Re: raising funds for treatment?

[Guest guest]

That was not true for me.

I submitted my application on my own, with the 15 pages of different symptoms. It took me 3 weeks to prepare it, but I manage to do it. I did get sick after that from the mental exhaustion thou. I was evaluated by Psychiatrist and proclaimed Disable due to my cognitive problems.

They make you count numbers and repeat them, ask you quick questions in order to find out how fast is your reaction. My evaluator gave me 3 words before the exam to memorize and told me she will ask me to repeat them at the end. I could not remember any of them, and after 5 minutes of struggle I remembered one, even thou she was giving me the hints. Also they ask you to multiply and ad or subtract. I could not do that either, luckily for me it was very bad day, I was at my sickest.

If any of you need any help I am here for you. I still have saved my Soc Sec Kit with all the illness and Symptoms that are plugging me, I can just email to anyone that needs it.

They have very good instructions on Soc Sec Website about everything. You need to have your doctor support your disability claim thou.

If you have memory problems, hat is automatic Disability.

Do not pay lawyers for what you can do on your own. My Disability was approved in 4 months.

Good luck to you all.

Nevenka

From: khaya.davidson

Sent: Friday, August 17, 2012 7:12 PM

To: Lyme_and_Rife

Subject: Re: raising funds for treatment?

Hi Kendra,Applying for SSDI is a very long and arduous process. We recently had an attorney speak to our support group. He said only about 1/3 of applicants are approved with their initial application. You must apply for a hearing within 60 days, and you will need an attorney for the hearing. About 2/3 of applicants at hearings are approved. Usually the attorney works on contingency and takes a percentage of the retroactive benefits, so you don't have to pay the attorney anything until you win. If you don't win, the attorney doesn't get paid. I hope will file for a hearing asap.Khaya >> I haven't been posting for a few months because I've been in & out of the> hospital following a severe toxic mold exposure.... I finally had to> travel to Chicago to see a mold specialist and I stayed with an online Lyme> friend - .> > While staying with her family I found out that her situation is pretty> bleak, she's living with her mom trying to get approved for SSDI and they> just can't make it financially. (Her mom is also disabled, retired on> SS.) She finally had her ALJ hearing but got a denial letter yesterday!> She is devastated.....> > I created an Indiegogo fundraiser site for her & her family (she lives with> her Mom & older sister).> Here is the URL.....> > http://igg.me/p/199902?a=486743> > If you can't afford to help will you please consider sharing the link?> Thank you!> > Kendra>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kendra,

Applying for SSDI is a very long and arduous process. We recently had an

attorney speak to our support group. He said only about 1/3 of applicants are

approved with their initial application. You must apply for a hearing within 60

days, and you will need an attorney for the hearing. About 2/3 of applicants at

hearings are approved. Usually the attorney works on contingency and takes a

percentage of the retroactive benefits, so you don't have to pay the attorney

anything until you win. If you don't win, the attorney doesn't get paid. I

hope will file for a hearing asap.

Khaya

>

> I haven't been posting for a few months because I've been in & out of the

> hospital following a severe toxic mold exposure.... I finally had to

> travel to Chicago to see a mold specialist and I stayed with an online Lyme

> friend - .

>

> While staying with her family I found out that her situation is pretty

> bleak, she's living with her mom trying to get approved for SSDI and they

> just can't make it financially. (Her mom is also disabled, retired on

> SS.) She finally had her ALJ hearing but got a denial letter yesterday!

> She is devastated.....

>

> I created an Indiegogo fundraiser site for her & her family (she lives with

> her Mom & older sister).

> Here is the URL.....

>

> http://igg.me/p/199902?a=486743

>

> If you can't afford to help will you please consider sharing the link?

> Thank you!

>

> Kendra

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the replies.  Unfortunately, just got denied - again - at the 3rd level - the ALJ (admin law judge).  Her SS claim has been in process nearly 2 years. I hope her advocate can ask for a re-hearing.  If not, she will have to file an appeal in Federal Court which will likely take many more months. 

I was at her house when she came back from the hearing.  The SSA's own experts at the hearing stated that she could not work and she had documentation from her previous employer (of over 6 years years) showing how her job performance degraded when she got sick.  We were both shocked by the decision given her documentation & the hearing.

Kendra

That was not true for me.

 

I submitted my application on my own,  with the 15 pages of different symptoms. It took me 3 weeks to prepare it, but I manage to do it. I did get sick after that from the mental exhaustion thou. I was evaluated by Psychiatrist and proclaimed Disable due to my cognitive problems.

 

They make you count numbers and repeat them, ask you quick questions in order to find out how fast is your reaction. My evaluator gave me 3 words before the exam to memorize and told me she will ask me to repeat them at the end. I could not remember any of them, and after 5 minutes of struggle I remembered one, even thou she was giving me the hints. Also they ask you to multiply and ad or subtract. I could not do that either, luckily for me it was very bad day, I was at my sickest.

