has anone filed for disability for Hep c and all that emcompasses?

[rudytwo]

I am a non responder, 5 years ago, cirrisis, so tired and confused, brain just does not work!! exhausted, diebetic, too tired and confused to work, depressed, dr suggested filing for disability but dont know if all these sysyptom to the desease qualifies.  has anyone out there tried ?

[ZiggyFaith]

Good luck you guys...

Me, being diagnosed with Breast Cancer AND Hep C (both during the same time period) still cannot recieve SSDI or SSI.

[rosebud57]

for us and other countries

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/hepC/Financial%20Eligibility%20for%20SSDI.htm

hep C and benefits in canada.

http://www.hepcbc.ca/disability.htm

criteria to meet for disabling conditions including  hep c.

http://209.41.169.29/hepatitis/hepC/gettingdb.html

[orphanedhawk]

Thanks, I sometimes wonder if I'm not just coming out of left field.
BTW: I'm trying to figure out if the melodic birds visiting the oak tree are orioles or western tanangers. Either way, I've never seen them here before.

[wyntre9]

hawke,

i agree 110%.

Susan,

I'm not applying for SSI personally, the CORPORATION that now has to payout for the income disability policy I signed up for many years ago is applying FOR me so it can doesn't have to paY THE FULL COST OF THE PREMIUMS i'VE HAD DEDUCTED FROM MY SALARY.

Isn't that something?

it will be interesting to see how successful they are.  i will let you know.

About not looking sick - i get that too.  but that's coz, since i'm not doing anything and sleeping half the day i suppose i look well rested.  bit i have zero endurance.

what's going on with you, now?  Hope things are ok.

wyn

[susan400]

Not much going on with me other than trying not to get stressed out over these records.  I need to get hold of the proper documentation in order to get into one of these trials before the opportunity closes the doors to it.  Pray for me that when I go to pick up another set of records on Thurs., that the records that I need, will be in there for me.  

Susan

[wyntre9]

I will meditate on that for you.
wyn

[susan400]

I am on SSDI.   It took me 3 years of trying to get it on my own and finally after 3 denials, I got a lawyer.  I was awarded it 3-1/2 years ago.  It was based on other factors in addition to the Hep C.  Even their own SS doctors agreed by their standards that I met criteria under the Soc. Sec. definition.  But, if someone looks at me, I don't 'look' sick.  But, my ability to function in a job, learning new tasks, stay on task, have the stamina required, etc., etc., is non-existant.  I start decompensating, flipping out when I get under the slightest amount of stress.  I have a really hard time with directions.  I can't remember things well and have to be told the directions on how to do something, over and over and over again, to where it's hard to be able to work.  I hope this answers your question.

Susan

[orphanedhawk]

  I believe there is a big problem with our country. The reason is not because of immigrants. Immigrants are a political  scapegoat.  Its called divide and conquer. If you want to know the cause of our country

[wyntre9]

I'm in the northeast.

you mean they raided the public employee pension fund where you are, too?

About sleep - that is my one vice right now, ambien.  I already feel like cr*p most of the time and without sleep it's even worse.

sorry if i seemed touchy - i'm just so disgusted with the bureaucracy we pay for making you jump through hoops and humilitate yourself when you need some assistance.

feel better,

wyn

[rosebud57]

are we in the same state? i am on left coast..south..
don't get me started on any political afronts... i can't hold back my opinions lately.  i wrote a very thoughtful letter to someplace today and may be writing many others in the next few days.  my name will probably be put on some useless security list and my phone lines and internet will be tapped..just kidding..but i did write a letter. i guess these drugs do continue to keep on going and going, long after we've stopped. its almost 7a and i have not been able to sleep all night, i tried and tried.. finally gave up. this really sucks cause i have school today. very obligated to be there. late afternoon, hoping 3-4 hours will set me right before.

take care

[wyntre9]

"sounds like you were justifying".

Nope.  I'm entitled to EVERY cent i get.

It's been blood money.

but there are some who don't grasp the thin powerful line between finances and TX.  (And I'm NOT saying you're one of them!!!!)

i just wanted to state for the record that you can't separate the two.

you know, as in universal health coverage?  

OOOOPPPPPSSS!

Did i say that?  

(I swear it just typed itself on the keyboard.)

