Daniel's blog

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is in a state of financial crisis. There is nothing new about that information. Anyone who is familiar with Social Security benefits knows that these benefits are at risk unless serious changes are made to the way the program is run. Needless to say, the fact that Social Security Disability fraud has been a problem in the past, and is still a problem today, only adds to the financial problems.

Everyone who is up-to-date with Social Security news knows that the administration is in dire financial straits. Various government parties have been looking for ways to address the financial issues that the Social Security Administration is facing. Unfortunately, many of the proposed solutions have fallen short. The latest effort to cut Social Security by $750 million is no exception to this rule. Not only does it seem that this proposal will not address the financial issues the administration is facing, but may actually end up costing the Social Security Administration $6 billion.

The South Michigan Health Information Exchange (also known as SEMHIE) has announced that it has officially completed all of the required milestones necessary to provide e-Disability claim filing services to the Social Security Administration. What does this mean to Social Security Disability applicants? If the program works as intended, it may mean shorter claim periods and faster receipt of Social Security Disability benefits.

On June 12th of this year it was announced that the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee approved a fiscal year 2013 bill that will provide the government with $158.8 billion in current year discretionary funding. Exactly what does this mean? That the government has more than $158 billion dollars to spend to improve programs to help American citizens. The question is what exactly does this mean for the Social Security Administration (SSA)?

Some disabilities are readily apparent to the untrained eye. Others, however, are not so visible. Many people who seem perfectly “normal” can suffer from debilitating disabilities that make it nearly impossible to work. These people often suffer in silence, with very few understanding the nature or extent of their condition. Such is the nature of mental illness. Fortunately, many of the people who suffer from mental illnesses can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits if their condition prevents them from maintaining full-time work activity.

It is no secret that approval and denial rates vary from one administrative law judge to another in the Social Security Administration (SSA). Not too long ago there was commotion involving an administrative law judge who had a recent approval rate of nearly 100 percent. There are, however, situations in which an administrative law judge leans towards the other end of the spectrum with extremely high denial rates, as is the case with one administrative law judge hearing Social Security Disability cases in Richmond, Virginia.

While not everyone finds themselves in a situation in which they are entitled to past due Social Security Disability benefits, many disability applicants who must endure the lengthy and complex disability appeal process are indeed entitled to past due benefits once their disability claims have been approved. This is due to the fact that the Social Security Administration (SSA), upon finding the person disabled, must pay that individual for benefits for the time that it took them to appeal the SSA’s denial of their initial disability claim.

Myasthenia Gravis (MG), a condition which affects roughly one in 5,000 Americans, is an autoimmune disease which causes the body’s immune system to essentially attack the body rather than fight disease. Its effects on a person’s life can range from relatively mild to severely debilitating. The cause is currently unknown.

Once you have been approved for Social Security Disability benefits, you can expect to have a continuing review periodically. Depending on the severity of your medical condition and the perceived likelihood that you will eventually be able to eventually return to work, this review could take place every year, or every few years. Typically, continuing disability reviews take place every three years (though this can vary considerably).

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently confirmed that it will be reviewing the way it handles Social Security disability claims based on neurological disorders. Currently, neurological disorders account for only 9% of all disability claims approved. The SSA is looking into the possible reasons why the percentage of approved disability claims is this low for neurological disorders.