 

If any of you need any help I am here for you. I still have saved my Soc Sec Kit with all the illness and Symptoms that are plugging me, I can just email to anyone that needs it.

 

They have very good instructions on Soc Sec Website  about everything. You need to have your doctor support your disability claim thou.

 

If you have memory problems, hat is automatic Disability.

 

Do not pay lawyers for what you can do on your own.  My Disability was approved in 4 months.

 

Good luck to you all.

 

Nevenka

 

 

 

From: khaya.davidson

Sent: Friday, August 17, 2012 7:12 PM

To: Lyme_and_Rife

Subject: Re: raising funds for treatment?

 

 

Hi Kendra,Applying for SSDI is a very long and arduous process. We recently had an attorney speak to our support group. He said only about 1/3 of applicants are approved with their initial application. You must apply for a hearing within 60 days, and you will need an attorney for the hearing. About 2/3 of applicants at hearings are approved. Usually the attorney works on contingency and takes a percentage of the retroactive benefits, so you don't have to pay the attorney anything until you win. If you don't win, the attorney doesn't get paid. I hope will file for a hearing asap.Khaya >> I haven't been posting for a few months because I've been in & out of the> hospital following a severe toxic mold exposure.... I finally had to> travel to Chicago to see a mold specialist and I stayed with an online Lyme> friend - .> > While staying with her family I found out that her situation is pretty> bleak, she's living with her mom trying to get approved for SSDI and they> just can't make it financially. (Her mom is also disabled, retired on> SS.) She finally had her ALJ hearing but got a denial letter yesterday!> She is devastated.....> > I created an Indiegogo fundraiser site for her & her family (she lives with> her Mom & older sister).> Here is the URL.....> > http://igg.me/p/199902?a=486743> > If you can't afford to help will you please consider sharing the link?> Thank you!> > Kendra>

[Guest guest]

I'm shocked too--she must be devastated! Someone must know something that can

be done ...

> > >

> > > I haven't been posting for a few months because I've been in & out of the

> > > hospital following a severe toxic mold exposure.... I finally had to

> > > travel to Chicago to see a mold specialist and I stayed with an online

> > Lyme

> > > friend - .

> > >

> > > While staying with her family I found out that her situation is pretty

> > > bleak, she's living with her mom trying to get approved for SSDI and they

> > > just can't make it financially. (Her mom is also disabled, retired on

> > > SS.) She finally had her ALJ hearing but got a denial letter yesterday!

> > > She is devastated.....

> > >

> > > I created an Indiegogo fundraiser site for her & her family (she lives

> > with

> > > her Mom & older sister).

> > > Here is the URL.....

> > >

> > > http://igg.me/p/199902?a=486743

> > >

> > > If you can't afford to help will you please consider sharing the link?

> > > Thank you!

> > >

> > > Kendra

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I've been trying to help her with her SS claim. I think she needs to

get her Congressperson to send a letter and I sent her the Soc Sec.

99-2 CFS letter ruling to share with her advocate.

It's harder to get disability when you don't have health insurance and

can't afford doctor's visits to get treatment either. She was getting

some help from the county where she lives - when she was getting

unemployment, but lost it when her unemployment ran out. Which really

makes no sense either...

Kendra

On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 9:10 PM, khaya.davidson

wrote:

> I'm shocked too--she must be devastated! Someone must know something that can

be done ...

>

>

>>

>> Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, just got denied - again -

>> at the 3rd level - the ALJ (admin law judge). Her SS claim has been in

>> process nearly 2 years. I hope her advocate can ask for a re-hearing.

>> If not, she will have to file an appeal in Federal Court which will likely

>> take many more months.

>>

>> I was at her house when she came back from the hearing. The SSA's own

>> experts at the hearing stated that she could not work and she had

>> documentation from her previous employer (of over 6 years years) showing

>> how her job performance degraded when she got sick. We were both shocked by

the decision given her documentation & the hearing.

>>

>> Kendra

>

[Guest guest]

This is outrageous, not only that we are denied the treatment but also any kind of financial support.

Good luck to your friend.

I hope she gets approved soon.

Nevenka

From: Kendra

Sent: Friday, August 17, 2012 7:44 PM

To: Lyme_and_Rife

Subject: Re: Re: raising funds for treatment?

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, just got denied - again - at the 3rd level - the ALJ (admin law judge). Her SS claim has been in process nearly 2 years. I hope her advocate can ask for a re-hearing. If not, she will have to file an appeal in Federal Court which will likely take many more months. I was at her house when she came back from the hearing. The SSA's own experts at the hearing stated that she could not work and she had documentation from her previous employer (of over 6 years years) showing how her job performance degraded when she got sick. We were both shocked by the decision given her documentation & the hearing.Kendra

That was not true for me.