And I'm not personally enraged by the total hypocrisy of it all, from my state spending money I (and millions of others) paid into a future pension fund on reducing property taxes for the affluent.

i'm just an objective spectator on the sidelines choosing not to turn away at the accident scene.

[rosebud57]

wyntre,
i am so sorry about your experience, i am not quite sure where you are located, it may not be but it sounds a lot like the left coast (my side as well). in that manner i can relate to your venting about teaching and retirement funds.  though i imagine that can happen anywhere. i don't think badly that you need assistance with disability (sounds like you were justifying).

you know none of us knows when we will be struck with something you also touched on another point regarding knowing beforehand how to access the system, it is there for us, we pay for it. but we are never told until the crisis hits, just how to access it.  a few lucky ones may learn from a close family or friend who has need first.

a friend/collegue from college was barely completing the program (just before me) and her full disability came through right as she was graduating. she said most people would hate to know that i just had 40K student loans wiped...but it is not a good trade off, who wouldn't rather be able to work in their field, develop their skills or whatever they normally would do vs. disability.  no one asks for ill health.

yes, keep us posted on your outcome with your situation. these larger institutions should have more clout with SDI/SSI claims.it will be nice

forsee-
you gave really good insight regarding getting a disability claim through. great suggestions that will be helpful for many.

for those waiting for claims it will be nice when they finally come in as they are prorated to the day you open the request. as it can sometimes take years. and you often suffer through those days. it may seem like a windfall to get the lump sum.

[Forseegood]

Hi you don't have to have end stage or advanced cirrhosis to get Social Security or SSI, but what you do need is a good lawyer...what it is, is that they don't give you disability for Hep c per se...it's how much the disease has disabled you from your ability to work...if you can prove (though doctors notes and questionarres) that hep c and all the various ancillary problems that hep c causes ie., depression (depression is a big one, backed up by a psychiatrist) and any and all other problems stemming from hep c...or any other disease or disability you might have on top of this, these are the types of things that will get you a settlement, because what youre proving to the lawyer, and to the courts, is that you can't work because of your illness...

One of my best friends is a Social Security lawyer and he's helped out a few friends of mine...If you get a good lawyer (and you have to do most of the footwork with the docs, etc before this happens, cause a good lawyer won't take your case if he doesn't figure you have a winable case, you have to build up the "evidence" of your case before you even see the lawyer, once the lawyer sees that you have a good case, then he'll, she'll come on.) Lawyers are mostly doing paperwork to the courts and showing up to your hearing, that's all they are doing for their relatively small percentage, that's how they make their money...once you talk to this lawyer and they do take you on *because* you've presented to them YOUR GOOD CASE...you'll prob just see this lawyer once or twice....and for the remainder of your case you'll just be talking to the asst....this lawyer is only making a percentage of your final settlement, they aren't going to book hours talking to you afterwards, not cost effective in their eyes...but their assts. ususally can answer all your questions after your initial visit with the lawyer...

firstly, if the disease and/or fatigue hits you at various times of the day, crashing fatigue that is...then it's really hard for you to adhere to any type of routine schedule? Right?...how could you if you gotta lay down when this happens? you have to have various docs sign off to this fact...some docs that work within, say, the county system will be much less likely to sign off to these types of notes or questionarres...they are dealing with many drug addicts, alcoholics, etc...so they get kind of cynical with these types of cases...

hopefully you have insurance and can go to various doctors to sign off on these issues, if you don't have insurance, then you might have to go out of pocket for a few of these visits, that I know is costly...

The reason you have to have a good lawyer is because it's a trial like any other trial, in some ways, and you don't see defendants defending themselves very often do you? That is why people who try to get in on their own, keep having appeal after appeal for the most part, some people get lucky but if you don't have a lawyer you can be appealing for years....

sorry to say, it's kind of a racket, and they are there to make sure the beuracracy is running itself...that's why a good lawyer will know the judges, because many of the judges were SS lawyers themselves at one time...you want a lawyer who is connected like this...find out how many cases he's won out the cases he's tried, etc ask these questions...remember, youre interviewing each other, if he's good, and he takes you on, gravy...

If you want to have this come out for you, be prepared to do the footwork and you can get it on your first hearing hopefully, if you've done your homework...best of luck to you...

[wyntre9]

First - what's wrong with this thread?  it's not aligned right.

Anyone else having that problem?

