Re: Disability / Campaign Capital Hill / Kimber

[Guest guest]

HI

Can you tell me how to get that book i am now waiting to see a judge.Any help

would be appreciated.

Lola

Re: Disability / Campaign Capital Hill / Kimber

In a message dated 12/4/2002 9:30:00 PM US Eastern Standard Time,

hominid2@... writes:

> >>>I'm sure I will pick the brains of those of you who have already gotten

> your disability benefits. Since my memory is so bad, I am going to create a

> checklist of all the things I have to do to do this. Any help or

> suggestions of things to put on this checklist would be greatly

> appreciated. Kimber <<<

Kimber,

When I went through the process, in addition to hiring Jim, who took care of

everything, I did purchase the book, " How to get SSI and Social Security

Disability: An Insider's Step By Step Guide " by Mike , a former SSI and

Social Security Disability Claims Examiner. This is a good book, in that it

gives the inside scoop on what the decision-makers are really looking for and

how you can help them get it. I have spoken to Jim McAuley, attorney about

the value of this information obtained in this book. He knows the book and

states it is good as an over view. The difficulty is that the laws re:

disability and SSI change every year. I will be glad to mail you the book if

you want to check it out of the " PAI Library " .

Jim and I are working on writing a resource guide that will be in the format

that can be amended and updated as the laws change. It will also be set up to

provide the reader with state by state information. Jim, being licensed to

practice law, in every state in the US, says that disability law is extremely

complex. It is unfortunately projected as an easy racket for attorneys

seeking clients on television. Good attorneys don't have time for that, they

are too busy keeping up to date with legislative changes. The procedure he

uses is very similar to the format I used when I was preparing case

presentation to get insurance approval for home care, respite, nursing home,

etc. Preparing the letter of medical necessity is the key component, and, of

course the supporting documentation. His firm has a large conference room,

with a very large conference table. He has a team of legal aides who assist

him with preparing your medical record for presentation to the court. He has

it scattered over the table in different piles, and essentially reconstructs

your life prior to, during the illness, up to the point that the disease has

debilitated and disabled you from further ability to perform any worthwhile

work. I was impressed. He knows the pieces of the puzzle he is missing and

stays on the doctor or hospital until they eventually furnish him with the

data that he needs for a positive outcome.

He has shared his gratitude for allowing him to work so closely with the PAI.

He said that since meeting and talking on an intimate level with the members

of the PAI, he developed an understanding of show truly catastrophic this

disease is. He says " disabled " does not come close to defining the physical,

emotional, and spiritual state that this disease takes us to. He says our

ability to persevere, our passion to live, and our willingness to look past

our own pain, to help another, which can be seen in the love and respect of

how we treat one another, has reconfirmed his commitment to do whatever he

has to do to improve the quality of our lives, and get us approved for

diability.

Most importantly, he recently wrote me and said that the PAI was far more

than an Internet message board, he sees us are a professional organization.

He says that it is time to take our many people, many faces, and ONE voice to

capitol hill and have legislation changed to adopt Chronic Pancreatitis as an

approved diagnosis and have it placed on the list of impairments. The House

of Representatives and Congress will only receive letters of request from

organizations that represent the persons involved (the patients). Through the

organization (the PAI) letters and petitions can then be submitted. We are

currently working on this project.

It makes me so proud, because, you know that we would only be random voices

if it weren't for your continued support and contributions to maintain the

integrity and high standards that are reviewed by persons and agencies when

making determinations on the legitimacy of our mission. Thank you all.

With utmost sincerity,

Karyn

Karyn E. , RN

Founder / Executive Director

Pancreatitis Association International

Corp. Office: Indps, IN, USA 1-