What do you think constitutes "disability"?

[Glocktogo]

Personally I'd rather see the SSA pay for more vocational training, rather than so many monthly cash stipends. There are legitimate vocations that can be entirely performed from home.

I'm afraid in many cases, SSI-D is further enabling a person's bad habits. There are cases where a full disability should be granted. Managed schizophrenia and quadriplegia come to mind.

 

[JB Books]

Ronny:

If these older people can afford it, why can't they drive whatever they want, and live where ever they want? The paid into the system for years, it's their money they are colle ting back.

And FYI, there is a difference between retirement benefits and disability benefits.

I have a large disability division in my practice, we screen for scammers and people trying to game the system. However, I can tell you that 99% of those applying are desperate and at the worst point of their lives. That's based on daily experience, not based on anecdotal evidence from an ER or neighbor. It's just plain sad.

 

[JB Books]

And before you guys accuse me of lining my pockets, my SSD practice is the least profitable area of my practice.

 

[BadgeBunny]

However, I can tell you that 99% of those applying are desperate and at the worst point of their lives. That's based on daily experience, not based on anecdotal evidence from an ER or neighbor. It's just plain sad.

And THIS is the crux of the matter. A lot of these people ARE there (applying for disability) because they've exhausted every other means. Like Coburn said on 60 Minutes, they are there trying to get disability because there are other problems in our society that are not being addressed.

I'm like the rest of you guys, I don't have the answers but I do know throwing out the baby with the bathwater isn't gonna help.

 

[BadgeBunny]

And before you guys accuse me of lining my pockets, my SSD practice is the least profitable area of my practice.

I know it's not funny ... I'm laughing at the predictablity of OSA, not you, you shyster lawyer ...

 

[348]

Fat may not be a disability, but it certainly could be the result of other disabilities.

Or it certainly could result in disabilities.

 

[EhlerDave]

I will read the info at the link a bit later, on my way to bed now.

This is what I dealt with, it may answer a few questions.

I suffer from EDS (Ehler-Danlos syndrome if anyone is interested I have HEDS you can find info at WWW.EDNF.ORG ) It messes with more than just faulty collagen, I would be happy if frequent dislocations were all I had. It also messes with the my heart, (SVT, Palpitations) digestive tract, liver, migraines (due to neck) kidneys and I also have wild fluctuations with my diabetes. Oh lets not forget I have arthritis in each joint I have hurt over the years, that is most of them. Top that off with a spine that on a good day "slips around" and you get a small idea of what EDS can do to you. Plus for a kick in the butt I also get all the normal crap everyone gets.

I was working and my last injury lead to surgery on my hand, I had torn the muscles in the palm. Now the workman's comp started with a new to me mess. They claimed pre existing condition, it took 9 months of legal fighting to get approval to have my hand fixed. Then another 6 months of not being able to work for rehab. The 15 months of down time was bad. My body went from decent shape, allowing me to work, even with multiple dislocations per month, most reduced with a bit of help from a fellow worked or a trip to the ER.

After sitting 9 months the Dr that worked on my hand said due to the amount of scar tissue it was a real mess and he had little hope for it to be "normal." My Ortho Dr had suggested I file for SSD years before, but to me I was still able to work. So like most I worked. I was a sandblaster/painter. I had no idea what my work was really doing to my body. But hey it felt good to care for my family and earn my paychecks. It was nice to have a few dollars in my pocket.

After the surgery on my hand I could not use it enough to work, the people from workman's comp suggested I apply for SSD. Well after trying several different jobs and failing at all of them I let the state send me to Tulsa for 5 days of rehab, vocational testing. The results were a shock to my ego. They said due to my medical downward spiral I was not worth retraining, they would not help with school or any other method of helping me find work I could do.

Off to the SSD people, first application, wow I get denied due to age, second time (appealing) denied due to lack of medical reason. I was sent to several Dr's for the SSD people, I was not allowed to see these tests results nor the reports that went with them, those belong to SSD. When I made it to see a judge, and we are talking almost 3 years after applying, he showed me the medical reports from SSD, each one of them said the same thing. We can not treat EDS, just deal with the problems as they occur. Yet they drug this out while their own people wanted me approved.

After the Judge approved me I find out that they will pay me to the date of the first application. Then that gets changed, they went back to the date of my last injury while working, they could go back 24 months prior to applications date at that time. Now none of this was my doing, that is just done on the SSD side. I get no info at all, just a check in the mail one day. Then a Medicare card, they said my 2 year waiting time had been served while waiting on approval. The money was nice, but by this time we had lost everything but our house, and we had that because my in-laws paid the payment each month.

