Has anyone gone on disability?

General
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Christopher...

I smiled over your Caddy Shack...I just recently "noticed" my unused golf bag...and, making one of my pre-estate decisions to donate...however, maybe I will spend a summer day looking for a senior caddy.

Thanks for bringing me a smile...

The current law is the law...As I understand it (which is not too frequent) this BAF site is attempting to get Congressional recognition of "brain aneurysms"...I have often wondered...because the world knows our VP Biden is so competent after treatment of 2 brain aneurysms in 1988...

Why would Congress imagine brain aneurysms need more recognition than Biden brought forth?

Why would Congress and the SS (DSHS) imagine so many of us have incompetency...based on Biden?

His background is easy to peruse online...

Of added interest, is that "aorta aneurysm" is noted in SS records and brain aneurysm is not...it is noted as hemorrhagic stroke... On my d/c, family was told to just say I had a "stroke"...not even hemorrhagic stroke...

Because of my incompetency, I have not been involved w/attempts in pursuing Congressional recognition...Perhaps, members who have been involved w/that, will share their successes... I am embarrassed to say...I really do not have a clue on successes of that.

Christopher, will you please define the bonafide reason...and, how we could achieve it?

I do so believe the status of our brain structures is critical...again, in guiding therapies for recovery...and for any brain injury...not just an aneurysm.

Thanks for your feedback...


Christopher Range said:

patioplans said:

Ernie and All...I have my SSD neuropsych test results ...will try to type this organized enough to stay in sequence...It is just a sample from my records. .

Test Results/Interpretation...Wechsler Memory Scale III (WMS-III)

Index Score Percentile

Immediate memory Borderline

auditory immediate Low average

visual immediate Borderline

General (Delayed) Memory Borderline

auditory delayed Low average

visual delayed Borderline

aud. recognition delayed Average

Working memory Average

Auditory Process Composite scores

Single Trial Learning 1

Learning slope 44

Retention 19

Retrieval 65

Trailmaking Tests:

Trails A; 31", 0 errors (75th - 90th percentile)

Trails B: 105", 3 errors (50th - 75th percentile)

This explains little to nothing (I cannot explain/describe a test...re: memory)...above is just an example... (did not type the #'s...I'd have to keep them in some order) There are more tests than those noted above which may be used...And, the results are also covered (adjusted?) by age/education...

The full report provides much for judgment/opinion of observance..."no obvious evidence of malingering behavior...,"irritable mood...she indicated several times she was not happy to have to go thru interview/testing... "...

Yes, I was cranky...driving in the morning commuter time to get to his office...etc...I was exhausted/stressed to start the interview/tests...

For those who have not had neuropsych testing, talk to your neurologist or start w/PCP/GP...if they have not initiated that help to you...I do not know if SSD will accept the test results directly... and you may have to take them again through SS. I just don't know...I know they would not accept/rely on the one that had been done on me almost a year and a half earlier...

In any event, the testing may be helpful to you in selecting recovery therapies.

Best wishes to all of you seeking disability.

-------------------------

I have no intention of ever taking one of those again. They ended up saying how disabled or incompetent I was. Sure I got on disability without those tests.

In the movie 'Caddyshack'(1980). There is one scene in the movie with Chevy Chase and Michael O'Keefe. Chevy Chase is sort of like the club pro, and Michael O'Keefe is a golf caddy. At one point Michael O'Keefe asks Chevy Chase if ever had taken something called the 'Cooter Preference Test' in high school. Chevy Chase responds by saying that the test said he should be a firewatcher.

The test mentioned in the movie, is basically similar to taking a neuropsych test. They don't take into account the whole person. Instead, the test makes the person look like they are totally incompetent, as a justification for awarding the person disability. Instead of acknowledging the bonafide reason that the person needs to go on disability.

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Ernie i suffer from short term memory loss. Been fighting ssd for 5Years. It makes me mad that I have to fight for it. Really??? Good luck though get an attorney.

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And i have 8inoperable brain aneurysms, Seizures. I also have strokes, and a Greenfield filter in my vena cava.

