-
Delayed Retirement Credits and Disability Benefits
Posted by
This article makes a good point about how complicated financial planning can be for disability beneficiaries and their families. It is a worthwhile read. One interesting thing I took note of: even though disability benefits convert to retirement benefits at full retirement age, a person can still…
-
Patient-Tailored Treatment of Back Pain?
Posted by
With so many breakthroughs in medical research focusing on individualized treatment, it make sense that this would work with chronic back pain as well. Turns out that it might not. A new studyfound no difference in the outcomes between those patients whose treatment was designed for them and thos…
-
A Million Reasons Why The Wait Is So Long For A Disability Hearing
Posted by
It is almost impossible to believe, yet true: the backlog of people waiting for their Social Security disability hearing has reached almost one million. That number is shocking for several reasons. First, it’s hard to believe that something like one out of every three hundred or so Americans is …
-
No Need For Warning On Use of Steroid Injections Per FDA
Posted by
A panel convened by the FDA to examine the safety of steroid injections to treat back pain has decided not to issue a warningabout this treatment. Few people who get these shots may be aware that the FDA has never approved them for use in treating back pain. This despite the fact that the treatme…
-
Approved by Mistake?
Posted by
The Social Security Office of Inspector General (IG) has released a report with a startling conclusion: Administrative Law Judges (ALJ’s) have approved nearly 25,000 applicants for disability “by mistake.” That is a very interesting assertion. We hire ALJ’s to judge claims. Is it appropriate fo…
-
Nothing To Fear Except Fear Itself?
Posted by
The November, 2014 issue of The Spine Journal examined the role of so-called catastrophizing on chronic back pain. As the name suggests, catastrophizing is the tendency to think that things are much worse, indeed often hopeless, than they really are. I guess it is no real surprise to find out t…
-
What’s The Definition of Irony?
Posted by
The Social Security Administration, which is charged with administering the largest disability program in the country, just settled a class-action lawsuit. The allegations of said lawsuit? That SSA discriminated against their own disabled employees. According to the plaintiffs and their lawyers,…
-
Did Your Pain Specialist Test You For PCP? Cocaine?
Posted by
As crazy is it seems, your pain doctor may be testing you for illegal street drugs even if you have no history of using them. Why? To make money, of course. The Wall Street Journal has published anarticle documenting how many pain specialists are making large sums of money by doing drug tests. I…
-
Another Good Reason To Stop Smoking
Posted by
By now, we all know that we should not smoke. But if you suffer from chronic back pain, you have even more motivation to quit. Researchers at Northwestern Medical School have found that smokers are more likely to suffer chronic back pain than non-smokers. It appears that quitting cigarettes ca…
-
Double Check Your Benefits On Line
Posted by
I have in the past urged people to set up an account atmysocialsecurity.com in order to be able to check your status with Social Security. Today, I learned of another reason to do so. I had a client get approved for disability. But, the earnings information on file for him was incorrect. But, t…
-
How To Fix Social Security
Posted by
Among scholars and others there is some dispute as to whether Social Security needs to be repaired at all. If we assume that it does need repair, how best to do it? The Washington Post is examining several of the top options. Among them are two of the most popular: raising the retirement age and…
-
Disc Replacement Surgery?
Posted by
It seems as if disc replacement surgery is among the more controversial treatments for chronic spinal pain. At present, there is a clear preference among orthopedic surgeons to do fusions instead. It can be hard to find a doctor who does disc replacements. It can be even harder to find an insura…
-
Types of Back Surgery
Posted by
When we think of back surgery, we tend to believe that all the procedures are more or less the same. It’s back surgery, right? But, in fact, there are a large number of procedures. Each has it’s own indications and outcomes. Among the most common back surgeries, per the Mayoclinic.org, are: …
-
Washington Post Article on Disability Backlog
Posted by
In a long and very informative article, the Washington Post explores the scandal of the backlog of people waiting to have their Social Security disability claims heard. Consider one fact from the article: more people are awaiting resolution of their disability claims than live in six different s…
-
Video Conference Social Security Disability Hearings
Posted by
Earlier this month, SSA started sending out letters to those persons awaiting hearings on their claims. These letters informed people that they could have their hearings in front of a TV screen rather than with a live judge. SSA included a full-page handout with each letter explaining the value …
-
Less Medical Treatment, Better Outcomes?
Posted by
Richard A. Deyo, MD, is a Professor of Family Medicine, Professor of Internal Medicine, and Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University. He has written a new book entitled Watch Your Back. In this book, Professor Deyo argues that far too many people wi…
-
Approval Rates At All Time Lows
Posted by
I just returned from the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) fall seminar in Las Vegas. One of the presenters at the conference passed along the following: Approval rates at hearing in 2007 was 62% and in 2013 it is 48%. From what I heard, this marks an all…
-
Consider Yoga For That Aching Back
Posted by
Before getting more pain injections or attending another round of PT, you might want to head down to your local yoga studio. New research from the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that certain forms of yoga can be effective in treating chronic back pain. Keep in mind, however, that not all …
-
Social Security To Resume Mailing Benefit Statements
Posted by
While I still think it is better to go to My Social Security to check on your earnings and benefits status, you can wait for a statement from Social Security instead. SSA Commissioner Colvin announced that SSA will resume sending out statements. But, you better be patient: SSA will only send out …
-
Do Pain Pills Help For Chronic Back Pain?
Posted by
If your doctor has you taking such drugs as Codeine Vicodin, Hycodan (hydrocodone) MS Contin Kadian (morphine) Oxycontin, Percoset (oxycodone) Dilaudid (hydromorphone) Duragesic (fentanyl) you may want to rethink this approach.A new paper in the medical journal Neurology, argues that …
-
Visit My Social Security Website For Valuable Information
Posted by
If you have not done so already, you should visit the My Social Security website. Before you can take advantage of this service, you need to set up an account with a password. Social Security makes this process rather more complicated than it needs to be. But, once you have set up an account, you…
-
Does Chiropractic Manipulation Help Back Pain?
Posted by
Scholars and doctors have long debated the validity of chiropractic manipulation as a treatment for back pain. New research suggest that such manipulation may indeed help. According to a new research paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine, spinal manipulation, when combined with home exercise,…
-
Social Security To Expand Background Checks For Representative Payees
Posted by
In an effort to protect those disabled persons who cannot handle their own finances, Social Security is going to do more background checks on representative payees. It appears that the new program is still rather modest, but it is a step forward. Far too often, disabled persons, especially the …
-
100% Disabled Veterans Can Get Expedited Review Of SSA Disability Claims
Posted by
Social Security has announced that those veterans with a 100% VA permanent and total disability rating can have their SSA disability claims expedited. It is not important to note that this does not mean that SSA is going to accept the VA’s findings and automatically approve such veterans. SSA ha…
-
Happy New Year 2014!
Posted by
Hard to believe that the calendar has rolled around and onto a new year. I can so clearly recall when the millennium came. That was fourteen years ago? I still don’t have all my tech equipment ready for Y2K. In any event, I hope that 2014 will provide nothing but joy for all of us.
Hearing scheduled? Call Today.
If Social Security has scheduled your disability case to be heard by one of their judges, call me immediately. Unlike many large law firms, I can move quickly to get your case ready to be won.
Recent Posts
- Social Security Disability And A Government ShutdownIt seems increasingly likely that the Federal government is going… Read more: Social Security Disability And A Government Shutdown
- Five Social Security Myths To Know And AvoidA recent CNBC post discusses five common myths about Social… Read more: Five Social Security Myths To Know And Avoid
- Happy Thanksgiving 2022!It’s never the wrong time to be grateful.