| Does your government really care if you are disabled? | | | | the administration currently sitting in office. So, do they |
| That's a question that is becoming more and worthy | | | | care? Do they really care about those |
| of the public's consideration.Recently, I was on the | | | | who are least able to assist themselves?I would have |
| phone with a disability claimant who needs to have his | | | | to say no. They do not.I will leave you with this |
| reconsideration filed and I asked him if he had been | | | | anecdote: about 2 years ago I tried to assist one |
| seen by any doctors recently. He gave the all too | | | | particular claimant whose situation was quite miserable. |
| common answer: "No, I haven't been able to go. My | | | | He had no access to medical care and his living |
| insurance ran out a long time ago".This is a very | | | | conditions were beyond the pale. To try to help him, I |
| common situation. And I've heard it so much that I've | | | | contacted the following agencies in his city (not my |
| become somewhat desensitived to it. But...if you really | | | | own area of operation): the salvation army, catholic |
| think about it, these situations (which ARE extremely | | | | social ministries, and urban ministries.Want to know |
| common) are horrendous.Let me put on my examiner | | | | what I was told? They were out of funds. THIS WAS |
| caseworker hat for a moment. The disability system is | | | | IN FEBRUARY OF THAT YEAR.So, what does that |
| set up so that the prospect of being approved for | | | | say about the federal administration's notions of |
| disability weighs entirely on a claimants medical | | | | faith-based charities taking up the slack from the |
| records. And not just on medical records, but on | | | | government cutting back: that it is essentially useless |
| recent records (aside from closed periods).Well, ding | | | | and disingenuous rhetoric.In addition to being a former |
| ding ding (wake up bureaucrats, politicians, and | | | | disability examiner, I used to be a food stamp |
| red-tape functionaries), if the process for | | | | caseworker, medicaid caseworker, and an afdc |
| eventually---we hope---getting approved for disability | | | | worker, and I can tell you unequivocally that private |
| benefits can take up to 3 | | | | charities |
| years (I'm not pulling that number out of a rabbit hat | | | | will never be able to fill any gap left behind by the |
| either----just call any attorney or non attorney | | | | feds, but that's another conversation.Now, why this |
| practicing in the raleigh north carolina area and they will | | | | article? Because there are changes in the works that |
| sullenly confirm this | | | | while masquerading as reform of the social security |
| information), then how can a claimant be expected to | | | | disability system...will actually make the system more |
| have decent medical record documentation by the | | | | hostile to disabled benefit applicants.Chew on this as a |
| time they get to a hearing (a destination most cases | | | | parting thought. The people who are trying to "reform" |
| will arrive at)?Answer: an unacceptably large | | | | social security disability are the same people who tried |
| percentage of claimants won't (I typically tell people to | | | | to (or are trying to, as the case may be):1. bust the |
| seek out a county health department, free clinic, or | | | | federal employees unions (and have to some extent |
| even go the ER, if need be---but's let be honest, that | | | | succeeded),2. altered regulations regarding overtime |
| doesn't take the place of records generated via an | | | | compensation in a way that was clearly hostile to |
| ongoing treating physician relationship).Now, before I go | | | | workers,3. are trying to limit the ability of mesothelioma |
| on any further, I acknowledge the notion that the | | | | victims to seek compensation (the sick part part about |
| disability system is not responsible in any way, shape, | | | | this is that mesothelioma has an incubation period of up |
| or form for facilitating a claimant's access to medical | | | | to 40 years following exposure to asbestos fibers and |
| care while a case is pending in order to substantiate a | | | | the diagnosis itself is a literal death sentence----no one |
| claim (i.e. ensure that records are in place to support | | | | survives, even following a pneumonectomy).And these |
| allegations of disability). | | | | are just a few things.So, to address the question we |
| But, even for those claimants who had mainstream | | | | began with: does your government really care if you |
| employer-provided health insurance, COBRA only lasts | | | | become disabled and need immediate benefit |
| 18 months.So, when the process can last 2 or 3 years, | | | | assistance to avoid falling into a financial abyss? |
| where does that leave claimants? In a bad way, | | | | Perhaps to some extent...but, unfortunately, I would |
| without a doubt. Not only are they put in the position of | | | | have to say, not particularly much.The author of this |
| finding it difficult to document their impairments----to | | | | article is Timothy Moore, who, in addition to being a |
| add insult to injury their conditions will sometimes | | | | former food stamp caseworker, medicaid caseworker |
| worsen as a result of having inadquate access to | | | | and AFDC caseworker, is a former disability claims |
| medical care.Now, back to the headline of this post. | | | | examiner. |
| THESE HUGE WAIT TIMES came into effect under | | | | |