Comments on: Disabled And Waiting

CBS News Investigation: Backlog In Disability Benefits System Leaves Thousands Of Vulnerable Americans Stranded

[burque68]

I am a Disability Examiner and I wanted to dispute the comment made by the former examiner on last nights program regarding the supposed "culture to deny."
Our DDS has one of the highest allowance rates in our region. We are encouraged to side in favor of the claimant at all times and when it is reasonable.
Disability examination is by far more complicated than the story reported. It considers not only medical impairment(s) but Age, education and vocational/work history.
I was dissapointed in the lack of thorough reporting of the actual examination process and of the many steps being done to reduce the hearing backlogs.

[sistajody]

to the disabiltiy examiner....you say buy private insurance, well not everybody can afford to buy private insurance, especially when both husband and wife are disabled. i had to wait 3 yrs to get my disability, and my husband has been waiting 5 and he still doesnt know when his court date is. since you do work, you must not know how it is to struggle financially. and you say to write your legistrators...oh, i will. they need to know if the govt. isnt going to take care of those faithful ones who do work and pay their taxes, unlike the illegal aliens, who dont pay,but yet get more benefits than i do, then they might as well eliminate social security tax and let poeple fend for themselves. maybe, people would actually learn to be frugle for a change.(but now,that would eliminate YOUR job, wouldnt it?) but at least that is better than depending on people who dont give a rip about you...and you are left dangling by a string, waiting for them to get off the can and do something with your life. if those who worked and pay taxes dont get what is rightfully theirs, then the govt is stealing our money, and that isnt right. one of these presdiental candiates need to get ahold of this and do something about it.

[kimzmail_66]

Just to reiterate, I am only 41 and never thought I would be retired at this age. It''s depressing and if you know anything abut MS, it''s a progressive disease so my prognosis is not good.....and to the guy who said "Fibromalgia is a crock", that is a harsh analogy. In fact, it was just added to the list of valid disabilities. That''s just ignorance about a condition you know apparently know nothing about. The invisable symptoms of some diseases (including mental illness) does not get the respect they deserve....

[skotw]

First off I would like to thank everyone for their words of encouragement and support. Second I wanted to clarify a statement that was in my segment. In the portion where I say:

"Everybody says, ''You gotta have a positive attitude,'' you know, and I say, ''Well, I am positive. I''m positive this is the end,'' you know. I mean it''s not going to get better."

It may sound as if I am ready to jump of a cliff or that I am suicidal but this response was given to a question which asked if there were many options to fix my broken back or if it would heal or get better on it''s own. I was merely stating that this was the end OF THE LINE AS FAR AS MY OPTIONS and that MY BACK weren''t going to get any better. I hope this puts my words in a better context for you all. I know it upset many of my friends and family members who haven''t seen me in a while and they thought that those remarks were about my view on living and how I live my life. I won''t try to tell you that chronic pain and all the issues that I have aren''t miserable but I have a wonderful family, beautiful children and too many caring friends which helps me keep a positive attitude. I think Reinhold Niebuhr''s quote says it best:

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

[kimzmail_66]

Realtru,DDSSSA and any other folks that care enough to be candid about the SSDI system, thank you. I appreciate your candor and willingness to enlighten those of us waiting for a decision. I am 41 (almost 42) was diagnosed with MS in 1996. I was gainfully employed for a loyal 9+ years until my large employer discriminated against me for "poor performance" that is directly attributed to MS. I began to decline physically and cognitively which affected my work. I was put on a 30 day performance improvement plan that turned into 6 months, which ultimately caused me to file a charge against my employer. Keep in mind that they were aware of my condition and refused to accomodate my impairments and/or place me in a less complex position. Instead they gave me an ultimatum, either resign with some "hush" money or be terminated. Because of the stress of all of this, my symptoms and impairments exacerbated and I am now disabled. I began being treated for major depression as a result and it was determined by 4 doctors that I can no longer work because of my cognitive impairments. I applied for SSDI and was denied within a month so I retained an attorney and appealed. I continue to wait. I have three teenage boys to help support, car payments, and COBRA that I can no longer afford. I am at my wits end however I continue to hope that my claim will be approved, that maybe things won''t be so bad once I have some income. Still waiting.....

