Re: Herniated disc and Disability

On 30 Sep 2005 05:37:15 -0700, "OneTiredGrandma"
<OneTiredGrandma@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>
>It is very difficult to get approval for SSDI. The people at DDS, who
>make the decisions for approval or denial, can only base their decision
>on facts that are presented. These medical facts must show how and why
>a person is unable to perform any type of gainful employment. These
>medical facts must be presented by medical professionals in your
>medical records. Medical procedures, tests, x-rays, MRI's, CT Scans
>etc. Just as Zomby said, DDD is part of the natural aging process.
>There are cases where the DDD is so bad and has progressed so rapidly,
>it can be totally debilitating. This would have to be proven by
>medical facts. I'm not saying you are not disabled, just letting you
>know how DDS looks at your condition. Do you have documentation from
>your doctors as to why your condition would prevent you from performing
>any type of gainful employment? Are you on medications for your
>conditions? How do these conditions impact your daily living
>functions? These are some of the things you will be required to prove
>to DDS. It's not an easy process by any means, as you well know. It's
>too bad we have so many people who try to screw the system. I can't
>imagine going through the SSDI process just for a free lunch. I'd much
>rather be working at the job I loved for nearly 25 years. It was so
>life shattering when I became unable to work. When I received my first
>disability check, I felt worthless, useless and like I was receiving a
>handout for being worthless. That took a long time to get over.....I'd
>still rather be working at my job today, five years later, but I no
>longer feel worthless, or useless, or like I'm receiving a handout.
>Time can heal most of the emotional side of becoming disabled, even if
>it can't heal the physical side.
>
Not to attempt to invalidate your feelings, we feel what we feel, but
SSDI isn't a handout. It is something you bought and paid for. If
you crash your car and the Insurance Company strokes you a check for a
new one do you feel like they gave you a handout? Or like most people
do you feel like you just got screwed? :)

The Social Security disability program was put in place to take care
of people who become disabled and are no longer able to work. Studies
have shown that a 20-year-old worker has almost a 30% chance of
becoming disabled at some point in his or her career.

The Social Security disability program is funded through payroll
contributions (this shows up on your pay stub as 'FICA') of working
Americans- 6.2% goes to Social Security, 1.45% goes to Medicare, and
..9% goes to the disability program.

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must have
contributed to the Social Security program and have a medical
condition that meets Social Security's definition of disability. In
general, Social Security pays monthly cash benefits to people who are
unable to work for a year or more because of a disability.

The biggest problem a lot of people like yourself have is that they
derived a lot of their self-worth from their work (good thing). They
very strongly identified with what they did. After all there is an
axiom "That you are what you do". Well if you are doing nothing that
can be a BIG blow to a lot of people and a tough adjustment to make.


>I'm rambling, but here's one more thing....be very thorough with your
>explanations...don't just say "I can no longer sit at my desk." Tell
>them "why" you can no longer sit at your desk, and tell them "how" it
>effects your body. Be very specific and very thorough. Don't just
>tell them "I can no longer stand and cook a simple meal." Again, tell
>them "why" you can no longer stand and cook a meal, and tell them "how"
>it effects your body to do so.
>
One of the other problems is it almost has to be coached in terms of
absolutes of "always", "never", "can't do nothing" and so on and so
forth. While the Military is screwed-up in a lot of aspects the one
good thing they do is have a percentage rating scale for disability
based on how your disabilities affect you ability to earn.

They run on a scale from 10% - 100% with different amounts of monthly
compensation at each 10% increase. Additionally as you cross certain
% thresholds, one example would be 30%, eligibility for different
(more) benefits kick-in. Things such as 100% retraining into another
career field is added at the 30% disabled level. One could be 100%
disabled in their system and still able to make as much money as they
possibly could without any of their benefits being put at risk.
--
Zombywoof

Si vis Pacem, Para bellum
.

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