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