I submitted my application on my own, with the 15 pages of different symptoms. It took me 3 weeks to prepare it, but I manage to do it. I did get sick after that from the mental exhaustion thou. I was evaluated by Psychiatrist and proclaimed Disable due to my cognitive problems.

They make you count numbers and repeat them, ask you quick questions in order to find out how fast is your reaction. My evaluator gave me 3 words before the exam to memorize and told me she will ask me to repeat them at the end. I could not remember any of them, and after 5 minutes of struggle I remembered one, even thou she was giving me the hints. Also they ask you to multiply and ad or subtract. I could not do that either, luckily for me it was very bad day, I was at my sickest.

If any of you need any help I am here for you. I still have saved my Soc Sec Kit with all the illness and Symptoms that are plugging me, I can just email to anyone that needs it.

They have very good instructions on Soc Sec Website about everything. You need to have your doctor support your disability claim thou.

If you have memory problems, hat is automatic Disability.

Do not pay lawyers for what you can do on your own. My Disability was approved in 4 months.

Good luck to you all.

Nevenka

From: khaya.davidson

Sent: Friday, August 17, 2012 7:12 PM

To: Lyme_and_Rife

Subject: Re: raising funds for treatment?

Hi Kendra,Applying for SSDI is a very long and arduous process. We recently had an attorney speak to our support group. He said only about 1/3 of applicants are approved with their initial application. You must apply for a hearing within 60 days, and you will need an attorney for the hearing. About 2/3 of applicants at hearings are approved. Usually the attorney works on contingency and takes a percentage of the retroactive benefits, so you don't have to pay the attorney anything until you win. If you don't win, the attorney doesn't get paid. I hope will file for a hearing asap.Khaya

>> I haven't been posting for a few months because I've been in & out of the> hospital following a severe toxic mold exposure.... I finally had to> travel to Chicago to see a mold specialist and I stayed with an online Lyme> friend - .> > While staying with her family I found out that her situation is pretty> bleak, she's living with her mom trying to get approved for SSDI and they> just can't make it financially. (Her mom is also disabled, retired on> SS.) She finally had her ALJ hearing but got a denial letter yesterday!> She is devastated.....> > I created an Indiegogo fundraiser site for her & her family (she lives with> her Mom & older sister).> Here is the URL.....> > http://igg.me/p/199902?a=486743> > If you can't afford to help will you please consider sharing the link?> Thank you!> > Kendra>

[Guest guest]

Checking with her Congress Rep. is a good idea. If her advocate is not an

attorney, she needs to get an attorney. I understand it makes a big difference.

But so should her Rep. in Congress.

> >>

> >> Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, just got denied - again -

> >> at the 3rd level - the ALJ (admin law judge). Her SS claim has been in

> >> process nearly 2 years. I hope her advocate can ask for a re-hearing.

> >> If not, she will have to file an appeal in Federal Court which will likely

> >> take many more months.

> >>

> >> I was at her house when she came back from the hearing. The SSA's own

> >> experts at the hearing stated that she could not work and she had

> >> documentation from her previous employer (of over 6 years years) showing

> >> how her job performance degraded when she got sick. We were both shocked

by the decision given her documentation & the hearing.

> >>

> >> Kendra

> >

>

[Guest guest]

