SSI Disability

[fledoow]

Hello, I am trying to get on ssi disability and been denied(I have crohn's and am very anemic). I guess I should give a little history as to why I am trying to get disability and if you think I should get a lawyer and appeal their decision.

I was working as a cook and quit my job after about 6 months of working their a year ago. It was just getting too hard, I couldn't work without constantly taking pain killers(ibuprofen) and wouldn't be able to stay awake without energy drinks. I would fall asleep during my break(sometimes for over an hour) and was getting sicker, losing a lot of weight(I am over 6ft and weighed 92lbs at one point). My mother kept trying to get me to see a doctor but I didn't have insurance anymore and refused to go. Around April I moved with my dad and didn't want to fight with him about it and just went to the ER. Was expecting to be there for a few hours but they kept me their for a week! They did all kinds of test and didn't really find anything wrong with me and just prescribed pentasa and steriods for my weight. I didn't take the pentasa since I couldn't afford it but I'm not even sure if it does anything. I been on it when I was on my dads insurance and didn't really notice a difference. Anyways about 3 weeks later I was in the worst pain I have ever been in my life. I though my neighbors downstairs would call the police thinking someone was getting murdered =/. After about an hour of pain, I decided to call my dad to take me to the ER. This time they kept me for eight days and did some more test. Turns out I have a fistula, though im not sure if/how the affects me. I cant afford the medical bills so I applied for ssi since I can get on medicare(or is it medicaid?) with it. I recently got the letter from them saying I have been denied. According to them I should be able to work after taking what the doctor prescribed for me. The thing is I am not working and don't think the the pentasa would help. I gained a lot of weight but still am under weight(105lbs) and also can't go a day without taking at least 1 nap, no matter what I do I just can not stay up. I am also in pain everyday and don't see how I can work. I am really stressing about these bills and am not sure what I should do. I don't really care about the ssi and can get back on my dads insurance in 2011, but I really just want the medicare so I can get some of the bills paid. What do you suggest I do now?

Wow this is a long post

 

[scifi-enthusiast]

Give a lawyer a call and then make sure you find a doctor willing to back you up and testify on your behalf when/if it gets to the hearing level, whether that is your GI or GP. Which you'll have plenty of time to do, since you have to play the waiting game for another 2 months after you appeal.

You can also call the case worker handling your claim and inform him about any changes in treatment or quality of life. All you need to do is give the Social Security Administration in Austin a call and the receptionist will ask you for your SS# and connect you to your case worker. You'll most likely get his answering machine but just leave a message with your name, SS#, phone number, and reason why your calling and he'll get back to you. I had to wait a whole 15 minutes for his call back. Only thing is that since you've already received your denial letter you'll most likely have to wait until you file an appeal and get a new case worker before you can call.

I had to do this since I forgot to mention that I was diagnosed with Clinical Depression when I was 15 because I tried to commit suicide. Lately I have become very depressed because of the crohn's and am even having those bad thoughts again. So if I don't get it for the Crohn's itself I have a good chance of getting it for the depression. I'm going with Binder & Binder, which I already told you through the PM system. And I've talked to several representatives for answers to my questions and other information which they are more than happy to give out for free. So it may be a good idea to give them a call.

Just make sure you file for the appeal as quickly as possible, since you only have 60 days after you receive the letter to.

Here's a website that came in handy for me when I was filing. disabilitysecrets.com/

 

[Jennifer]

You should get that fistula treated soon. I don't think waiting on Social Security (SS) is a good idea nor is waiting till next year. Having to pay bills is one thing but your life and well being is another matter. It is possible with a good lawyer to try and push for your medical insurance you get through SS to pay for your bills later even if you aren't covered now as long as you're currently trying for SSI. Anytime you're denied you should get a lawyer right away and even they may have their own doctors that they work with making it so you don't need your own doctor backing you as Scifi suggested. Mine worked with another doctor which meant I had to do as little work as possible. But really the best advise to getting SSI is getting a lawyer because they constantly deny people and need to be scared into actually paying attention to you. I was approved back in 1995 a few years after my diagnosis and I've been on Medi-Cal ever since. I'm not currently on any medication for Crohns because Medi-Cal doesn't cover a lot of the new drugs. That's another thing for you to think about.

 

[maxibear]

you will have to file a reconsideration, and if that fails, you go before a judge and vocational counsler. the problem with a attorney, they take a good initial percentage. if you have good medical documentation and you know how to write very strongly, you probobly dont need to go that route. good luck

 

[Jennifer]

Yes you do have to pay for a lawyer. My lawyer was very friendly and didn't charge his usual rate (he knows that you don't get much money from SSI) and he let me pay it back a little each month until it was all paid off.

The problem with not having a lawyer is that it takes longer to get approved and you risk never getting approved.

 

[scifi-enthusiast]

In the U.S. a lawyer takes a percentage (not exceeding 25%) of your back-pay. So, if you get awarded $10,000 in back-pay, he'll receive $2,500, which isn't too bad if I may say so myself. And if you lose the case, you don't have to pay him a dime.