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I had one denied but only took about a year for my ssdi. My issue that helped was just my Aphasia, loss vision, memory loss, stroke, and craniotomy. Allsup (www.allsup.com) helped for my ssdi.Tell what think? :-)

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I have been on disability for quite a while, I'm really banged up.I have severe balance issues , I got approved right away but my sister took care of it and by the time I got able to live alone the required time had passed

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I'm 42 yrs old and I've been getting SSI since I was 18.

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Jana...welcome...I am just slow at so much...I had only a vague memory of responding on SDI earlier...I am so glad I did before I began rattling off same/similar...Tho it does display "memory/memory issues"...

I had minimal issues w/securing SSDI...tho my initial was my failure to comprehend notes and or voice messages...delaying my application for SSDI...

My strong interest ...was (and is) getting info/requests to SSDI/DSHS...and congressional reps/senators...to review how "brain aneurysms" are defined/described/coded ...in a number of laws...

There are so many pieces/parts...it would be grand if we could all combine our experiences for the input to the appropriate ones...to consider changes...the state involved, the records involved, the angio images involved,.. the neuropsych testing results...and, which (various) tests may have been used...

Can you, would you, be comfortable sharing the issues you have taken/received these past five years...which m/any of us may be able to assist w/ideas/suggestions...for you...a/w/a pulling info together to help our approach to the gov on the variances of "brain aneurysm" to other strokes/injury, etc...

it is complex...thus, I have not taken a new step (particularly for something I do not need)...tho it has bothered me tremendously that so many have had so much difficulty...

Jana Sturdivant said:

Ernie i suffer from short term memory loss. Been fighting ssd for 5Years. It makes me mad that I have to fight for it. Really????????? Good luck though get an attorney.
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I did get approved for it this month, but it is a crime how much health insurance cost. For my wife and I am paying $600 / month.

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Ernie, are you not covered under Medicare now? I have not been so lucky in getting my SSD, but am waiting on the hearing. The attorney feels all I have to do is see a judge and he will understand.

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Moltroub...have you asked your neuro-docs for a letter re: your med status...as (I think...memory?) that Edwardo got done for his wife?..,

I think Edward (my memory) was the one who secured the appropriate records for his wife... and, another mentioned getting the letter of status from their neuro-doc..

Who, other than, neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalsists...who angio-diagnosed and angio-treated (byt the way, an angio is usually done at the completion of treatments...) ...and, they also have on records, any/all med drugs had to be injected (and/or penetrated) into our systems...a/w/a as what is administered orally...in some time frame(s)...


Moltroub said:

Ernie, are you not covered under Medicare now? I have not been so lucky in getting my SSD, but am waiting on the hearing. The attorney feels all I have to do is see a judge and he will understand.
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Ernie...pleased for you...except for the cost of your insurance...

Ernie Mancuso said:

I did get approved for it this month, but it is a crime how much health insurance cost. For my wife and I am paying $600 / month.

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Hey Everybody,

I've flicked past this post a bit, primarily because with me being in Australia and most other members being in the U.S., the systems are a bit different (or so I thought). But it turns out the 'loops and hoops' we have to jump thru to obtain approval for these payments are VERY similar. So here is my experiences in dealing with these companies/people.

After my 1st surgery of '13 I used up all of my work leave, thinking all would be fine and I'd just return to my employment. I pushed myself to do so and sure enough I did return. Things weren't great with some awful symptoms but with a push I could function. I informed my PCP things weren't so good, he told me "all fixed, return to work" so I did. But upon follow up with the neurosurgeon and a scan things were found to be far from fine. The surgeon decided I needed further surgery and performed a craniotomy and a shunt insertion, so this was the second surgery of '13. Not having any further work leave I applied for SSDI (equivalent) Here its called the Disability Support Pension (DSP) my claim was rejected on the grounds that I, unknowingly at the time, had an insurance policy as part of my superannuation policy. There were 2 connected policies, one being an income protection policy and the other being a Total Permanent Disability (TPD)cover, with a lump sum payment. So I made a claim for the income protection component, thinking '...well, I'll only be off work a few months maximum..."

