Appt With Ssd Yesterday

[ruby]

For those of you that are going to apply for SSD perhaps this might help you.

I called and got an appointment to take in my paperwork. This was the wrong thing to do, why, when I go there they are required to put it all in the computer anyway. The hard copies (paper) that I did was wasted time and effort.

I looked at the app on line and knew it would not show how my condition disables me, after a lot of research on the internet I chose to go in person for this reason.

I filled the app out and I also did my own additional paperwork.

I reviewed what I had researched on the internet and prepared all the paperwork they could ask for at the begininng so I could by pass the waiting period for approval or denial.

When I went to the appt and the intake person submitted everything on line, I was upset that my matrices were not going to be submitted. This person was nice and said they could fax 15 additional pages to DDS board. I took the most important papers, the ones from my DOC saying I was P&T disabled along with a letter I had him sign for the VA saying the same thing and the matrices I made.

I told him that I had already gotten a copy of my medical records and I had letters from family friends and employers along with a copy of my X-rays (computer disk) it was imperative that DDS recieved this material.

This person was really nice, and said that they are required by law to send the signed consent to release records by mail and that he would put my disk in that file--Who knows if he will? He also said I could send DDS anything I wanted to and gave me his personal office number and DDS's number. Told me to call him in a couple of days to get the name of my claims rep at DDS.

my appointment took 4 hours.

Here is what I would recommend call and get an appointment in person. In the mean time do the app on line. So when you get to the appt all they need to do is review it to make sure its correct.

While I don't know what will happen to my case, I do beleive the information I have researched on SSD that writing your own matrices on how your disabilities effect me will help--only you know your body and your symptoms.

I wrote how I functioned prior to being disabled this included work, home and weekends and how my disablities now effect my work, home and weekend activities. I did this in great detail.

I sit at the computer for 15-20 minutes at a time and then due to the pain in my wrist,back and , swelling my hands I must rest for 15-20 minutes.

I said my co workers having been helping me at work to get my job done in detail giving examples. I had them sign statements to that effect.

If I get approved I will post my matrices for other to see how to do them, that was the hardest part. I paid someone to give me examples. I also ask for legal advice. I will share what he said the normal process is at SSD, what I did was everything they could ask during this 5 month waiting period and gave it all to them(prepared it all) so all they had to do is make a decision.

This was recommended by another source. I might have already pasted this here I don't remember.

January 1, 2000 - Claimant files application by calling or writing

January 10, 2000 - Social Security acknowledges receipt of

application and schedules a phone or office interview.

January 25, 2000 - Social Security intake clerk takes down

information contained in formal Application for Benefits

Form SSA-16-F6).

I called got the appointment first it took 10 days --I eliminated the first 30 days by doing it my way.

February 1 - March 30, 2000 - DAS claims processor sends form

requests for medical records to all doctors and hospitals listed

on Form SSA-16-F6. The claims processor may also send you a

Disability Report (Form SSA-3368-BK) and a Work History Report

(Form SSA-3369-BK).

April 1 - 15, 2000 - DAS claims processor collects, organizes and

reviews medical records, Disability Report and Work History Report.

Adjudicator will also send your file to staff physician and/or

staff psychologist for review.

I have copies of my records and I did the Work History Report. Again saving time for the claims processor. Which just saved me 4 months of waiting time.

In my case, I feel my medical records do not support my claim, all the doc writes is P&T and not specifically why I am P&T and this is what SSD wants, however, my X-rays clearly demonstrate that I am disabled by anyone that knows how to read X-rays. This is the reason the docs don't write anything specific regarding my ability to do anything.

It will take me months for me to get the docs to write it the way SSD wants it written, my next appointment isn't until March. If I am denied in the next 30-60 days I will have an appointment and all the information I need for the doc to document in my records and an RFC (residual functional capacity form) so I can submit that for a request for reconsideration.

[if evidence supports a favorable decision, claimant is notified

and claim is sent for payment processing.]

April 25, 2000 - Claims processor issues a form based denial notice.

You have 60 days to appeal.

June 1, 2000 - you file your appeal (Request for Reconsideration

form SSA-561-U2 and Reconsideration Disability Report form

SSA-3441-F6).

June 10, 2000 - DAS acknowledges claim

June 15, 2000 - DAS claims processor reviews Reconsideration

Disability Report and sends out form requests for updated medical

information and records from any new physicians. If mental health

or physical consultative exams are called for, the claims processor

will schedule appointment and send you an appointment notice

letter.

