social security disability

Hello,

I am from California, so I am unsure as to whether this could be applied to the rest of the states.

When I had come to the social security office to apply for disability checks, I found out that my case worker was nice enough to put a "flag" onto my case folder, so that they would speed up my process. The end result that my checks started coming to me 3 months quicker than their standard 6 to 9 month procedure.

She flagged my case, just because I have breast cancer. She offered without my knowing about their flag system.

Try with your case worker, and I hope your application acts fast enough! You know how social security can be quite slow at times.....

Good luck!

[Patty H]

I'm from In. and when I went to appy on line and they ask if this illness would result in death and I said yes. A box popped up and said to call them on the phone to make it quicker. Patty H

I'm in IL and I was forced to apply so SSD through my company, as I was on long term disability with them, I was approved in 2 weeks and they said my case would not be evaluated for at least 5 years, or until I finish Herceptin considering my diagnosis. My checks started arriving in 2 months, and they even back payed me. I don't like being on it, I would rather be working, but then there are days that I know I couldn't put in 8 hours! I just wonder how many on this board are on SSD or disability?
Hugs
Sheila

[Patty H]

I didn't realize I could get SSD until recently. I thought long and hard about it. Then I decided I had paid into it for 30 years and I probably won't be here to draw SS when I am 62. So I talked to my benifit guy about it and hr recommended it. So I just started the paper work a few weeks ago. Patty H

[sarah]

What am I doing wrong? I applied in 2003 for disability and just recently got a request for more paperwork inclucing the original surgery in 1999! I've had 4 more surgeries since then plus......
I feel demoralized and assumed they were waiting for me to die or reach 62 - I'll be 60 in April.
anyway, any advice, help, names of who to contact??? I worked mainly in California.

Help and advice will be greatly appreciated.
sarah

Sarah,

It is the norm for Social Security to decline deserving seriously ill people three or four times before they get accepted--perhaps they are hoping for the poor people to become despondent and commit suicide to save some money!

I had heard in California that they flagged the charts to avoid that happening to breast cancer patients.

A patient with cavernous sinus thrombosis (blood clot of the main venous draining of the brain) was turned down about 4 times over many years for Social Security Disability.
Websites for attorneys who specialize in trying to help people get their social security disabiility, describe multiple declines as the "norm" even in well- deserving cases with excellent justification documented by physicians.

One word of caution, however. Some health insurance policies have in their tiny printing that one becomes ineligible for their insurance if one even becomes eligible for (let alone accepts) Medicare whether because of disability or age!


Medicare doesn't pay for physical therapy and a lot of other things that private health insurance does, so be sure to read all the tiny print and discuss this with knowledgeable persons before proceeding.

Of course you have to do what you have to do. Just do it with your eyes wide open and looking out for yourself-- when it comes to government-run programs, no one else will, unfortunately.

That said, best of luck!

[Lisa]

I, too, am on disability. And I felt sort of funny getting on it. But I did, and I'm so glad. After you apply, you have 6 months to complete the process, or you have to start over. Learned that the hard way. My case, once started anew, was also "flagged" and I started receiving checks within 3 months, I THINK.

On worker tried to get mine grandfathered from my original diagnosis date, which didn't seem right to me. And it was changed to my metastasis date. But everyone was very nice.

After being on it 2 years now, I've qualifed for Medicare. Now THAT feels weird. You have to accept the Hospitalization part, but you can turn down the other part that includes co-pays, etc. I did, because as of 2006, it would have meant $88/month taken out of my Disability check.

Remember this is not a state process, but federal. I can't imagine it being any different in any state. You've worked for years for this money. Don't feel quilty.

Love and light,

Lisa

[StephN]

Whether on line or at your local office, they WILL flag you and prioritize your claim.
I started getting my disability benefit last year. I had to pick a date to say when I became "disabled" and chose Jan.3 since that was the day that my brain MRI showed the two tumors. This was an agreeable day with my oncologist.
I could have said much earlier as I have been stage IV and on continuous treament since Jan 2002, but this seemed fine with me as I had been able to work some in the intervening years.
By the way, you CAN still work to some extent and get your benefit.
It is standard practice to have a review after 5 years - bet most of us will HAVE this review!!

As for the timing, I did not apply until June and I got my first direct deposit the first part of August. It included a couple of back months. They start the payment at 6 months after the date of disability, so watch that as you may be able to get a few more months by using an earlier date.
It IS nice to have this money as I have been paying the medical insurance stoploss, deductible and co-pays for almost 6 years now and this adds up to a few thousand every year (could have had my whole kitchen redone with that amount of $$!). I figure most of the disability benefit will go to pay for those expenses so I can save a little again or have money to travel, improve my surroundings, etc.

