My daughter is disabled, she was going to get reg SS & medicare since she had problems as a child. Last minute they cahnged it to SSI & medicaid saying no proof of childhood problem. The thing is I guess they found out records are distroyed after so many years, I checked and they are so she's out of luck. She's in bad shape high BP, thyroid, bad back, hormone problem, bi-polar etc. Has to go to clinic, you call the day before you want to go & alot of time they say no openings. Also when she goes & tells the Dr her thyroid med is making her arm numb it's like "oh well" medicaid doesn't cover a better med. I'm so upset don't have the $ to pay all the Dr's she needs to see & meds. Meanwhile I just read the same Dr's that won't see her are going to Columbia to treat people who need help even a dentist (which she can't see either) Very depressing!

Hi Gram,
I can hear in your words the frustration you're feeling about the healthcare system we have. there's perfectly legitamite people who NEED help and aren't getting it. I understand that they can't help everyone, but medicaid runs you thru their doctors before even thinking of putting a claim thru.

I went to two of their doctors. one was a psychiatrist and the other one a general practioner. I felt very awkward and felt that the doctor could care less I was a person with feelings. there were people ahead of me and people waiting outside the door lined up in chairs to see the dr next when I was finished.
I felt like we were a herd of cattle. I could tell the dr. was getting impatient with me even if I asked one question or even spoke about a topic I was not asked by her. she wanted me in and OUT as quickly as possible. she wouldn't even have eye to eye contact with me.
she made me stand up, squat down, move my arm to the right to the left and that's all she basically did.
now mind you, this dr. is going over me to see if I am really ill or just saying it. I wanted to scream to her to listen to me at least. she goes by certain things to ask the pateint and I feel the patient isn't really given her or his turn to explain their problem.
it was as if I was an inconvience to her day to have to go over another ill person who wants to be approved for disability.

you mentioned your daughter was going to go for SSI and medicare. what but that she instead recieved "Medicaid". what is the difference?
how old is your daughter? wouldnt' they be able to tell she's disabled by doing an exam on her?
they give you the opportunity to give the patients history at least on line.
I went and filed on the computer. but I realize not eveyone has the blessing to be able to have a computer. so you have to do it at their office then, right?
they make is sound like you're going to get it and they have such wonderful people to speak to, but I heard it's common ground to get shot down upon first try and that you have to have patience with them because it can take a few years before you get approved.
meanwhile there ought to be some places that the state offers to people in need. we have crisis numbers to call, health line numbers, etc.
the thing is, I got this information myself. no one out there is going to hand out this helpful information themselves. I didn't know who to ask.
the county has places too to call.
you can look in the phone book for goverment places to call too.
I really wish you the best outcome for your daughter and that she gets the help that she deserves.
I am one of those people too and know the frustration of the system. just keep your head up, think positive and keep trying. do NOT give up.
sincerely,

Linda

One thing with soc sec never give up, you always get denied & they hope you just go away, don't, refile again & again! The thing with the SSi is you only get medicaid, reg ss benefits gets medicare instead which is better. To get regular SS disability you need enough credits of work or to prove you were sick as a child before age 21 I believe. She was & was almost approved for SS disability with medicare (better then medicaid) but then somone found out they destroy records after a number of years & changed it to SSI & medicaid. She's 39 but from being so sick for so long does not have enough credits for working. Hope this helps, good luck.

Oh yeah gram!
Now I remember. that's right!....... I was told I have enough points according to the statment I"m sent quartly from SS.
it's not alot but something. I at least mde it.
My common Law husband has no points what so ever. he did unusual jobs all his life. there's nothing to show for what he did though.

they said by the time we got old there would be no such thing as social security anymore. but It looks like I may see it after all.

a woman told me I deserve to get ssi and I told her I didn't think I qualified and thought that was for people older than 65 but she corrected me and told me what you said.
I have a horrible time recalling things that are said to me. I am seriously afraid I am getting dementia at an early age.

what is wrong with your daughter? you say she's had it most her life?a dor told me too I probably had what they call " G.A.D. all my life.Look it up. he said i"ve had it all my life and just didn't know it. I was just diagnosed with it about 8 yrs ago. how do I know there's something wrong when it's the only thing I know to go by?
I just can't tolerate life normally like others do. but now that i"m on medicine for it, I"m at least able to cope. gad means: general anxiety disorder. it can effect all the organs in your body and make you sick. that's why they stress how important it is to tell your doctor if you suffer any of the symptoms of gad.
plus I have bioplar and post traumatic stress disorder from my past. alot has happened in my life. but that's what makes us what we are today.
we have choices and we've made some good ones and some bad ones too so we can learn from them, right?
I really wish you the best and thank you for answering me back so quickly.

yours truely,

Linda

Thats what my daughter has bi-polar & traumatic stress from her life. If you have enough crdits w/working don't let them tell you SSI, that's for people who don't have credits from working. You should get reg SS if you have the credits. Do you have a lawyer they don't take anything unless you win & only get something from the award money, they should be able to help you but NEVER give up I don't care how many times you keep going back. I'm waiting for one place to send me something from when she was young showing a mental illness then I will go after them.

Thanks again Gram for your reply,
I heard ALOT that one has to keep trying. I really don't have the time to wait and wait for them to decide. I need money to live on now. How does a person get food or clothing or shelter if they can't work and they're in the process of waiting to see if they're qualified for disability?
I don't know how I"m going to live if I can't work.
I haven't contemplated hiring a lawyer yet. I'm wondering how much money of yours they take if you win?
lawyers can be very very greedy.
I am on medicaid to help me with my medical bills at least.
I was just sent a notice with unemployment that I won't be recieving anymore benefits after this last payment. they were such a blessing to me.
all the other times I tried to get unemployment it was either like trying to pull teeth, or they only gave me a couple checks and then stopped paying me for no good reason, and you know you can't argue with them either.