It is so unusual to be turned down at the administrative judge level when document ionshows decline... This must have been a very picky judge, as they are completely separate from the thinkingof SSDI... And more lenient in their thinking...BUT........Kendra:Tell her to take this to Federal Court.. Sounds like she just got stuck with a lousy judge... Tell her to always act like she feels on her worst day when going to doctors or anything SSDI related... She wants them to see her sick, even on a better day... Check this out, one judge has just an 8.6% approval rate, this is almost criminal.. Yet the highest judge is at 99.7%, had she beengiven this judge, she would have won.. I can't imagine a judge with such a low approval rating.. Even the OIG is concerned about this,meaning some are just being left out in the cold all because of an unfair judge and the government is concerned about this.. http://ultimatedisabilityguide.blogspot.com>>>Investigating the wide disparity in allowance rates from Social Security Disability hearingsOne of the most frustrating aspects of the Social Security disability process, particularly at the hearing level, is the inconsistency of administrative law judge decisions. The average allowance rate for 2010 was 67% at the hearing level. However, the hearing level approval rate for administrative law judges ranged from 8.6% to 99.7%. The difference between the judge with the lowest percentage of approvals and that of the judge with the highest percentage of approvals is enormous. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, also called OIG, has looked into the situation. It is not all that clear what the OIG plans to do or can do about the situation. One of the reasons there is an appeals Council is to review decisions by ALJ's to make sure the decisions follow Social Security guidelines. One problem I see with this is with the new rules that do not allow a claimant to file appeal to the appeal council and a new application at the same time it is forcing many claimants to make a choice whether or not to appeal their case and many are not appealing the hearing decision in hopes of getting a quicker decision with the new application. It will be interesting to see what steps are taken to correct this problem without interfering with an ALJ's decisional independence. For those of you at the hearing stage, unfortunately, due to new rules from Social Security you will not know which ALJ you will be in front of until the day of the hearing. However, after you have your hearing it may be a good idea to try and find out your particular ALJ's approval rating so that in case you were denied it can help you decide whether or not to appeal or file a new application.<<<<Take care,Jim> > > >> > > > I haven't been posting for a few months because I've been in & out of the> > > > hospital following a severe toxic mold exposure.... I finally had to> > > > travel to Chicago to see a mold specialist and I stayed with an online> > > Lyme> > > > friend - .> > > >> > > > While staying with her family I found out that her situation is pretty> > > > bleak, she's living with her mom trying to get approved for SSDI and they> > > > just can't make it financially. (Her mom is also disabled, retired on> > > > SS.) She finally had her ALJ hearing but got a denial letter yesterday!> > > > She is devastated.....> > > >> > > > I created an Indiegogo fundraiser site for her & her family (she lives> > > with> > > > her Mom & older sister).> > > > Here is the URL.....> > > >> > > > http://igg.me/p/199902?a=486743> > > >> > > > If you can't afford to help will you please consider sharing the link?> > > > Thank you!> > > >> > > > Kendra> > > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> >>

[Guest guest]

OMG, I can't believe the difference in approval rates!  Do they have them for every judge?  This was in Chicago - if I get the judge's name can you find out the approval rating for that judge? was reading parts of the decision to me and it seemed like the judge was really stretching & twisting things to justify her decision.  Especially since the SS experts that testified at the hearing said that couldn't work. 

She also has depression and is taking psych meds and seeing a counseler.  The judge ignored lots of the medical documentation.However, had/has a non-attorney advocate.  I hope that she can find an attorney who will be willing to file the federal appeal.  The non-attorney advocate will have to be willing to negotiate a fee split.

Thanks for the additional info Jim!

It is so unusual to be turned down at the administrative judge level when document ionshows decline... This must have been a very picky judge, as they are completely separate from the thinking

of SSDI... And more lenient in their thinking...BUT........Kendra:Tell her to take this to Federal Court.. Sounds like she just got stuck with a lousy judge... Tell her to always act like she feels on her worst day when going to doctors or anything SSDI related... She wants them to see her sick, even on a better day... 

Check this out, one judge has just an 8.6% approval rate, this is almost criminal.. Yet the highest judge is at 99.7%, had she beengiven this judge, she would have won.. I can't imagine a judge with such a low approval rating.. Even the OIG is concerned about this,

meaning some are just being left out in the cold all because of an unfair judge and the government is concerned about this.. http://ultimatedisabilityguide.blogspot.com

>>>Investigating the wide disparity in allowance rates from Social Security Disability hearingsOne of the most frustrating aspects of the Social Security disability process, particularly at the hearing level, is the inconsistency of administrative law judge decisions. The average allowance rate for 2010 was 67% at the hearing level. However, the hearing level approval rate for administrative law judges ranged from 8.6% to 99.7%. The difference between the judge with the lowest percentage of approvals and that of the judge with the highest percentage of approvals is enormous. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, also called OIG, has looked into the situation. It is not all that clear what the OIG plans to do or can do about the situation. One of the reasons there is an appeals Council is to review decisions by ALJ's to make sure the decisions follow Social Security guidelines. One problem I see with this is with the new rules that do not allow a claimant to file appeal to the appeal council and a new application at the same time it is forcing many claimants to make a choice whether or not to appeal their case and many are not appealing the hearing decision in hopes of getting a quicker decision with the new application. It will be interesting to see what steps are taken to correct this problem without interfering with an ALJ's decisional independence. For those of you at the hearing stage, unfortunately, due to new rules from Social Security you will not know which ALJ you will be in front of until the day of the hearing. However, after you have your hearing it may be a good idea to try and find out your particular ALJ's approval rating so that in case you were denied it can help you decide whether or not to appeal or file a new application.<<<<

Take care,Jim

> >> > Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, just got denied - again -at the 3rd level - the ALJ (admin law judge). Her SS claim has been in process nearly 2 years. I hope her advocate can ask for a re-hearing.

If not, she will have to file an appeal in Federal Court which will likely take many more months.> > > > I was at her house when she came back from the hearing. The SSA's own experts at the hearing stated that she could not work and she had documentation from her previous employer (of over 6 years years) showing how her job performance degraded when she got sick. We were both shocked by the decision given her documentation & the hearing.

> > > > Kendra