[tdonnelly]

After working for 50 corporations in my lifetime my check is $596.00 after 90.00 for ssi excuse me where is one to live on that for a month............in illinois hud housing lockdown from cook country.

Thank you corporate leaders of america
i pay all the taxes and do all work.

No lol here. Wi told me i should never have been denied 2x in illinois-bageovich political interference

tami

[Jackie07]

Cynthia,

Joe had mentioned (posted) several times that we should contact our local congressman on the SSDI application. I retained an attorney before I saw his advice when I was fed up with the bureaucracy. Part of the reason I think might be that I applied for it by myself - thus they don't think I'm disabled. The funniest part was that they said "according to your work history..." I had been fired from every one of my jobs just about since my brain surgery in 1990. 'A spotty work history' is the description used by the psychologist who had reviewed my case for Texas Rehabilitation Commission.

Our local law firm was very happy to accept my case pro bono last fall since I'd had numerous job losses resulted from multiple cancer treatments (brain tumor and breast cancer - both with recurrences). I'm scheduled to attend a hearing December 8, exactly about a year after the lawyer had taken my case. Part of the back pay will go to the attorney (not exceeding $5000.00) if my case gets approved.

If you are currently working, perhaps they wanted you to go on the company's disability program first. I don't really know the details of the whole mechanism. My PhD Sister-in-law processed the application for her mechanic husband after his heart procedure, but my husband is not capable of handling this type of stuff for me...

[Joan M]

I don't know all the laws, but here's what I do know about metastatic breast cancer and short-term disability, long-term disability, Social Security Disability, accelerated death benefits and COBRA.

Some companies offer STD and LTD. After the STD period is exhausted (usually 180 days, but in my case it was 90 days), LTD kicks in. STD is usually an earned benefit. That is, the longer you work at a company the longer you will be paid your full salary or part of your salary during the STD period.

LTD is most likely 50% of your salary. Usually, there's an opt-in plan in which you pay a few dollars (like around $5.00) out of each pay check to get a higher percentage, like 70%, for example.

Most insurance companies (that is, your employer's insurance carrier, as they're paying STD and LTD) require a bc patient to apply for SSD when they apply for LTD.

It seems the Social Security Administration pretty much automatically approves patients with advanced cancer. SSD starts usually starts six months after you first went on STD(although I've heard not to be surprised if you get a retroactive check, even though the SSA's brochure said the benefit is not retroactive).

When SSD starts, LTD, which starts immediately when you're approved for LTD and is retroactive to the first day of your LTD, will subtract out your SSD benefits (that is, LTD - SSD = your income. There's no double-dipping here). However, private pensions, 401(k) distributions, annuity distributions, etc. are not subtracted.

An accelerated death benefit is a percentage of the life insurance your company has on you which can be advanced to you if your oncologist says you're terminally ill. Terminally ill is defined by how long you have to live, such as 6, 12 or 24 months. Of course, your company pays a higher premium for 24 months (in my case it was only 6 months, and it seems likely I'll be around longer than that in terms of my cancer -- thank goodness). However, your company may have a longer definition of terminally ill.

COBRA, or continuation health benefits, are available if you're laid off from your job. Howerver, here's the specific limitations, from the DOL:

http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_cobra.HTML

Also, if it applies to you, COBRA payments are considered a medical expense for 401(k) distributions prior to age 59 1/2. That is, you pay the tax on distributions because your contributions were on tax-deferred money, but you're exempt from paying the 10% penalty to the IRS.

You have to be on SSD for two years before being eligible for Medicare, and your age is not a factor in this. Also, if you're declared disabled COBRA is extended to 29 months, which bridges the gap in medical coverage.

Hope this helps.

Joan

[Jackie07]

Thanks for the explanation, Joan. I see now why my former employers couldn't wait to send me out of the door. It's a strange system that I have to be 'physically capable' of working to collect my unemployment insurance and at the same time I'm going to attend the court hearing to prove that I am disabled.

Haven't slept whole night, guess I could add 'insomnia' to the list of my disabilities...

[cynthia1962]

Joe

I tried your remarks called the congressman office they can not do anything unless you are a stage IV so what can a person do if they don't have a stage IV I am a stage 2a grade 2 and applied in May got denied in September, September got an attorney we applied for reconsideration in September and my onc sent a letter stating he do not want me to work. What they want people to do die before we receive the money we deserve.