tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5533026746681219792010-01-27T21:06:01.769-05:00A 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.comBlogger402125tag: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.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-49637748457487325032010-01-15T11:11:00.001-05:002010-01-15T11:25:07.320-05:00

Supplemental Security Income or SSI is a federally funded need-based disability program that pays a set, monthly, monetary amount. The SSI disability benefit provided by the Federal Government is the same in all states. However, there are states in which SSI recipients receive higher benefit amounts. The reason some SSI recipients receive a higher disability payment is that some states offer an

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-40072592137085699022010-01-09T17:59:00.002-05:002010-01-09T18:04:16.188-05:00

Someone recently commented that they contacted the disability examiner working on their case and were told that everything was essentially done and that the examiner was simply waiting on the results of a consultative examination that the claimant had been required to go to. The individual asked (I'm paraphrasing): "How long does it take to get a decision after you go to an exam?"It's difficult

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-90074207465728218462010-01-03T20:48:00.001-05:002010-01-03T21:08:02.974-05:00

I recently came across this question in a disability forums: ”I applied for Social Security disability ninety days ago and have not heard anything, what does it mean?”The Social Security disability decision-making process generally takes some time. It is not unusual for an individual to apply for disability and not hear anything for ninety days or even quite longer in many states. Social

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-12294603893423133022009-12-29T07:08:00.002-05:002009-12-29T07:15:12.167-05:00

Social Security disability decisions are based upon two factors: mental and/or physical impairments and work history. The definition of disability for Social Security holds that a mental or physical impairment is disabling if it is one that is severe enough to have prevented an individual from working for the past twelve months, can be expected to prevent them from working for twelve months, or

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-24819122665672956722009-12-24T18:22:00.007-05:002009-12-25T07:30:49.144-05:00

Social Security looks for medical records from acceptable medical sources and, accordingly, documentation of the existence of physical and mental impairments must come from “acceptable medical sources”. Once impairments are documented (on a disability claim), Social Security will consider all evidence, both medical and non-medical, to assess the severity of an individual’s disabling impairment(s)

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-21312766875288493632009-12-20T16:41:00.005-05:002009-12-20T16:55:17.537-05:00

The Social Security disability process does not give enough consideration to how debilitating back injuries can be. Individuals who have back injuries usually suffer from a lot of pain in addition to physical limitations that affect multiple aspects of their daily lives. This kind of pain and lack of mobility often leads to other problems such as depression and anxiety.Additionally, there does

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-9529840470115560752009-12-20T16:38:00.000-05:002009-12-20T16:39:43.296-05:00

1) Glaucoma is not a disease by itself, but refers to a group of optic nerve diseases. There are many different types of glaucoma, but several specific classifications, such as primary, developmental, secondary, and absolute. It can also be divided up into two major categories, closed-angle and open-angle.2) If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to untreatable damage to the visual field and

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-78711750139837073892009-12-14T16:41:00.001-05:002009-12-14T16:43:36.194-05:00

There is no exact wait time for disability benefit checks once an individual has won their disability case. In a sense, disability claims are as individual as the people who file them. There are things that affect the amount of time it takes to pay someone their disability benefits, though, once they have been approved. If an individual is approved at their initial disability claim or the

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-32378197224804596182009-12-14T15:35:00.002-05:002009-12-14T15:46:25.054-05:00

The federal budget numbers have certainly changed in the last 46 years: In 1962, defense spending was about 50 percent of the federal budget and Social Security was about 15 percent. Now, defense spending is 20 percent of the federal budget and Social Security and Medicare make up about 37 percent of the budget. Why the change in numbers? A new study set out to determine whether aging seniors are

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-54046441512081923382009-12-10T15:23:00.001-05:002009-12-10T15:26:29.567-05:00

When a claimant applies for disability benefits with the social security administration, there is a statistical likelihood that their claim will be denied (60-70 percent of disability application are denied, and an even higher percentage of reconsideration appeals are also denied).Why are social security disability and SSI disability claims denied? In some cases, this occurs for reasons that have

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-74950646118312665282009-12-05T17:24:00.003-05:002009-12-05T17:38:58.085-05:00

Unfortunately, you may or may not have coverage for medicare immediately available to you when you finally win your social security disability case. This is because the social security disability program has something known as the 24 month waiting period for medicare. In many instances, of course, due to---A) how long a disability claim has been in the system (from initial application all the way