June 20, 2000 - DAS claims processor sends you Daily Living

Questionnaire and will request statement from a person who

knows you.

August 1, 2000 - Claims processor organizes file, reviews it and takes

it to an in-house physician/psychologist for review.

[if evidence supports a favorable decision, claimant is notified

and claim is sent for payment processing.]

August 15, 2000 - Claims processor issues a form based reconsideration

denial notice. You have 60 days to appeal.

September 15, 2000 - you file Request for Hearing (form HA-501-U5)

and Claimant's Statement when Request for Hearing is Filed and

the Issue is Disability (form HA-4486).

September 30, 2000 - Social Security office issues confirmation of

receipt of hearing request.

November 1, 2000 - your claims file is physically moved from the

DAS to the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA).

June 15, 2000 - OHA personnel unpack file and begin to organize it.

August 1, 2001 - OHA finishes working up file and sends notice

to you (and your attorney) that file is ready to be reviewed.

September 1, 2001 - Case is assigned to a Judge and a hearing notice

is issued for hearing on October 15, 2002.

October 15, 2002 - case is called by Administrative Law Judge

March 1, 2002 - Judge issues decision.

Hope this helps other.

[Chuck75]

The process was a bit different when I applied for early retirement (62) and SSD at the same time. I had already gotten the med records together and applied to the VA for SC connection, and had Diabetes SC'd at the usual 10%. So, it was fairly simple to just hand SSA the entire med record package, along with the famous release forms for each provider. Next,after I had filled out the requisite forms -- Required by the local office (even if you had started the case via the Web). When I returned with the filled out forms, the SSA clerk conducted the standard interview.

Although the early retirement was paid on time,it was several months before the disability process approved the disability. The key phrase or the disability Dr's. half page statement was "fully creditable". The process then sent the paper to the "QA review" process. which approved the SSDI application. After receiving the details, including the effective date, I went back to the SSA office and requested (in writing (FOIA)) a copy of the whole file, which was given to me about two weeks later on CD.

I reviewed the data on the CD, and filed a letter and form stating that I disagreed with the effective date, although I agreed the basic finding of disability. In the letter, I mentioned that it appeared that the Dr. had used the latest medical data, and had ignored earlier data that established a much earlier date of disability. This resulted in an approval as well, and a substantial retro check. (~18,000 for two days of generating the required paperwork )

Virtually all of the process involving my personal participation was conducted at the local SSA office.

It is very important to maintain a pleasant mien and and outward attitude that is very civil. The clerk can do things that seriously help or hurt your chances of success.

One thing that was done that greatly simplified the amount of research and detail I had to generate on the work history was done at the suggestion/direction of the clerk. The end result was that I did not need to list multiple positions and employers, since the employers were listed in my SSA payment records, and the positions all fell under a "technical -------" category.

This was also a favorable way of listing my occupation. There are ways of listing occupations that, under the SSA regs, require more or less physical and/or mental capability. A clerk can interpret a verbal work description to fit in a category that will help obtain a favorable disability decision, or if they choose, likely cause an unfavorable decision. Had the clerk decided to categorize my work as engineering for example, I might have had a harder time getting approval.

For those of you that are going to apply for SSD perhaps this might help you.

I called and got an appointment to take in my paperwork. This was the wrong thing to do, why, when I go there they are required to put it all in the computer anyway. The hard copies (paper) that I did was wasted time and effort.

I looked at the app on line and knew it would not show how my condition disables me, after a lot of research on the internet I chose to go in person for this reason.

I filled the app out and I also did my own additional paperwork.

I reviewed what I had researched on the internet and prepared all the paperwork they could ask for at the beginning so I could by pass the waiting period for approval or denial.

When I went to the appt and the intake person submitted everything on line, I was upset that my matrices were not going to be submitted. This person was nice and said they could fax 15 additional pages to DDS board. I took the most important papers, the ones from my DOC saying I was P&T disabled along with a letter I had him sign for the VA saying the same thing and the matrices I made.

I told him that I had already gotten a copy of my medical records and I had letters from family friends and employers along with a copy of my X-rays (computer disk) it was imperative that DDS received this material.

This person was really nice, and said that they are required by law to send the signed consent to release records by mail and that he would put my disk in that file--Who knows if he will? He also said I could send DDS anything I wanted to and gave me his personal office number and DDS's number. Told me to call him in a couple of days to get the name of my claims rep at DDS.

my appointment took 4 hours.

