Everyday People Matter
The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes the impact mental disorders have on many American’s lives and their potential to cause long-term disability. In order to be eligible for disability benefits for a mental disorder, the condition must be diagnosed by a doctor and meet the criteria required for any disability including: The mental disorder must prevent you from doing any…
Preparation is key to the success of your Social Security claim for disability benefits. The agency will require verified information about your disability, including the date when your condition became disabling, the dates and addresses of your last treatments, and the date that you stopped working. Prior to your interview, organize your medical records, making sure they are accurate and updated,…
In many cases, persons who apply for and receive Social Security benefits may also be eligible for and receive other forms of benefits payments. These can include pension payments and Worker’s Compensation benefits. Your recovery of these other benefits could impact the amount of Social Security disability benefits for which you are eligible. Your Social Security disability benefits can be…
As many as 1 in 4 Americans are believed to suffer from hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Those with hypertension have high blood pressure levels, even when they are at rest. There are several challenges involved in applying for benefits for hypertension. First, the Social Security Administration (SSA) no longer includes the condition in its impairments book that…
First, some good news. The Social Security Administration received its annual appropriation from Congress in September and that funds the agency through this February. Second, even if that were not the case, funding for programs such as Title II (SSDI), Title XVI (SSI) and XVIII (Medicare) are funded through a combination of taxes and long-term investments. The shutdown only affects…
December 1 marked World AIDS Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of HIV/AIDS which has claimed more than 35 million deaths worldwide since it first came to light. There are currently 1.1 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Southern states, including Georgia, accounted for more than half of the new HIV diagnoses in 2017. In 2016, there were 2,585 adolescents…
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder, which affects motor functioning. The symptoms include shaking (tremors), rigidity of muscles, difficulty speaking, problems walking, and depression. Depression occurs as a direct result of Parkinson’s in 80% of those with the disorder. While some of those suffering with this disease initially have relatively mild symptoms, which slowly progress over time, others degenerate rapidly.…
The Social Security Administration (SSA) lists vision loss in its Blue Book of disabilities that are eligible for disability benefits. Persons who suffer from blindness, however, may have special rules that apply to them due to the severely limiting and restrictive nature of their disability. For instance, a person who suffers from even partial blindness may be eligible for disability…
The 2018 health rankings are out and Georgia is 39. The United Health Foundation, a division of the World Health Organization publishes the yearly results. The UHR looks at the 35 different criteria. Some of these include: children in poverty; prevalence of smoking; prevalence of obesity; prevalence of mental and emotional distress, immunizations, birth weight of infants, and…
Yesterday the Regional Counsel’s office for the Social Security Administration Office of Hearing Operations invited disability attorneys and disability representatives downtown to its conference room at the federal building to roll out a new program. As one of colleagues remarked, “this is a one way conversation.” Nevertheless, anytime, SSA lets me peek behind the screen to see how things work,…