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Social Security
I have found some great info in regards to getting your Social Security Benefits. I hope you will check them out. Select below You can find this and more information at http://www.ssa.gov/ I encourage you to check out their site. Click here for Disability Help for Filing Claims. They also have a Brochure you can download by Clicking here. It contains Frequently Asked Questions About Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income.
Click here for the last chat session concerning SS benefits.
Mark, I sent Karen my thoughts on ways to help yourself when in financial trouble. I did not want to post it. I felt it was too far off the subject but was needed info for the group. If you feel this can help please post it. I was thinking as a side link to the SSI Disability ? Michael Gay Florida State Rep Click here so check out Micheal's letter
Here is some great Info from Kaye on how to obtain Social Security Disability. Her letter is as follows: Hello to all: I have been reading the stories you all have been writing about the horrors of the SS Disability system. My heart goes out to each and every one who has to go through this mess. In October of 1998 I applied for SS disability and was approved in about two weeks. I sent Tull a letter asking if I could share what I did with you all. It may not work for you but then again it might. I believe anytime you can obtain SS disability yourself and keep it out of the attorneys hands is a plus so here goes: 1. I called the SS disability office to set up an appointment. 2. I made sure I had EVERY medical records pertaining to this disease in my possession. 3. I went to my doctors and obtained letters of disability MYSELF to include with my application. 4. I called my "state representative" to get him involved BEFORE I ever applied for SS. That means they will send you a form to fill out giving them permission to investigate your case. You keep a copy of that form and also submit that when you APPLY. Also when you send the form back to the representative giving permission to look into your case, send copies of the letters from your doctors with it for the rep to read. 5. I wrote a cover letter explaining to the SS disability board exactly why I was eligible for disability in as much medical depth as I could. How this disease had affected my work, why I could not work etc. 6. On the day of the interview, I took all of my medical records...in my case about 1000 pages. I also left that much in the car "just in case." What was in the car was not necessary but if you need the "paper" you have it. They cannot refuse to take your records. 7. DO NOT LET THESE PEOPLE INTIMIDATE YOU. Be polite but firm. In my case the person who took my application was young, probably in her late 20s. Right off the bat, she gave me the attitude of being some kind of "deadbeat" applying for SS. Very politely but firmly I told her I would not sit and be criticized and that I expected her to be professional. Immediately she changed her attitude and we got along very well and still do on occasion when I have to get in contact with her. I applied for my SS on October 30 1998, was approved on November 13 and received 12 months back pay on December 1, 1998. I was as surprised as you all must be me telling you this. The point of all of this is the following: One reason SS claims take so long is that the hospitals and doctors offices delay sending out your medical records to them and they get tired of waiting for them. Having worked in the capacity of being on the end of sending out records, we were told to "throw SS requests in the trash because SS will send another one". Sometimes SS sends up to 6 requests before they either deny or they get your medical records. It goes the same way for attorneys, we were told to ignore those requests also. As far as getting your state rep involved the point of that is this: Why wait until you have been denied once? If you can send them the form that shows you have already contacted your state rep then SS sees this as a step you have not waited to take. Also if you get your docs to write your disability letters for you to include in your application that takes care of the delay caused by SS waiting on physician letters. Keeping copies of your medical records is obvious. But, you need to know what to ask for when asking for your medical records. I suggest the following things to ask for from each hospital admission: 1. Your history and physical (H&P). 2. Any and all consultations (Con) These are reports dictated by physicians other than your primary who admitted you that saw you; i.e.: GI doc, hematologist, surgeon or whatever. 3. Any and all operative reports or procedure notes. 4. Any and all radiology (x-ray) reports or procedures. ERCPs are handled by the radiology department. So are some Broviac placements (unless done by a surgeon and then they are an operative report), PICC line placements, etc. If you know the exact name of the procedure request it by name, i.e. ERCP report, upper GI endoscopy report, HIDA scan, Broviac placement, whatever. 5. Any and all laboratory reports. 6. You discharge summary. This is a summary of your hospital course while you were there. But do not use the discharge summary to take the place of all of these other reports because it is not usually in depth and doesn't cover all of the above. All charts have to have a history and physical and discharge summary. It almost must have a dictated report of any operations/procedures you have had (if any), all consultations (being seen by another specialty), reports of all radiology tests, procedures, etc. If it was less than 30 days between admissions I believe they can use the history and physical from the last chart. As far as getting your medical records, they cannot deny you those records. But make sure when you fill out the request, you list specifically as I have told you above the reports you want. They do have the right to charge you. But if you are going to take them to another doctor they usually don't....if you get my drift. Always keep copies for yourself. I got two phone calls from SS in the two weeks it took for them to approve me and both calls were "courtesy, dumb question calls". It was like they were picking for something to ask. They didn't really have anything to ask. They asked me questions like What is the first thing you do in when you get up in the morning....my answer go sit in the rocking chair with my cup of tea. Then they proceeded to ask me where in the house is your rocking chair! To me that was a unnecessary question. I answered it but I also called my state representatives office and told them what had happened. They asked me to document it and send it to them; that SS had no business asking those kinds of questions. I cannot guarantee this will work for you but this is what I did. I would think that if you were turned down once and appealed you could go about it the same way. Anything you can do to get it you should if no more than to keep that money you would be paying an attorney. It is no big secret and I think SS wants to scare people and get them to "give up". We just have to be one step ahead! I hope this helps someone. If you have any questions feel free. Wishing you a good pancreas day! Kaye
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