I wanted to share some good news today! After waiting 9 months for Social Security Disability approval, I finally received approval today in the mail! I'll also get SSI, which means I'll be eligible for Medicaid!
I really need to money from Social Security, but almost more than that, I need the Medicaid. It is my only option for healthcare right now. My doc's accept it and have been waiting patiently with me for the approval!
I wanted to let you all know that I was approved so those of you who may think that it is impossible will know that it IS possible and that Lupus (backed up by medical records) is considered a valid disease by the ADA here in the US of A!
Lovely to hear you've got it after 9mths of waiting and besides that getting the care amd meds you need in a proper manner and about time it's considered as a valid disease.
Oh mate i am so pleased for you and it's such good news after fighting. xxxx
This amazing news sweety. I know how u feel about the health care! I too have been battling with this. It’s been since the beginning of November for me. I am so glad god has blessed you with all of this. Never give up no matter how hard this life with lupus is.
Your welcome from us all....it's lovely to see something good come out where Lupus is concerned or any other disease simular or connected to it.
I just hope come next month Tanya's goes flying through after the hard work of 3yrs and also sunshine, please keep strong both of you and never try to let anything get in your way xxx
That's all we can do is give full support and love to fellow member's needing all our support through issues that should'nt be like this...the reason why it's not is because the disease as never been looked at in the proper manner and i think it's disgusting.
Love and prayer to Tanya and sunshine. xxx
BOTH xxx
draginfli said:
Terri,
ME TOO! I'm not sure why Social Security makes some suffer for so long and not others. I can't think of anything different about what could be in mine than in Tanya's. Maybe just the caseworker she is dealing with? I had lots of letters and records from the doctors - I'm sure she does to. I'm praying for Tanya to get her benefits and for everyone else who is trying. They do NOT make it easy! I just know that it CAN be done.
Let's all pray for Tanya and send her our best wishes and the best of luck!!
That is gear news. I just filed my petition yesterday and the attorney told me it would take 1.5 years for the process. But I can’t get medicare until I hve received the disability for 2 years. So I am confused.
Great advice for Deenie or other member's considering this....Deenie i wish you also the best iof Luck. xxx
draginfli said:
Hi Dewing,
Sometimes it can take longer, sometimes shorter - the attorney is giving you an average timeline so they don't promise something that might not happen. Social Security can be really slow. Also, before you get the Medicare, you will likely be eligible for Medicaid and SSI. Medicaid will cover you until you are eligible for Medicare. The way that they set my disability date was according to the day I had to stop working plus 5 months. I will be eligible for Medicare in April 2013. Not so long from now. I'm very happy with Medicaid right now.
I didn't apply right away when I became disabled, I was hoping I would get better quickly - but they still set my disability date to when I stopped working - which was in the way past. So my Medicare date is coming up pretty soon.
Dew - I think it is good that you hired the lawyer right away! You may be denied first time and even second time around (it is just the way SSD works), but from what my attorney was telling me the odds of approval go up with each appeal and they go WAY up once you get to the hearing level! The attorney makes everything go faster for you I think. If all your med records are good and your docs are on board - you will be fine, let the lawyer worry about it!
Now i think that's bad mate having to wait another 2yrs after being turned down twice and the lists you've just throwed onto the thread...here alone in the UK you get disaibility for diabetes alone and your neuro toubles...it's just pure madness.
It's madness because to me this disease should be classed in a way the same as cancer because with either one we never know what's around the corner...so regarding the severity of how your suffering you need to drop on the door, it makes you want to scream with what we go through daily.
jujubeee said:
Yeah. Even my lawyers were stupified on this one. They acknowledged I had proved I had the conditions., but not to the severity that they would keep me from working. Yeah, lupus is just a walk in the park.....lol
Ours here is'nt much better mate i can tell you....as long as you have the determination to keep on fighting that's all that matters and it goes a long way plus like you say they'll be owing you some back pay.
Oh so your beholden to a rheumo where everything passes through him first i've crossed those doctor's in the past and so annoying and the time it takes to reach you when a letter is done is stupid or you get the receptionists are busy....my dermo can get a letter done and sealed to my GP within a week and half the rheumo your taking a coupleof months and then we're chasing him....well how you fired your GP i've been struck off 2 GP's for telling them what i think.lol...behave yourself woman. xxx
jujubeee said:
Exactly. In april 2011 it was presented to the social security forum to put lupus on the compassionate allowance list, meaning that it would get fast tracked for approvals. Nothing has happened since. That's how things move here..very slowly.
I'm determined though, and I know it's a matter of WHEN not a matter of IF. The longer they take, the more backpay they may owe me. It just seems so ridiculous. I worked up until the last day I could. My doctors have not been as helpful as they could be though, my rheumie works out of a large hospital organizations that does not allow the doctors to fill out or submit social security reports on patients. THAT is an atrocity. My doc called me himself to apologize and faxed me some of his "notes", but that's all I got out of him. Great. I've since fired him for alot of reasons.
Dow worry Julie because Ang wow mind...she'll come in tomorrow or later reading up and carrying on herself
"Won't you Ang" xxx
jujubeee said:
btw, poor dragonfli...we've hijacked your post and I've done nothing but complain. This is YOUR happy day!!!!! Please enjoy it and I'm so glad your now covered medically and you have the ssdi you so deserve and have worked for.
I'm geting there slowly.lol but i love julie's determination not to give in but to fight and as long as you carry that..she'll get there in the end.
Watch that poor girls video Julie as added to her thread, i sent a pm to her and asked for her to join we, she looks so anxious with what she's going through. xxx
My counselor recommended that I apply for SSD, and he is on board with helping me. He also referred me to Vocational Rehabilitation. I never thought I would be considering this at this point in my life. But I would rather be taking care of myself now, so that I don't pay for more serious conditions later in life.
Thanks for your advice, the look on my husband's face when he got home and I got up from the couch to go greet him, said it all to me last night.... He was so concerned and said Oh honey - what's the matter? are you alright??? And I just thought I was getting up like normal. The heat is up here, and its taking its toll on me at work.
draginfli said:
Hi Sunrise!
If Lupus is preventing you from working, I agree that you should apply for SSDI - it is in your best interests. It takes a while and you may really, really need it by the time you get it. All of your docs should be on board as much as possible, especially your diagnosing doc - your Rheumy or the Internal Med doc who diagnosed the Lupus and if you have other conditions like depression - those doctors.
The most important thing that I think I did was get an attorney to help me. For one thing, I'm way to sick to deal with all of it on my own. Just the initial application process was exhausting for me. The thing that I would change is that I would hire the attorney to help me from the very beginning - at the initial application. They will be paid the same amount anyway and the attorney's are familiar with the terminology necessary for approvals.
There are likely tons of attorney's in your area that do not even get paid until you collect your back pay from SSDI and if you don't win, they do no collect at all. I went with a local person with experience rather than a nationwide service figuring (correctly) that I would get one on one service with the main attorney.
My docs didn't think that I could work doing anything at all even with other training and your Rheumy and other docs might not think that you can either - it would be good to check it out. Just getting dressed and ready for work would be a huge strain for me. Keep in mind, that this is just my experience - everyone's is different as this disease has so many faces.