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-10621818298830597432009-12-03T10:28:00.003-05:002009-12-03T10:51:32.883-05:00

The Social Security definition of disability allows disability benefits to be paid when a mental or medical condition has A) prevented an individual from engaging in substantial and gainful work activity for twelve months, B) can be expected to prevent such work activity for twelve months, or C) may result in death.Obviously, one of the chief components of the Social Security decisional process

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-69614541897660660102009-11-27T11:02:00.002-05:002009-11-27T11:06:24.795-05:00

Social Security is a total disability program, which means that you can only earn so much money and still be able to be considered eligible to apply for Social Security disability benefits. The definition of disability for Social Security requires that an applicant has been unable to work at a substantial gainful work activity level for the past twelve months, or expects to be unable to work at

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-70597255028368234952009-11-23T10:25:00.002-05:002009-11-23T10:54:13.668-05:00

Generally, individuals who have only SSI disability claims are those who A) have not worked much in recent years, B) have not worked at all, such as minor-age children, and C) individuals who worked but did not work enough to be insured for title 2 social security disability benefits. SSI, otherwise known as Supplemental Security Income disability, is a need based disability program that does not

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-19719832870250587442009-11-15T11:16:00.003-05:002009-11-15T11:31:14.638-05:00

If you apply for disability benefits from the social security administration, either under the SSI or social security disability program, there will be a good chance that your claim will be denied at the initial claim (aka disability application) level. Not to sound morose, but, statistically, that's simply how it plays out for the majority of all individuals filing disability claims.If you get

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-65102742096738962112009-11-11T19:47:00.003-05:002009-11-11T20:01:42.456-05:00

An anonymous individual recently left the following scenario and questions in a comment on another post. Here is the comment along with a response immediately following."I joined the Navy in 1972. Soon after i enlisted, I was drinking heavily and was discharged ( General Discharge ) for unsuitability because of drinking, I was not drinking before I went in the service. I have been in and out of

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-83895203489900880152009-11-09T08:10:00.003-05:002009-11-09T08:38:39.123-05:00

Someone under the name of "anonymous" recently left this comment and question. The comment itself was lost but I have reposted it here along with a response."I am a living donor, (liver) in 2002. After 7years, i was hospitalized for a diaphragmatic hernia (severe) due to the donation. After some time for healing, (6 months or so) i started having severe pain again in the upper right quad of my

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-49150289840402208372009-11-04T09:31:00.003-05:002009-11-04T09:40:34.353-05:00

There are basically two types of disability application denials: technical and medical. If a disability application is denied for technical reasons, the application will never be sent for a medical determination. Technical denials include lack of insured status denials, performance of SGA denials, and res judicata denials. The first type 1. Lack of insured status denial- A disability denial that

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-79204312842405378132009-10-29T15:56:00.005-04:002009-10-29T16:18:20.109-04:00

From the standpoint of the social security administration, disability is synonymous with the inability to engage in work activity; in other words, an individual's state of disability begins when they become unable to perform substantial gainful work activity due to the effects of a disabling condition or conditions. However, and this can be confusing for applicants, this does not necessarily mean

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-6976381302658511292009-10-27T14:37:00.003-04:002009-10-27T14:52:43.000-04:00

If I get disability benefits, will my family or kids get benefits?. Well, FMAX or family max, is all the money that is payable on an individual's record. From the FMAX amount, the disabled individual must be paid their benefit (PIA). The remainder, if there is, any will be divided amongst their dependents.The most a dependent beneficiary can be paid is one half of the disabled individual's PIA.

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-62299056824316654032009-10-24T10:20:00.002-04:002009-10-24T10:34:15.386-04:00

Social Security disability is available to an individual even if they have received disability benefits in the past. Many individuals receive disability benefits more than one time in their life, especially if they suffer from some chronic medical and/or mental condition (s).Contrary to what many mistakenly believe, Social Security disability benefits do not replace an individual’s total income,

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553302674668121979.post-64451567777919650592009-10-21T11:08:00.002-04:002009-10-21T11:14:01.594-04:00

If you only have old medical source records when you apply for disability, Social Security will still request the old records. Social Security prefers to have at least twelve months of records to establish a longitudinal medical history for your physical and/or mental impairment (s); however, current medical treatment records (medical records that are no more than ninety days old) are also needed

Dnewsnoreply@blogger.com