that describes a group of neurological disorders of the peripheral nervous system not the central nervous system. Peripheral neuropathy is described as an unbalanced function and arrangement of the peripheral motor sensory and autonomic neurons. An individual's symptoms depend upon the affected nerves: automonomic, motor or sensory and where they are located within

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-60123107697355361152010-02-14T21:52:00.002-05:002010-02-17T09:25:27.970-05:00

Competent lawyers will try to establish the earliest possible onset date that is supported by the available medical evidence of record. It makes for a stronger case and it fulfills their responsibility to their client. It can also make a difference for medicare coverage if the case is title II (social security disability, not SSI) since a two year waiting period has to be served following the

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-64619496968334505982010-02-09T22:08:00.001-05:002010-02-09T22:17:57.152-05:00

If for some odd reason, it's been your habit to visit this blog, you may have noticed that the post rate has dropped somewhat recently. Well, in roughly six weeks the post rate will drop even more precipitously...to zero. Why? Let me explain why it was that I even began this blog. Several years ago, I decided to experiment with blogging and set up my still-running blog, "My Disability Blog" on

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-28906214731083760632010-02-09T19:20:00.004-05:002010-02-10T00:05:03.571-05:00

"I am disabled, will that be affected if I get married?"Anonymous, Whether or not your benefits will be affected by marriage really depends upon what type of disability benefit you receive from Social Security. Adult Disabled ChildIf you are an adult disabled child who is receiving disability benefits based upon a parent or parents records, your disability benefits may terminate with marriage.If

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-65835091494616191622010-01-27T20:48:00.002-05:002010-01-27T20:55:02.842-05:00

"After my 9 month work window has depleted, what happens with my family's benefits next?"Kest,The nine month trial work period is a time that an individual can earn over the SGA limit and not have it affect their ability to receive a disability check. Remember, that nine month period does not have to be continuous, but can occur at any time in a rolling five year period. Your disability benefit

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-87903199893410217772010-01-22T11:07:00.004-05:002010-01-22T11:20:42.212-05:00

Individuals who experience debilitating migraines have a difficult time being approved for Social Security disability and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits. Social Security has no specific impairment listing for migraines (in the listing of impairments referred to as the blue book). That means that individuals with migraines have their symptoms and residual functional capacity--

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-49883741764422055822010-01-18T09:59:00.003-05:002010-01-18T10:20:49.543-05:00

I was quite amazed at the response that I found at a forum for this question.“An attorney will only help out with paperwork. That may be worthwhile as they know how things should be worded for SSA to be able to understand how disabled the individual is. My child is blind and we have filed two times and have been turned down two times. Each time the soc sec office was full of people that seemed

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.com