[lpasty57]

I have not worked for two years in retail, I became
disable back in May 2005. I worked for a very long time
in my life from the age of seventeen... from the time
I became unable to work. I have heart problems,diabetes
at the age of thirty three,hypertension,I had one heart
attack,I have applied for disability twice,turn down each time, now I''m on a waiting list for a hearing since July 2007. now tell me what is wrong with this picture?I''m fifty seven years old and don''t known went
will i be able to return to work, maybe never.because my
health is not improving, only getting worst. sometime I get so depress, and at times I do feel suicidal,there is no help for people who is disable, the government has failed us...

PL,..BR,LA

[mrkrabs5]

Fibromyalgia is just a new name for hypochondria. Have you ever met a disability applicant who alleged fibromyalgia who did not also allege mental problems? Fibromyalgia is a crock of you-know-what, in my opinion.

[dulcinea8]

I can''t tell you enough of the importance of educating yourselves (those of you who are applying) of the process. There are many things that can be done to expedite your claim''s processing. I have been able to get claims out in a matter of weeks when medical records are included with the application (especially if the records are recent & detailed).

[dulcinea8]

gypsyartist, in re to your question:
***... how can a decision be made solely on the word of a stranger who looks at enormous amount of cases for 30 minutes per person???


Because of the sheer volume of cases we see on a continuous basis, we cannot take time to meet face-to-face with people. And returning the 35+ phone calls a day is challenging enough. We also have to make followup attempts to obtain medical records, call & remind claimants to submit necessary paperwork, sift through mounds of medical information & pull it together for our medical consultants to review (we as examiners do not make our own medical determinations, seeing as we are not MDs) We have to take objective medical information from your own Drs (providing that they respond with records), as well as your input about your daily functionality (i''ve taken this information by phone for people who have had problems getting the forms returned. But this is also time-consuming).
We may think you seem like a nice person, but this does not weigh into the decision. How impaired by medical or psychiatric conditions (or combination of impairments) is how it''s determined without seeing you in person.

[ddsemployee1]

big applaud to FAlbrizio--working at a DDS in southeast region, my sentiments are the same. I posted yesterday about the program initally being implemented for MR/blindness/andliver cancer, etc. Private Disability Insurance is more appropriate for severe impairments such as heart and back surgeries, as the criteria for SSA disability examiners to work with is terribly strict. Its strict for the claimants and its strict to those of us on the inside. I couldnt emphasize this point anymore.

[falbrizio]

I want to add another comment: the disability program has changed greatly over the years. In the "old days" those individuals who received benefits were generally children who were born with severe conditions such as Cerebral Palsy and could not walk, Down Syndrome and more severe levels of mental retardation, polio and conditions that make the individual 100% reliable on others for all their care. We''ve seen over the past few decades more and more younger individuals, people with less severe conditions that do not totally compromise their capacity for work/functioning and a different work ethic. Earlier generations would have thought it was immoral to apply for such benefits if one did not have such a severe disability (as noted earlier) and, therefore, would have been only too happy to find work and work hard despite any type of physical limitation. I also think that the public''s input through legal representation and court cases challenging the rules and regulations of the programs and their "exact" meanings and making the rules to be interpreted more broadly or freely has also contributed to more people applying for benefits that would not have in the past. I think too many people think that their SSA monies taken out each week are an account for which they can take out their savings anytime prior to retirement, if disabled.