About disability, like Chris, I'm currently on private income protection disability.  I've been on it for 4 months and expect to be approved at least through July of 2008 as it's money i've paid into the fund for the past 15-20 years.  (money, btw, that's SEPARATE from the pension deduction)

I also am fortunate in that it's sponsored by a large state teacher's union, so there are people i can call and ask questions and whose job it is to support and advocate for my employee rights.  that's what they get paid to do.  Of course, i had to learn about this the hard way, at gunpoint, when i suddenly got sick, was diagnosed, etc.  I'd never dreamed I would not be able to work, or that, due to a lucky fluke on my part in signing up for this income protection, I would have some resources available to me.  Not that anyone VOLUNTEERS this info.  ya gotta go snooping around, calling dozens of people, logging onto hundreds of websites, trying to find out where you go to find about about x,y, z -

however, i've already been contacted by the income disability company and had to sign a release that allows them to apply for SSD on my behalf, the object being to recoup some of the money they're sending to me.  In other words, if SS grants DB, my check from the financial company will be reduced by that amount.

it will be interesting to see how successful a large corporation is in getting benefits for a client (in order to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses) as opposed to an individual applying directly to SS.

i will keep everyone posted about this.

In the meantime, I've also applied for disability retirement.  i have 20 years in the system, and if it's granted, it will obviously solve my problems.  (although, once again, just so everyone understands this is NO HANDOUT - it's money that has been deducted from my paycheck for the past 2 decades, and which i had no choice in whether or not to allow the deductions, just like SS, medicaid, taxes, and all those other f***ing deductions you see on your weekly paystub.  It's state law that teachers HAVE to pay into the state pension fund.  According to my recent statement, i've paid almost 100 G and the state has invested that money (poorly - smoke and mirrors - balancing the state budget on the backs of public employess - the fund is in danger of going bust,, like enron, coz the state, saying there has been a SURPLUS in the fund, has not made ITS legally required contributions for almost a decade).  ok - i'll stop . . .

anticipating financial problems, i've put my house up for sale (already have a contract) and am moving to a cheaper area so i don't lose the little I've managed to put aside and can continue treatment.

it really s*ucks.  It's like the choice is your house or your health.

But, in my case, at least i don't have kids to factor into the equation.  that's gotta be terribly stressful.

Good luck,

wyntre

[rosebud57]

now you got me started "how about how we pay border patrol agents to let drug dealers in w/o stopping them, and then if they do do the job they are not supposed to do we give the illegal criminal immunity and send our border patrol to PRISON for 11 to 20 yrs... in other states.. (with the drug dealers who are already there) and leave their wives to raise their children by themselves.  Pay the criminal 5 million dollars and give him immunity for his criminal behavior.... (and to make this relevant to our community).... all of this contributes to one of the many  ways that a person can acquire hep c... well i guess we'll have to stick around cause we will just have to keep welcoming others to this club..

[rosebud57]

good advice from above: i will look there was a website i had seen once, but keep a papertrail of all doctor appts. the results of their evaluations, lab work, doesn't hurt if you feel well enough to see someone for the depression you most certainly have as result of your illness, keep a personal JOURNAL of how you feel, what you are able to do daily, what you can no longer do as a result of your condition. how it effects your ability to work, think, enjoy quality of life, your family, everything...

i have helped several apply for disability for mental health conditions and have seen the forms.  they very specifically ask when you have seen doctors for this condition, all their phone numbers addresses, dates of each and every visit,  also the labs you have gone to, also ask what i outlined above,  most people do not get the first time they apply. the systems way to try to keep the numbers down im certain.  also most people will get denied if they are not good at how they describe how they feel and the impact on their day to day life.  best advise is find the attorney who best known for this kind of work.also a letter from a mental health professional as well as letters from your physician can help bolster your case.

good luck.

[MissMiss]

IF my memory serves me (and that ain't always so) it is very hard to get disability for HCV in and of itself since they think it only destroys your liver.  Big deal, they think.  It's the other problems that come with it.  The fatigue, mental problems, etc. that they will focus on.  I know there are some who have gotten disability for HCV but I think it was because of the effects of the HCV that landed the help.  Too bad nothing shows up in the archives because I do remember several very good threads about it in the past year or so.  

Good luck.

miss

[ChrisDDD]

I've had HepC since '76, diagnosed in '93, three-time non-responder hoping to get into VX-950 trials.  I am on private disability through my work, but that's about to run out.

