Posts in:Blog

Can SSA Place a Hold on My Claim?

Posted December 8, 2017 by Premier Disability Services, LLC®

At the initial and reconsideration stages of the Social Security Disability application process, a decision on your claim will generally be made within 3-6 months. The process can, however, take longer. The Social Security Administration (SSA) may place your case on medical deferment or “Medical Hold” when they have information showing that your disability is not yet stable and the expected change in your disability might affect the determination or decision. This is because the duration of many disabilities is subject to improvement directly related to the therapeutic regimen administered by the treating physician. Your disability must either last or be expected to last for at least 12 months, or result in death, to make you eligible for benefits.

In certain situations, a medical hold is needed to properly evaluate the severity and duration of your disability during or after a stabilizing period. For example, if you have had a recent acute event such as a heart attack or stroke; if you have cancer that may be amenable to treatment; if you have recently had a corrective procedure; or if you have started new drug therapy and your response to this treatment has not yet been established, then SSA may place your claim on medical deferment until more information is received. In these situations, the SSA will obtain more evidence 3 months following the event before evaluating your disability. However, SSA will not wait if enough information to make a determination or decision based on all of the relevant evidence in your case is available.

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!

Read more on Medical Holds here: https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0425505035

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC®

December 1st is World AIDS Day

Posted December 1, 2017 by Premier Disability Services, LLC®

World AIDS Day, which has taken place on December 1st of each year since 1988, is a global initiative to raise awareness, fight prejudice, and improve education about HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. This year’s theme is “My Health, My Right.”

Around the world, about 37 million people are living with HIV, and as of 2017 approximately 30 million individuals have died of the disease. In the United States, about 37,600 people get infected with HIV every year. The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. It’s important that everyone ages 15 to 65 gets tested for HIV at least once. Some people may need to get tested more often.

How can World AIDS Day make a difference? We can use this day to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, encourage people to get tested, and take action to support people living with HIV.

Here are just a few ideas:

  • Encourage people to get tested for HIV. Let them know that some health clinics offer free HIV testing.
  • Talk to parents about teaching their kids the basics of safe sex.
  • Wear a red ribbon, the symbol of HIV awareness and support. Tell people why you are wearing it. You can order a red ribbon online — or make your own.

Source: https://healthfinder.gov/NHO/DecemberToolkit.aspx

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC®

The Video Teleconference (VTC) Process

Posted November 22, 2017 by Premier Disability Services, LLC®

Due to the increased backlog of claims in recent years, the wait for a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) has increased drastically. In most jurisdictions, a claimant will wait 12 to 18 months (or longer) to have a hearing in front of an ALJ. This wait time does not include the processing time periods from initial application and reconsideration either. The 12 to 18 month waiting period begins once any individual requests a hearing. The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes that these timeframes are problematic for individuals whom are unable to work, unable to earn an income, and in many cases, unable to put food on their tables. Thus, SSA utilizes video teleconferencing (VTC) to help decrease the backlog. The process involves having ALJs appear by VTC from other jurisdictions that are not as backlogged at the hearing level. Often these VTC ALJs are from states that are not as populated, and therefore do not have as many claimants in their jurisdictions. Thus, the VTC ALJs have time to hear cases from other jurisdictions, which can help to decrease the backlog of claims.

The Offices of Disability Adjudication and Review, who handle claims at the hearing level, will send letters notifying claimants that they are utilizing the VTC process to help improve the efficiency of the hearing process. If you do not wish to have a VTC hearing scheduled, you have 30 days from the date that you receive the VTC notification to object to it. If you do not object within the 30-day period, and later decide you do not want to have a VTC hearing, then you must have good cause for missing the deadline.

In some cases, a VTC hearing makes sense. Accepting a VTC hearing may mean that you will have your hearing months in advance of when it normally would be scheduled. However, a VTC also has its drawbacks. The VTCs can be blurry and have slight delays between communications. Thus, if you are hard of hearing, have difficulty with speech, or if you have an impairment that has physical manifestations (i.e. tremors, skin disorders etc), it may be best do elect to have an in-person hearing, even if it means you will be waiting extra months for that hearing.

If you or someone you know is unable to work due to a medical condition, please contact us for a free case evaluation! We may be able to help even if you already have a claim pending.

By: Thomas A. Klint of Premier Disability Services, LLC®