[falbrizio]

I am a disability examiner working within my state''s DDS (Disability Determination Services--each state has a DDS responsible for making the actual medical determination on claims) in the Northeast. I read this story with a sense of great empathy for those waiting for decisions and being, seemingly, turned down incorrectly. However, what I think most Americans do NOT understand about the SSA''s disability programs and criteria is that these programs are meant to be for those individuals who are severely disabled and unable to perform any kind of work, despite their disability. This is the way the law is written and most people you deal with in the process are just doing their jobs; if you want to change things, you need to contact your legislators--they have the power to make such changes, NOT the examiners who have enomormous caseloads and stress from all directions. Another tip: ALWAYS PURCHASE PRIVATE DISABILITY INSURANCE WITH YOUR EMPLOYER---THAT WAY YOU WILL BE COVERED if your health condition does not meet SSA''s criteria at that time.

[gypsyartist1]

By the way, throughout my process of applying, I had social workers assisting me in completing the mountains of paperwork and getting forms, etc. in on time... so I do not accept the BS that delays occur only when you don''t get the necessary information in on time! A few months after I applied for SSDI, I moved from CA to MA, and kept SSA informed of my whereabouts. I took an additional 3 months for them to move my file for one state to another! And even after that, I had to submit a new application!!

Also, I received my first denial based soley on paperwork... no one, not even a doctor, interviewed. I was denied a second time after having met with an SSA appointed doctor for 30 minutes. ***... how can a decision be made solely on the word of a stranger who looks at enormous amount of cases for 30 minutes per person??? No one took into consideration that I told several people that just going through the process of applying for SSDI made me feel more depressed & suicidal. It was only after I stopped being polite and started raging or breaking down into tears that I started being heard!

Workers say there is no quota, but I just can''t believe that to be true... not from my own first-hand experience with this system.

[gypsyartist1]

I have Bipolar Disorder Type II (last I heard, there is no cure!) and PTSD from childhood trauma. The world as I knew it finally came crashing down on me before my 40th birthday... after I had been laid off from my last 3 jobs. I was unable to finish my college degree, and would take time off for my bouts with depression, so I was overlooked for promotions & first on the chopping block for layoffs. I finally had a psychotic episode 5 years ago (after I had to go on welfare). I applied for SSDI in July 2003 and had to battle with SSA, in my precarious mental state, for 3 years to get my benefits. I had numerous hospitalizations & lived in a homeless shelter until I finally went before an administrative judge to get approved. Yet, even after that I had to wait for another 3 months before I got my first check & retroactive pay. This system is horrendous!

Ironically, my income level is now too high for a lot of social services because I had worked in relatively well paying jobs since age 14. Also, Medicare only pays for services from therapists with particular credentials, which are few & far between in my area, so I pay out-of-pocket for weekly therapy sessions. On top of everything else, I''m currently paying off debts I incurred while waiting for SSDI. This sucks big time!

[Daiysi]

I have PTSD-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from Childhood Abuse. It came back to haunt me in my 30''''s. Totally turned my life UPSIDE DOWN. I was a Skilled, Highly Competent Cardiac Nurse...and now am Cognitively Impaired, along with a load of other PTSD Symptoms. Well, my Psychiatrist was pushing me to go back to work, even wrote me a release note to go back...and I was **COGNITIVELY IMPAIRED** ---HELLO??--Would you want me to be YOUR NURSE? I did NOT go back to work, I was a Liability to my patients and my Professional License.

I just got my 1st Denial for SS Disability Benefits in the mail today. And, I WILL APPEAL, with an attorney''''s help.

Look at all these Veterans coming back with PTSD, and those from previous Wars...?? I am NO different than they are. My trauma is just different, but our thinking, behaviors, actions and such are all the same.

Why do they get Military Benefits and the Civilians can''''t get Social Security Disability benefits from their Trauma? Different budgets, but coming from the same government.

I''''m NOT Who I WAS.

