So the judge didn't find me disabled at this time because I am working, and if you make over 10,000 dollars a year you aren't considered disabled. I don't know who can live on 10,000 especially when you have chronic illness, but that is another issue. However he did find me disabled from 2003-2010, and I will be getting retroactive pay starting from November 2006-September 2009 (when I started working). So the good news is I will be getting money back and can finally pay off all my darn medical bills and hopefully have some leftover for savings and perhaps a smidge of fun.

So my question is what exactly is retroactive pay--monthly income, medical bills paid back? Any help would be great!

Thanks!
Mandy

I realize it takes a while, but I was just wondering if anyone knew about how long it took to hear back from the disability office. I just want to know what the status is. I am praying that I am able to get disability and some financial help because I am just drowning in medical bills and I am only 25 and they will unfortunately never end because I have chronic, on-going medical conditions. I can't ever pay them off--they just keep going and going. I just need help.

So if anyone has any insight or input I would LOVE it!

Is this with your own personal policy, or are you having this problem with your employer plan?

Does it vary by state?

I have had employer sponsored blue cross policies for the past 6 years. I've gone on my husband's plan, then changed to my own bc plan through my employer, and am now back on his. I can tell you that I didn't start out with any health issues but as time has gone by, I have really used our coverage quite heavily. So, that is to say that I am in no way hiding my illness from the insurance company.

I have never had any issue with pre ex. No denials, no question, no issues with Rx coverage.

I know that if I had been more than 31 days late in turning in my paperwork to go on each plan, I would have been subject to medical approval. THAT would have changed everything and pre ex would definitely apply.

How can this system be so lopsided? Is it the private policy people ( who pay so much for premiums already) who are getting messed over?

At least now I can sleep, not worrying about losing my house, maybe.  What was interesting to me was.  He stated he put more emphasis, credence in our docs, than in their docs, and the oringinal reviewers.

I'm thinking it was probably the best money we ever spent for the attorney.  We only hired her in January.

Lynn

After such an agonizing decision to get my head around, then to be told, nah, you're not sick enough.  I was a wee bit upset.

Anyone else have this happen?

Well today I recieved a letter in the mail from my attorneys office, which contained a copy of the memorandum that he sent to my judge regarding my case. The issue they were trying to resolve was whether or not I was working in a competitive work environment. The judge basically gave me attorney a few weeks to find something that said it was legal/ok to work in a non-competitive work environment and still be considered disabled. Well he did it! He sent this to the judge on June 30th so I should hopefully have an answer sooner than later regarding my disability. Fingers crossed it works out. So far so good.

Mandy

The most dramatic change is that you are not given the opportunity to explain how the limitations of your disability affect your ability to work.  In the 2006 version of the application you were given an opportunity to detail your illnesses, injuries and conditions and how these affected your ability to work.  These vital questions have been eliminated in the new application.

In the 2010 version, Section 3 lists Medical Conditions which is an opportunity to list your illnesses, injuries and conditions and how they limit your ability to work.  It’s possible to write extensive answers to this question in an attachment and expand your answer to include the limitations that interfere with your ability to work.

So, in Section 8, Medical Treatment, it’s critical to answer “What medical conditions were treated or evaluated with the illness, injury or condition and most importantly mention how it limits your ability to work.  As an example you’re seeing doctor for severe back pain and muscles spasms that occur multiple times a day which limits your ability to sit in a chair for more than an hour, medication lessens the pain but doesn’t eliminate the pain.   You could have answered the question with a simple “back pain and muscles spasms” but it does not give the caseworker any idea of the severity, duration or frequency of the problem.  Severity, duration and frequency are the three characteristics you want to include in your answer.  To answer the question in this manner requires doing an attachment since there is insufficient space on the application for long sentences.

When you answer what treatment did you receive for the above conditions you are ‘forbidden’ to list medications.  Many have negative side effects that limit your mental or physical ability to work.  Medications are listed in Section 7 of the new application and I highly recommend doing an attachment that answers the question; name of medication, name of doctor and reason for the medication but adding a fourth item, drug reactions.  So in Section 7 you would write “See attachment 7” that lists the side effects.

Other than the above mention major changes, the organization of the application has changed.  The 2010 application basically asks the same questions just in different places.

Comparison of the 2004 and 2010 Application

2006 Application

Section 1- Information About the Disabled Person

Section 2 –Your Illnesses, Injuries or Conditions and How They Affect You – Deleted

Section 3 – Work History

Section 4 – Doctors’ Information

Section 5 – Medications

Section 6 – Tests

Section 7 – Education and Training

Section 8 – Vocational Rehabilitation

Section 9 – Remarks

2010 Application

Section 1 – Information About Disabled Person

Section 2 – Contact who knows about your condition.

Section 3  - Medical Conditions

Section 4 – Work Activity

Section 5 - Education and Training

Section 6 – Job History

Section 7 – Medications

Section 8 -   Medical Treatment

Section 9 – Other Medical Information

Section 10 – Vocational Rehabilitation

Section 11 – Remarks

It’s natural to resist change and those of you completing the new application won’t know the difference anyway.  It’s just that you have to work harder to inform SSDI how your limitations affect your ability to work.  My personal opinion is that the 2010 form is less friendly to the claimant and is solely based on the doctors you see and what they say in their office notes.  If you have not mentioned limitations or they have not written them down then the caseworker has no idea of how your disability affects you. The only way around this is to incorporate your limitations in your answers.

 written by the author of Win Your Disability Benefits Now, Trudi Aviles

I was so nervous and thought I was going to puke, but I kept it together and my attorney said I did a great job and couldn't have done anything different. Phew. I don't know anything at this point, but it went really well and these are the main points/occurences:

1. My judge started out by saying "Mandy I just want to start out by tipping my hat off to you because it is very clear by your extensive medical record that you are clearly dealing with a lot and are definitely disabled. The fact that you are working--and I don't know how you are doing it is commendable, so well done." It was amazing to be validated and just acknowledged that I do work hard despite being sick literally everyday of my lfie with Lupus among other things.