Here is what I would recommend call and get an appointment in person. In the mean time do the app on line. So when you get to the appt all they need to do is review it to make sure its correct.

While I don't know what will happen to my case, I do believe the information I have researched on SSD that writing your own matrices on how your disabilities effect me will help--only you know your body and your symptoms.

I wrote how I functioned prior to being disabled this included work, home and weekends and how my disabilities now effect my work, home and weekend activities. I did this in great detail.

I sit at the computer for 15-20 minutes at a time and then due to the pain in my wrist,back and , swelling my hands I must rest for 15-20 minutes.

I said my co workers having been helping me at work to get my job done in detail giving examples. I had them sign statements to that effect.

If I get approved I will post my matrices for other to see how to do them, that was the hardest part. I paid someone to give me examples. I also ask for legal advice. I will share what he said the normal process is at SSD, what I did was everything they could ask during this 5 month waiting period and gave it all to them(prepared it all) so all they had to do is make a decision.

This was recommended by another source. I might have already pasted this here I don't remember.

January 1, 2000 - Claimant files application by calling or writing

January 10, 2000 - Social Security acknowledges receipt of

application and schedules a phone or office interview.

January 25, 2000 - Social Security intake clerk takes down

information contained in formal Application for Benefits

Form SSA-16-F6).

I called got the appointment first it took 10 days --I eliminated the first 30 days by doing it my way.

February 1 - March 30, 2000 - DAS claims processor sends form

requests for medical records to all doctors and hospitals listed

on Form SSA-16-F6. The claims processor may also send you a

Disability Report (Form SSA-3368-BK) and a Work History Report

(Form SSA-3369-BK).

April 1 - 15, 2000 - DAS claims processor collects, organizes and

reviews medical records, Disability Report and Work History Report.

Adjudicator will also send your file to staff physician and/or

staff psychologist for review.

I have copies of my records and I did the Work History Report. Again saving time for the claims processor. Which just saved me 4 months of waiting time.

In my case, I feel my medical records do not support my claim, all the doc writes is P&T and not specifically why I am P&T and this is what SSD wants, however, my X-rays clearly demonstrate that I am disabled by anyone that knows how to read X-rays. This is the reason the docs don't write anything specific regarding my ability to do anything.

It will take me months for me to get the docs to write it the way SSD wants it written, my next appointment isn't until March. If I am denied in the next 30-60 days I will have an appointment and all the information I need for the doc to document in my records and an RFC (residual functional capacity form) so I can submit that for a request for reconsideration.

[if evidence supports a favorable decision, claimant is notified

and claim is sent for payment processing.]

April 25, 2000 - Claims processor issues a form based denial notice.

You have 60 days to appeal.

June 1, 2000 - you file your appeal (Request for Reconsideration

form SSA-561-U2 and Reconsideration Disability Report form

SSA-3441-F6).

June 10, 2000 - DAS acknowledges claim

June 15, 2000 - DAS claims processor reviews Reconsideration

Disability Report and sends out form requests for updated medical

information and records from any new physicians. If mental health

or physical consultative exams are called for, the claims processor

will schedule appointment and send you an appointment notice

letter.

June 20, 2000 - DAS claims processor sends you Daily Living

Questionnaire and will request statement from a person who

knows you.

August 1, 2000 - Claims processor organizes file, reviews it and takes

it to an in-house physician/psychologist for review.

[if evidence supports a favorable decision, claimant is notified

and claim is sent for payment processing.]

August 15, 2000 - Claims processor issues a form based reconsideration

denial notice. You have 60 days to appeal.

September 15, 2000 - you file Request for Hearing (form HA-501-U5)

and Claimant's Statement when Request for Hearing is Filed and

the Issue is Disability (form HA-4486).

September 30, 2000 - Social Security office issues confirmation of

receipt of hearing request.

November 1, 2000 - your claims file is physically moved from the

DAS to the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA).

June 15, 2000 - OHA personnel unpack file and begin to organize it.

August 1, 2001 - OHA finishes working up file and sends notice

to you (and your attorney) that file is ready to be reviewed.

September 1, 2001 - Case is assigned to a Judge and a hearing notice

is issued for hearing on October 15, 2002.

October 15, 2002 - case is called by Administrative Law Judge

March 1, 2002 - Judge issues decision.

Hope this helps other.