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