2. The main issue I have is that I am working full time and earning an ok amount of money--however the argument is that I am not in a competitive job/work environment and the accomodations that my employer makes for me are above and beyond the norm. I about choked when he was reading over how many doc appointments I had in a 6 month span (27 appointments) and a 4 month span (17 appointments) and asked me if this was true--sadly yes it is.

3. The judge said well Mandy after reading over your medical records, the and the letters/papers from your docs it is clear that you are indeed disabled, and if you weren't working I would give this to you no questions asked. So he is giving my lawyer a few weeks to basically find some sort of law or authority that states that you can work in a non-competitive work environment and still be disabled. FINGERS CROSSED! Luckily I have an awesome attorney, and he definitely has some money on the line motivating him even more to say the least.

4. If I were to win this even if I didn't get disability help for the time being, but was refunded for the past I would get retroactive pay starting from September 2006. That includes all medical bills, monthly pay, etc. Soooo needless to say I would be financially better and would finally be able to pay off medical bills, school and have some wiggle room for medications, appointments and upcoming surgeries--thank God.

So if you pray or do anything close to that, please just pray that my lawyer finds something to prove my case. It is clear that the judge wants him to find something so that they can provide me the help I need. Overall I feel great about the case, and frankly just getting the validation and acknowledgement about my hard work despite being sick felt really good.

Oh a funny (well not that funny) moments was when the judge was reading off my medical diagnosis for the vocational rep, and was just reviewing with me what he had learned from  my medical record it was almost comical to hear the amount of diseases he rallied off...Crohn's Disease, Heart Arrythmias, Asthma, Systemic Lupus, Hereditary Spherocytosis, Anemia, Arthritis, and the list went on and on. I knew I had a lot of stuff, but man it sounds a lot more intense when someone else reads it to you..eek.

Mandy

Well after 3 years of waiting and waiting I finally have my social security/disability hearing next Monday (June 28th). Needless to say I am very very nervous for it and just feel so anxious and in the dark about the whole situation. Has anyone else had a hearing for disability benefits? If so please tell me what I can expect and what I should do to prepare. What kind of questions do they ask? I have a vague idea what to expect, but I am just always used to down playing what I have and trying to make the best of my situation, but now is the time to be honest about it. I am sick and tired all the time and to be honest I am sick and tired of it! So any tips would be glorious. If I got approved I would get retroactive pay all the way back to September 2006...holy mother of pearl. I need that money back to pay off medical bills and basically survive by paying my current medications, and constant doc appointments.

mandy

I haven't  been to the doctors like I know I should.  I have tried to apply for state help, but I keep being denied.  I have been looking for a new job with benefits, but haven't had any luck with that. 

Does anyone know of any type of help for people in my situation? 

~Lauren~

I am really in use of some guidance here. I received the bittersweet news today that Social Security approved my disability claim the first time around. They are retroacting my claim back to November 2008, when I was first too disabled to work. All of this would be wonderful news, but I found out from my attorney's office today the Insurance Company my past employer uses for their short and long term disability claim is expecting a "dollar for dollar" repayment of everything they paid out to me since November 2008 ( I paid into a short term disability policy while I was still working, and my employer paid into a long term policy for me and all other employees).

I'll receive a lump retroactive sum from the government, but all of it (I was told by the attorney's office) will need to go immediately back to the insurance company...and I will also have to make "payment arrangements" with this Insurance Company to pay back the rest (as I will receive about $500.00 less a month through SSD than I did privately through this policy) until the difference is paid in full.

Can anyone tell me if I have any options? After the retroactive payment, I will not be paid from the government again until the end of July, and the amount will not yet include additional benefits for my 3 dependent children..and I don't know how I will pay my bills or feed my kids. The attorney's office said I can go through them (at no additional charge from what I've already paid them) to handle the retroactive fees from the Insurance Company...but I don't know if I can negotiate anything on my own? I just don't know how we'll survive?

Has anyone been through this? Can anyone give me guidance? Any help or comment would be greatly appreciated.

- Stef

I was just reading in another post that if you have more than $2,000 in cash they disallow you?? Really?  another comment was to 'gift' it to someone you trust, but in a community property state everything is at risk. 

Are there any other tips or things I need to know about in doing this?  Is it going to be very hard to get this medical eval. done and qualify?  Up until 2 weeks ago, I averaged 150.00/ week.  Last 2 weeks, I had to increase work hours to pay bills and average 215.00/week.  Is me increasing work hours in the last couple of weeks going to hurt me?

Thanks all

It has actual letters that people have received from Social Security while going through the process of applying for disability benefits.  It also has information about what happens at each meeting, doctor's visit and hearing you will attend.  This site is specific to disability benefits and it really helped me to know what to expect and to not make common mistakes. 

I hope it can help some of you as well.  The site it http://www.ssdfacts.com