I had to file for Social Security disability in order to get the private disability payments, but I would HIGHLY recommend getting an attorney.  My attorney works on a contingency basis.  If I don't win, he doesn't get paid.  I've been turned down, as everyone initially is, so we've appealed.

If it helps you any, an orthopedist I saw as part of my Social Security disability evaluation said he knows of HepC patients who have gotten full disability from Social Security based on HepC alone.

As for the other comments regarding our government, I couldn't agree more!  Don't even get me started!  Our government has its head so far up its own ass I'm ashamed to be American sometimes.  I'm seriously considering moving to another country.

Well, I'm already started.  I just have to tell you the best story I know of, but it's true.  I worked in a courthouse and know of a criminal trial where a Colombian who had imported almost two tons of cocaine into our country turned State's evidence against his cohorts.  In return, the Colombian and his wife and three children were put into our witness protection program and would be supported to the tune of $36,000 per year, not including full dental and health insurance, etc.  At the time, I was working 60 hours a week raising my three young children by myself with no child support because my ex terminated parental rights, and we couldn't afford health insurance!  What a great message to send to our kids!  Crime pays!

[giddyup]

I beleive that you get better, quicker and easier results if you hire an attorney to help you file.People with hep c do get disability. -giddy

[Cela]

Hi,
There are several people that have at HCV anonymous.  They may be able to help you.
Cela

[Kit07]

Hi Rudy.  I have hep c and other impairments, but individually none of them is severe  eneough to meet the criteria for an immediate government disability (SSDI) award, so I become a "multiple impairments" person and must make a battle of it and go the long route with appeals and an attorney etc.  I applied a year and a half ago, was denied, then appealed for reconsideration, and if I am lucky I wil have a hearing with an SSA judge 6 months from now.  Then there will probably be more months of waiting.  Within the Soc Sec Admin there is a two year backlog of people waiting for hearings.  It's obscene.  One of the toughest things about the process is that you cannot be earning ANY income after your alledged date of disability onset.

In your case, it's possible that you fully meet an impairment requirement at this time.  Take a look at the SSDI hepatitis impairment link below, then go to the main page and wade through the material. If you plainly meet the impairment requirements for hepatitis c,  and you have your doctor's support, you have a lot going for you.  Consider seeking an SSDI  an attorney.  They often will consult for free.  

There is also a link here to a book I highly recommend.  I would be lost without it.

I say go for it!
Kit07

http://www.amazon.com/Nolos-Guide-Social-Security-Disability/dp/1413304109/ref=sr_1_2/103-8468070-2499055?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177341641&sr=1-2

http://www.ssa.gov/

http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/5.00-Digestive-Adult.htm#5.05%20Chronic%20Liver%20Disease%20(e.g.,%20portal,%20postnecrotic,%20or%20biliary%20cirrhosis;%20chronic%20active%20hepatitis;%20Wilson's%20disease)

[rudytwo]

Thanks,,,  I went though archives but so nothing,  I agree its amazing the benefits to illegals, I will try it as I have no choice.  I was really hoping for a more positive response.  but I guess that is the reality.  Anyone out there with any stories?  I would be glas to hear them,

[nygirl7]

I know over the two years I've been in here a lot of people have come on and asked that question but honestly I don't remember anyone saying it had come through.

I was on social security disability after I broke my back and suffered traumatic brain damage.  Even THEN it was very difficult to get and took a long long time with many many many doctor vists and VOLUMES of paperwork.

If you are home anyway you'd have nothing to lose. But just know while our disease does get considered for disability - I believe it's usually in end stage liver damage mostly.  you need to make sure you have a LOT of documentation proving you physically (or mentally) just cannot work.  If you have the time and the energy you really have nothing to lose by trying - but they are going to make it difficult for you in the hopes you will give up.

Some government - it's ok to come in from outside and then get food stamps and welfare and stuff but try being American and getting medical or dental or food or rental help? Impossible.

Sorry I know how absolutely dreadful that sounds but as someone who's been there and after working an entire lifetime trying to get my young children medical and my OWN MONEY BACK from social security - found it to be so incredibly almost impossible - that is how I feel.

I'm sorry that wasn't too informative but I get really hyped up when I remember what I personally went through. I wasn't going to post...but once I started it all came pouring out.

Good luck to you irregardless.