SSDI Appeals

September 21, 2015

Greek v. Colvin: Social Security Disability Appeals

In Greek v. Colvin, a case from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, claimant suffered from diabetes mellitus type one (Juvenile Type One Diabetes) and has not managed to keep the disease under control. As a result of his uncontrolled diabetes, doctors considered his condition to be “brittle diabetes.”

As complications, or secondary conditions, to the unchecked diabetes, claimant also suffered from memory loss and an altered mental state. These two secondary conditions were directly related to swings in blood glucose levels. The first doctor to submit an opinion in connection with claimant’s Social Security Disability Insurance benefits application began treating claimant for diabetes in 2007. This doctor noted claimant was not able to manage his diabetes in a way that would prevent serious complications from occurring. Continue reading

September 19, 2015

Report: National Panel Wants to Know How Disability Benefits are Being Awarded

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

There has been a lot of talk lately that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI) benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will have to be cut by nearly 20 percent by late 2016 if Congress does not decide to fund the program soon. This would obviously be devastating to roughly 10 million Americans, and this is simply not acceptable. However, in addition to how much money is being spent on disability benefits in the United States, according to a recent article from the Boston Globe, a national panel is calling for additional investigation into how that money is being distributed.

This was the recommendation in national report on the subject, which found some pretty striking issues about how SSA is awarding benefits. For example, the report found that in Hawaii, North Dakota, and Colorado, less that one percent of all indigent children were awarded benefits for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as various other mental health conditions, while in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, more than five percent of indigent children are receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits for the same medical conditions. Continue reading

September 12, 2015

Misconceptions about Social Security Disability Claimants

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

There are many common misconceptions about the millions of Americans with disabilities who collect Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. As noted in a recent article from AZ Central, many people think that the Social Security Disability Insurance program pays money to people who never worked a day in their lives, so they can continue to stay at home and not work.

This misconception could not be farther from the truth. In reality, the Social Security Disability Insurance program is only available for people who not only worked to earn a living but also worked long enough to qualify for benefits. As the name implies, the Social Security Disability Insurance program is a kind of insurance policy for every working American who pays taxes. Continue reading

July 15, 2015

Appealing a Social Security Disability Benefits Denial

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits without the help of an experienced attorney can be one of the most frustrating processes you can imagine. A recent article from the Bradenton Herald takes a closer look at the application and appeals process by asking a series of frequently asked questions and providing the answers. Continue reading