I feel like all I do is struggle and struggle to survive. I grew up middle class in a quite neighborhood. NOW there's no such thing as classes. you're either rich or poor.
there is no inbetween. the rich are getting wealthier and the poor are getting poorer.
i do see our state is trying to help families that are in need of medical benefits and they're trying to get help quicker for the disabled. I just heard this on the news recently.
so the goverment is aware of the problems we're all suffering. that makes me feel at least they're hearing our pleas for help.
I would never take advantage of a system and would never take away money from people who need it. why would anyone want to go thru all that red tape and all that trouble to try and get disablity if they didn't need it?
they'd have to be a glutton for punishement or they're crazy.

It's good that they were able to contact the hospital that helped your daughter when she was much younger and when it all began. it starts young for some. we just weren't aware of what it was called then.
I wish you the best gram and hope your daughter gets the necessary assistance she so much deserves.
good luck.

best wishes,
Linda

I know how you feel have struggled my whole life & got so fed up, you are right they only care about the very rich & "immigrants" I was just talking to the cashier at WM about this & food prices. she sd she gets sick when she sees "them" coming up 2 big carriage fulls of lobster, shrimp, expensive steaks that she can't afford. They are liars & I saw it when I worked for a kids Dr they have 4-5 kids say don't know where dad is (not true he is liv w/them & working so they get his pay) They get medicaid, FS for tons of people & welfare & go out to brand new cars! Why can't you go get food stamps & financial help? If you have no job & no help & are disabled they should pass you. Also there are churches & places that help w/elec bills ect. Where do you live? Get a lawyer, can't do this on your own, alot of times they know the judge, can only get a certain amt thats the law & if they can push it for you let them, it's worth it. Also it's cming up to election time get in touch w/senators, congress etc & tell them you can't get passed by SS need there help, email them call them, I did & I heard it pushes your case up. Let me know

GRAM!!!
Guess what???
I recieved a phone call from the case worker who's helping my disability case and she said I"m accepted. I was soooo happy and shocked. it took me a few seconds for it to seep into my head and understand what she said.
so it is true that folks can get it on the first try.
I applied this past december. 12/01/07 to be precise.

she also said she's going to try and get me as much help financially as possible. she had me go and talk to a representative in ssi and they also approved me. but just for the amount of time i was out of work. they had to back pay me on it and he said I should be it by the end of this month.
disablility will be coming in May.
the woman rep. told me to come in today to bring in the payee because they wouldn't let me handle my own checks because of my mental disablity and she said it's not uncommon that they do this.
she said after alittle while I can have my psychiatrist fill out a form or write a letter stating I'm stable enough to handle my own finances. meanwhile, my common law husband will have to handle all my calls to them and open a seperate bank account so my checks can be sent direct deposit to his.

I was wondering though if I am still allowed to stay on medicaid? they are paying only my medical. for my prescriptions and medical visits.
do you know if disability is supposed to handle that too? or can I stay on medicaid as well?

I just wanted to share the good news with you.

talk to you soon and good luck.

sincerely,

Linda

Thats WONDERFUL news! Now will you be on reg SS or SSI, I know reg SS gets medicare & ssi gets medicaid, SS should know. It is very unusual they ever approve someone on 1st try unless they feel it is serious enough. A friend of mines son was approved right away he had a seizure diseorder. Your husband will have to open a spec ck acct for you with him as payee thats what I had to do when I was payee for my daughter.

To be honest Gram I don't understand all this stuff with SS and SSI and disability and medicare. it's all too confusing for me to understand.

the lady wouldn't tell me what was in the report for disability to make the decision for me to have a payee. she said it's common with people who have an emotional disability. she said they give reasons but we didn't go into it. I now wish I had asked her to look it up for me.
I was just happy she called me and told me come over to her to finish up the paper work.
It could be because I tried to commit suicide back in 2000.
people with bipolar have a very high percentage rate for doing this.
maybe that's why?

I felt like I"m now tatooed that I'm offically nuts. I dont like the feeling and this is just the stigma that I tried so hard not to have on me. that's why I turned down going on disability after I tried suicide.

but after all these years going from job to job to job, I knew then that something must be wrong with me. I denied it all those years.
I thought I was just irritable not sick. oh the things I could tell you but I won't.

thanks for keeping in touch with gram. My case worker is going on vacation and I have to wait till she gets back for me to call her.
that's why she told me to come in right away so that we didn't have to wait 3 weeks to get it processed. she was so considerate of me. she is totally on my side and I was shocked that someone actually cares about the people.

thanks again.

Linda

Don't feel bad it is excactly what my daughter had & she tried to kill herself many times & turned to drugs & was in prison & mental ward & she's bi-polar, if they can't get the right meds they will medicate themselves. She is doing ok now going to N/A. I had to be her payee since they felt she couldn't handle her own money & they were right, she can't make sense of $ but that can change & you can always ask a Dr to right something saying he feels you are ready to handle it yourself. They send it to my daughter now in her name but it is mailed to me & I help her w/her bills & make sense of everything. Millions of people have those problems & bi-polar you are not alone it's a chemical imbalance & also childhood, my daughter was incested by her father since age 2. Just go slow don't complicate it the main thing is you got it which is wonderful!