Now jumping to present day, I am looking at several more surgeries, both hips need replaced, both knees a neck fusion that will include 4 vertebrae, also disk problems in 7 locations along with bone spurs, they hurt the most. I have a rather large blockage on the back of my heart. I also need my shoulders worked on, would be nice if they did not hang out of socket all day, plus one elbow and several fingers. The part that sucks is my body does not hold sutures, they just pull out. When I had to have my gall bladder out it turned into a real mess, now 4 years later I must have it done again just to fix the results of the first surgery. So I am a mess. Because of the suture problems both my Dr and me are scared to do anything until I have absolutely no other option.

Some people ask me why I dont work, after all they saw me in my yard one day. They forget that I spent the last 3 months stuck in the house completely, just leaving for Dr's appointments, I understand that they just see me when I am out. On the days I feel well I do what I can and what I want until I cant, most times that is about 3 hours and I am done for a week or more, some times I over do it and spend 3-4 days in bed to recover.

I agree way to many people abuse the SSD system. I know of people that are on SSD and work, call the SSD people and tell them, the basic reply is it is cheaper to pay them than it is to check on them and kick them off SSD. Well I suggest a bounty to be paid for each one I can turn in, that will also include workman's comp and welfare.

Few of you people know, but web sites like this are my social life. I do not go out very often, most times I stay home and the wife and daughter go out, that way they can have a nice time without my pain cutting the event short.

I am not sure if I would qualify for disability to some, but I worked as long as I could and now I get SSD and in one month I get less than I made per week when I had a job that I enjoyed doing.

I started paying taxes at age 13, I am now 47.

Thing in my life that hurts the worst is I have a daughter that is awesome in every way, yet by sheer bad luck I passed the EDS genetic flaw to her. I look at her and know the pain to come in her life, she started dislocating at 14 months old. All she wants in life is a fair chance, but each time she tries for anything her body lets her down. My son is lucky, he is EDS free.

Got to go, it has taken me three tries to type this, and my neck is screaming.

 

[AllOut]

Also don't forget the train wreck that is the military disability system. I personally know of one guy who gets like 20% disability from the Air Force for sleep apnea. He runs marathons, and yet has like a 20% rating.

THIS^^^^
A guy I know is the same way, active military and collects disability from them for sleep apnea. I think he's a lot more than 20% though.
Its so pathetic listening to those guys and how many of them actually joined the military just to get disability and how they all figure out the trucks to get more money. Hell the guy I mentioned above was trying to get one of our other friends to marry him cause her and her daughter would get him a lot more $. Told her he'd split what he got for being married with her!

 

[reddog1]

Well BANG has just moved from hobby to 2nd job.

Wife is sick, no idea what is going on, no disability, no unemployment, no food stamps.

Daughter dignosed with a disability.

I dont need no stinking SSI

I will pick up the slack for now by doing the same thing I have been doing.

Working 24/7 as hard as I can.

I dont want s**t from the government.

 

[ronny]

Ronny:

If these older people can afford it, why can't they drive whatever they want, and live where ever they want? The paid into the system for years, it's their money they are colle ting back.

And FYI, there is a difference between retirement benefits and disability benefits.

I have a large disability division in my practice, we screen for scammers and people trying to game the system. However, I can tell you that 99% of those applying are desperate and at the worst point of their lives. That's based on daily experience, not based on anecdotal evidence from an ER or neighbor. It's just plain sad.

Well, of course they can drive whatever they want, and can afford. That's not the issue. I'm talking about those to whom this is just chump change; totally unnecessary to their going forward, much less to their survival. I collect Social Security retirement benefits. If I didn't, I would have to dramatically reduce my standard of living. I have a nice home (not luxurious) and nice cars (not Cadillac or Lexus), but without SS, I would be in a much leaner position. If I were rich, I would not collect it, or I would return it.

Yes, I know the difference between retirement and disability benefits. Please note that the Social Security benefits for the rich is just an aside to my actual complaint about disability benefits being collected by those not qualifying. My real beef is with those who actively defraud the system, be they the individuals who collect the disability money, or those who falsify the medical issues of the former or those who use the legal system to accomplish the fraud.

I've seen enough of you on this forum to have complete confidence that you are not part of the problem. However, you are only one. I applaud Coburn for drawing attention to the many. I sincerely hope that when his term expires, he continues his projects as an influencial civilian with access to Congress. He could probably use some help from you.