Disability for Crohn’s Disease and Other Digestive Disorders

Among the most devastating cases that come to us are those involving Crohn’s disease, colitis, or inflammatory bowel syndrome. About a million Americans are affected with these and other digestive disorders. Severe digestive disorders can also result from a myriad of other diseases and even the side-effects of certain medications. Prominent symptoms include abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and nausea. Crohn’s can also affect other organ systems and cause additional symptoms such as malnutrition, weight loss, fever, fatigue, anemia, neurological symptoms, inflammatory arthritis, skin rashes, oral ulcers, and vision problems.

Crohn’s disease primarily strikes the young, but it can occur at any age. Although many people with this condition are able to lead happy productive lives, some can only function within severe limitations. When prescriptions and dietary changes stop working, there simply is no cure for Crohn’s. Less severe digestive disorders also have varying degrees of management and cure.
When we gather evidence to prove such a case, we work to gather detailed information from medical providers. Some cases are difficult to prove empirically, so we must show exactly how this condition prevents the patient from working full-time. Experience has shown us that people are rather reluctant to discuss symptoms like incontinence and loss of bowel control. Any psychological aspect of the disorder should also be developed into viable medical evidence through testing and treatment. The emotional impact of such diseases should not be ignored.

Remember, a few good days now and then is not the same as being consistently “available” for full-time work – one must be able to work predictably, on a sustained basis, for 40 hours a week, otherwise disability benefits should be granted.

If you or someone you know is unable to work due to a medical condition, please contact us for a free evaluation of your claim!

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®

Greater Scrutiny for Representative Payees

Representative Payees, individuals tasked with handling Social Security payments for people with disabilities, will be subject to greater scrutiny under a new law. President Trump signed the measure known as the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018 (H.R. 4547) in April after it was unanimously approved by Congress.

The legislation will impose greater oversight on representative payees who manage Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for those who need assistance handling their funds. Specifically, the law bars people with certain types of criminal convictions from acting as representative payees and prevents individuals who have representative payees themselves from serving in that capacity for others. It will also give beneficiaries more say in who handles money on their behalf by allowing Social Security recipients to make a list of their preferred payees in their order of preference.

Meanwhile, the legislation will require that protection and advocacy groups in each state — federally-mandated organizations that provide legal assistance and advocate for people with disabilities — conduct more reviews of representative payee performance on behalf of the Social Security Administration.

In addition to enhancing oversight, the measure will also eliminate a requirement that parents or spouses living with a person with a disability complete an annual accounting form for representative payees.

According to the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, some 6.2 million individuals or organizations act as representative payees on behalf of about 8 million beneficiaries. Such representatives are assigned if the agency determines that a person’s mental or physical condition prevents them from being able to manage their benefits.

Find out more about Representative Payees here: https://www.ssa.gov/payee/

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®

SSA Trust Fund Extended To 2034

The Social Security Board of Trustees released its annual report on the financial health of Social Security’s combined trust fund reserves earlier this month. The Old Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (“OASDI”) trust funds are expected to be depleted in 2034. At that time, recipients would only be eligible for 79 percent of their estimated benefits unless Congress takes action to strengthen the programs that fall under the Social Security Administration’s umbrella.

Last year alone, SSA paid out $941 billion to 62 million beneficiaries. Total expenditure by SSA for 2017 amounted to over $952 billion. SSA brought in a total income of $997 billion for 2017.

At the same time, the total number of Americans seeking Social Security disability benefits is plunging, a startling reversal of a decades-old trend that threatened the program’s solvency. It is the latest evidence of a stronger economy pulling people back into the job market or preventing workers from being sidelined in the first place. In fact, the drop is so significant that the agency has revised its estimates of how long the program will continue to be financially secure. Two years ago, the government had warned that the funds might be depleted by 2023, as opposed to the new estimate of 2034.

In addition to stronger economic growth, the drop reflects newly tightened standards for eligibility and the increasing number of baby boomers who are leaving the program because they have become eligible for Social Security retirement benefits and Medicare. Fewer than 1.5 million Americans applied to the Social Security Administration for disability coverage last year, the lowest since 2002.

While SSA has helped countless numbers of retirees and disabled individuals since 1935, there is no guarantee that it will continue to exist in the exact format that we are used to seeing. Keep in mind that the programs administered by SSA were never meant to be complete income replacement programs. Rather, SSA is set up to operate like any other insurance program and is meant to supplement people’s savings and other private investments. Thus, it is important to continue to try to save for your future independently to what you expect to receive from SSA down the line. After all, you have no idea what SSA will look like by the time you retire or if you are affected by disabilities.

SSA Trust Fund Report: https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/releases/2018/#6-2018-1

See also: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/business/economy/social-security-applications.html

By: Thomas Klint of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®