The insurance company wanted every piece of information I could provide, so I gave them access to all of my records and they agreed to pay. Now, my policy stated "80% of pre-illness income", I was a reliable worker, I'd pick up extra shifts, I'd drop everything to assist and be on-call. So my income from one week to the next varied massively, sometimes by more than $1000 depending on what shifts I took on. I had a 20hr/week contract, but it was not unusual for me to work a 60hr week and it just so happened that the 6weeks of work prior to my incident were 60+hr weeks. The insurance company wanted 8wks of paysheets. The insurer tired to say that they would only pay for the contracted hours but I queried this and was told (..and I quote..) "You've got what you've got and that's all you are going to get"

Now in my job role I was an advocate for my clients, so I know the system and for the insurer to make a statement like that was like 'a red rag to a bull'. So I went over the head of the assessor to her boss and eventually had the decision reversed and finally received my "80% of pre-illness income". I still had no intention of being on the income protection for long. My intent was to get back to my job, a job I very much enjoyed, this was all just a bump in the road, in a few weeks all would be fine and I'd be returning. Well, things weren't fine and I was in for my third operation by September '13.

This time things just did not get better and due to the hassles of my recovery I was not up to another battle with the insurer. Remembering the statement "You've got what you've got and that's all you are going to get" I knew this would be a major battle. So this time I obtain the services of a legal team. It was on a 'no win, no fee' basis. This was one of the best things I could have done. The lawyers deal with this sort of thing and they know the 'games' these insurers play. They put a stop to the games. I had to attend dr's appointments at the request of the insurer but everything else was handled by the lawyer. After 6months they obtained my TPD payment from the insurer. It wasn't a huge amount by any means, but enough to pay off my mortgage.

BUT!!!! and this is a BIG but. Due to me receiving the payment from the insurer my application for DSP has been suspended by the govt dept for 12mth and from there I will need to reapply. Now in the period since I received my TPD payout the Australian Government has changed the laws regarding the DSP. I have appealed the decision by the govt dept but now it is about to go through the legal system. All of my doctors and specialists say I'm disabled (I hate that word), I have been given all sorts of alternative treatments, none of which have shown any great progress. But the govt dr's say "All is fine" and that I should just return to work. I've, again, involved the lawyers, so we'll see where this all leads.

So those are my 'experiences' so far. One thing I would recommend is a lawyer, one who knows the in's and out's of insurance, as otherwise these companies can draw this whole process out for years. For some of us we have enough of a battle in simply dealing with ourselves on a daily basis, let alone battling an insurance company. Get someone to do the work for you, a lawyer. I do admit, it was costly in $$$$. But the savings in stress and mental anguish is well worth it in my opinion.

GET A LAWYER

Merl

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Merl, sounds the same here in the States. Thank you for sharing and providing good advice for all!

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Thanks Moltroub

Having to deal with these companies can often be a very painful task for anyone involved. If sharing can save some other poor sod having to go through their processes, repeatedly, then I'm all for it.

We need to assist each other with this stuff because some of us know these companies are all about their shareholders rather than their customers. They DO NOT want to make payouts, if they can avoid it, postpone it or negate it in anyway, they will. Don't let them.

I say it again "Get a lawyer!!"

Merl

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For those that have filed for social security permanent disability: I live in California, it took me 2 denials and 2 1/2 years to finally get it. After the 2nd denial I retained an Advocate for my claim. He informed me that the normal process is to be denied a minimum of 2 times. At this point a lot of people give up and that’s what they are hoping will happen. It took 2 years to get a court date to meet with a judge and plead my case. It took another 90+ days to get an answer from the court. Once I was notified that I was approved it took another 3 1/2 months to get my back pay. I did receive my 1st monthly check about 45 days after winning my case and was automatically eligible for Medicare. It costs money to win a case but it was worth it. In CA the most you have to pay is $6,000 for an Advocate or attorney. My Advocate told me headache cases are very hard to win especially if you have no visible disabilities (which I did not). So if you have filed for permanent disability it will take a long time to get approved. Its very frustrating and discouraging. I wish you all the best of luck!

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Hi my name is jd when busy tested and got 60 then went down to 40 what testing is it I had a brain aneurysm I literally dont know why or cant explain to you why I know how to write and talk but I dont remember nothing but for some reason it’s like I’m a good actor and i pkay the regular average joe life i need to get tested but my primary doctor berly knows how to talk english so she cant recommend me nothing