Filing for disability

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I understand what you are going thru. I still have papers to take into medicaid. If that doesn't go thru with all the paperwork they need. I'm dead.
 
Yesterday was my one year anniversary for filing. I have a long history of seizures and medical documentation. I was of course denied the first time then the 2nd time and now I am at the alj stage. They sent me a cd with all my medical records and drs notes.

One of my problems imho is that I'd mostly been to ER's. Because I didn't have insurance I was often seen by an income based clinic who just kept refilling the seizure meds the er dr had ordered and I didn't have history with a neurologist.

The other thing I saw once I read every single file on that cd is that 99% of the er drs commented something like this:

*Female brought to er by ambulance with jerking, spasms, etc. She's probably a drunk or on drugs. Husband/family member states she's had seizures in the past. Ordered tox tests.

*Tox reports come back neg. And I kid you not, one doctor actually wrote, "It's impossible that the tox report shows negative for drug use, this patient is clearly an addict."

My alcohol levels were always negative also.

Anyways, now that I have insurance and since I've been let go from so many jobs from having seizures at work anddddddddddd because I had a steady work history on file from age 15-38...I...

*have kept a seizure activity journal for quite a while now
*I have eegs, mri's, my neurologists experiments and diagnosis on me
*And now I have an epileptologist who has been doing the medicine experiment and we're scheduling one of those week long inpatient seizure invoking eegs on me - /joy

Hopefully I will hear something in the next couple of years. The legal assistant says I won't have a hearing until the end of the year maybe the beginning of next year.

From everything I've heard or read it takes years, although some do get processed quicker than others.

Good luck and hopefully it won't be so bad! :)
 
I have a longer history of dealing with anxiety and depression verses epilepsy but since the diagnosis my anxiety and depression are even worse. I think what might hurt me is that I was never hospitalized because of it. Not b/c I didn't need to be but b/c I was too embarrassed to ask for help so I would suffer and just remain housebound while going through a bad patch. Even now I avoid going out unless I have too and if I do have to leave for a doctor appt. I am a mess leading up to it. If I HAD to get a job tomorrow I couldn't do it. Knowing that I had to leave the house would be too much for me. Plus I'm not suppose to drive unless I have to and that is in my file from my neuro dr. I guess I will just keep my fingers crossed. I just started this process so I'm sure it will be a long journey.
 
I can understand what you are going through - talking about staying home I use to be a people person, I ddn't if it was WL-Mart. I justed wanted to be around some people.

Now I don't want to leave for Dr. appt. , church, dinner w/friends

I think I'm mostly scared for falling w/ the shaking.

But tomorrow is a new day - hope it will be a good one.
 
NeuroNotes said:
This was in the news today:

>Social Security disability on verge of insolvency

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. =/
Click to expand...

That news irks me for a few reasons. First being that my Dad is a terminal cancer patient and has worked and paid into ss since he was 12 years old (back then employers didn't check your age and he looked older than he was) and even though he was claim was handled quickly, he is forced to pay $1000 every month as a share of cost for his medical care and given $400 a month to live on which doesn't even cover half of the prescriptions he needs and with no other income I'm holding bake sales to get him the care he needs just to have chemo! This is outrageous! We aren't given a choice to exclude ss from being deducted from our checks, I believe we, as Americans are being ripped off! Why pay into benefits that are close to impossible to get and when you do get em they find ways to rip you off! now they claim its going to run out of money. Ok, not only do I want my money back, I want my hubby to stop paying into it bcuz its benefits he will never get to use!
Onto rant #2...I just got my denial letter yesterday. Now I was expecting this and although I do have an atty to fight for me I was still mad about a few things. First off, I was asked to give a list of ALL my doctors and they based their opinions on doctors I had only used a few times. My general anxiety disorder is not disabling. My epilepsy, although NOT controlled is being monitored by a skilled physician and I should take extra care to NOT put myself into a position that could trigger my seizures! And last but not least, my fibromyalgia was discussed but never formally evaluated! If it was not formally evaluated then why was I put on medication for it?! Medication I can NOT take cuz it triggers seizures! I swear these people are STUPID!! ok I'm done!
 
What a wonderful daughter you are

Marlena, I'm so sorry to read about your Dad's illness and that you were denied the first time around. :( Seems that this is part of their protocol, and it does appear that they want you to get discouraged and give up the fight. I'm glad you have some representation, and I hope you get better news on the second go around.

67.gif
 
My opinion of all this and I did have cancer is that they will not take him off of medicaid. Some people they will.But durring the time that he needs his kemo or really expensive meds. His dr. should help him get funds immediatly. Get the dr, the councelor, from the hospital. They should be doing every thing financially they can to help you. They know you don't need this added stress. Miracles and tons of blessings on you and your family. Love Teresa
 
stilldancing_98 said:
My opinion of all this and I did have cancer is that they will not take him off of medicaid. Some people they will.But durring the time that he needs his kemo or really expensive meds. His dr. should help him get funds immediatly. Get the dr, the councelor, from the hospital. They should be doing every thing financially they can to help you. They know you don't need this added stress. Miracles and tons of blessings on you and your family. Love Teresa
Click to expand...
First of all thank you so much. They haven't taken him off Medicaid, they just gave him a really high share of cost. We've fought for the past to months to get it changed or lowered but his worker is refusing to do it. He goes to a cancer treatment center that is 90% Medicaid and they're saying their hands are tied until his monthly share of cost is met. He was in the ER two weeks ago and Medicaid refused to have him admitted. Despite doctors recommendations! His white count was 3xs what should've been. No one is willing to step up. It's frustrating cuz I can only argue so much. I gotta try to raise the money.$1000 by September 1st so he can have surgery to get his chemo port or he can't continue chemo. We had an advocate call the hospital to see if they would donate the surgery but they didn't call her back.*smh*
 
Seems to me that part of the problem of soc sec running out of money is due to Title four of the social security act..originally intended for abandoned children decades ago,there has been a shift recently.Google it and you will see.For every dollar paid in child support,the collecting agency{state or county I dont know}receives TWICE that in federal funds out of socsec funds as an incentive.I personally receive between 6 and 12 hundred per month from my ex,so that drains that fund up to 2400 every month and we all know plenty of people in this country that pay support!Thats alot of money that could be used to help people who deserve socsec benefits rather than an incentive to get people to do the jobs were already paying them to do-JMHO
 
Received an interesting bit of information today...
I was having a rough spell not only with seizures and med adjustments but the Epilepsy center billing department canceled my veeg earlier this month because we were unable to pay the entire copay up front. I asked to make payment arrangements on it. They blatently said no!

I finally decided to contact an attorney to handle all of this disability stuff and of the 3 I called last week none had called me back.

I finally received some hospital records from 2007 I'd been waiting for and called the legal asst contact person for my hearing judge. She is nice, said to please send in the forms and she'd add them to my file. She said no update on the hearing date, but transferred me to the hearing date person. Got voice mail and I left a message not expecting a return call.

She called! She told me that from the date that the ALJ gets your file its at least 1-2 years before your case is heard. (This may only be the case where we live.) Anyways due to some situations she was able to give me my hearing date!!! Who knows what will happen but at least it was a pick me up! :) I also received a call back from one of the attorneys this evening.
 
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