[attingers]

I don''t want to say that the employees are all cold hearted, but anyone that says they have to follow laws or rule is full of BULL!! I can prove this with no problem at all. I personally know of cases that people have received benefits for considerably less severe health problems than others that have been denied 3-4 times. I personally know people that get benefits just because they can''t read and write or cause they''re alcoholics,compared to people with heart disease or joint and spinal injuries.
I myself have severe sleep apnea to the point that I fall asleep taking a shower even eating a meal it has resulted in me having 2 heart attacks and left me with a severly enlarged heart that in 2 years has not inproved at all . I have been denied benefits 3 times they say I can hold a job and live a normal life,would they like to work along side me or pass me on the road somewhere? The laws and rules can be and are bent for some but not for all!

[ssacr]

This is for persons who may be thinking about filing but have not do so. It is very important when you make your appointment to file for disability either SSID or SSI you keep the appointment. Unless it is completely unavoidable that you reschedule it may be several more weeks before another appointment slot is open to take your application. If the wait is too long you can file your application for SSDI benefits online at SocialSecurity.gov (at this time persons filing for SSI cannot file online). Before the day of your appointment make sure you have reviewed the disability packet sent to you or go to the SocialSecurity.gov website and check out the disability links. Try and have all of your medical source information, work history and medications you are currently taking ready so you don''t have to try and think of these things off the top of your head and possibility miss giving us a piece of important information. Filing the application can be stressful and that is understandable. Lessen the stress on yourself and prepare for your interview. You need to give us dates - this is very important when requesting your medical records and recording your work history.

[ssacr]

Make sure that you have returned the requested documentation. If we request you send in your birth certificate you must send the original or a certified copy (the copy must be certified by the custodian of record such as the department of vital static%u2019s). You must also return the Authorizations to Disclose Information forms properly signed, dated and witnessed. If we do not have these forms we are not able to send the claim for a decision. If the forms are not completed correctly we will have to return them to you for correction. If you are allowed and your birth certificate has not been verified we will not be able to pay you until it is verified. Since every claim is unique to the claimant there may be a variety of documentation that may be needed before payment can be made if allowed. If we request something it is because we are following policy and without the documentation, payment on your claim if allowed will be delayed until it is received and verified.

[bogiboo]

This is another way the War in Iraq impacts you and me. Social Security funding has been steadily reduced since Bush took office. We see more push for beneficiaries to use online services instead of visiting their SSA office or 1-800 number. The "Do more with less" philosophy does not work in this system.
Social Security is also the starting point for the Medicare program. Congress implemented two programs Medicare Drug Program and Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount within the last two years. However, they failed to realize the workload increase for TeleService and Claim Representatives, and also the judges that have to review appeals on these programs. These programs increase the Disability workload already severely back logged. Yet one very important question has not been addressed. Why is there a two year wait for Medicare coverage after the SSDI entitlement date. (the program that you and I have worked and had Social Security taxes taken out of our checks each payday).
SSIDI on the other hand (a program for disabled people who have low income and not required to pay same taxes), are automatically given Medicaid when their claim is approved. What is wrong with this picture?
And for those that think Privatization is the answer, think again! Handing SSA over to contractors will only increase the red tape already in place. It would go to the lowest bidder or maybe another Halliburton, and we all know how well that works!

[ddsemployee1]

Many of us on the inside are big advocates of change. Yet, the years go by & nothing happens, nothing changes. There are also folks who apply for disability who are simply in need of financial assistance. They are clearly not disabled, especially by the guidelines we have to work w/, yet they are poor, lower educated, & desperate. Do I wish I could write blank checks out the big SSA kettle? Sure. There are cases that tug at my heart strings, just out of basic human compassion for someone%u2019s wellbeing. They need help, but not disability. So if you wonder how I sleep at night being a part of a federal program that is so %u201Cbroken%u201D, I guess I rest a little easier knowing that my state alone awarded benefits to well over 30,000 people last year. That%u2019s 1 state only. Almost 1 in 3. That doesn%u2019t even begin to cover the millions of people my state alone has approved over the yrs that continue to this day to draw their check. And tomorrow, i can be counted on. I''ll be there.