Hey Karen.
I responded yesterday. And was reading the thread again today. What a shame!
Follow all the given advise, and I'm sure you will succeed.
It's a travesty of justice! A Vietnam Vet, and (didn't they prove agent orange was harmless?)
a United States of America postal worker.
I did have a good laugh though when I re-read your post. I was tired last night, and did not catch your humor.."I quess he will just get up after surgery and get a job".
You need that to survive "our system".
I went out to get a Rx this morning, only to find my truck "stolen". Turned out that although I filed a Chapter 13, and the truck was included in my payments, they repo'ed it. My first reaction was WTF! My second was, oh well, just another bump in the road.
I went inside, got a second cup of coffee and read the paper as if nothing had happened. WTF!

Petey, the movie Groundhog Day was on over the weekend....I could not help but think of you! You are so funny! I hope you are getting things going with your health care....Take Care, Carol

I sent karen a PM but I do have a cousin who works for SS and she says most cases are denied 1st time around ..SUX but true ..so for any of you trying to get it ..ask for an appeal and reapply and have your hearing ..Be persistant and good documentation and more then likely you will get it ..unfortunaltley you have to fight for it ...Alot of people will give up after 1st denial ........so maybe gov does that to deter the ones who take advantage of the system...But if you are going to give it to a family of a child with ADHD then god dam it some one with cancer deserves it ! I will try to answer or get specific answers to questions if I can if you ask me I can ask her ...NOT CASE SPECIFIC ...but maybe general questions would be better wording .... Like who to appeal to and all that I can ask her those kinds of questions , she was trying to get me to apply and give me info....but you have to be considered diasbled for up to a year or more , so at this point I dont qualify. However if you are like 6 months out or so and your dr is sayin you cant go back to work for a long time ( so that it would make over a year ) start the application !!!!!!!

Karen,

There has to be some kind of mistake or a miscommunication. I sent you a private message and I will do what I can to help you resolve this for your father.

Ed

Hey all, You guys are the best support a girl could hope for. Thank you all for the info. I found out that he has recently (within a few weeks) gotten his Social Security, but was denied disability from the government. His doctor is writing-wrote him a letter-just this week, and is sending it to whoever they send it to.
He told my dad that the patient before him had the same situation. He had been denied, and that he'd written the guy a letter,and it was reviewed and the guy got his disability. I guess they don't get it the first time around or something. Maybe if "they" all got cancer "they" would get it. All I can do is cross my fingers and get in line right? Thanks everyone.

PS By the way PeteyB if I every get around to making "WTF" shirts I'll send you one!

Yes but you are all forgetting that many government workers, civil employees, teachers, etc., don't pay into SS and hence are not eligible for benefits (unless the beneficiary paid a minimum into it through previous employment). It's a tradeoff for what is usually a better, higher paying retirement system.

Petey,
I believe that the VA has changed its position on Agent Orange. I know of some veterans groups I can put you in touch with (PM me). I don't believe that oral cancer is on the list of Agent Orange side effects in any case.

From the social security disability site under the Do You Qualify for benefits section:

Is your condition found in the list of disabling conditions?

For each of the major body systems, we maintain a list of medical conditions that are so severe they automatically mean that you are disabled. If your condition is not on the list, we have to decide if it is of equal severity to a medical condition that is on the list. If it is, we will find that you are disabled. If it is not, we then go to Step 4.

See the link below:

http://ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/listing-impairments.htm

This is the link to the specific head and neck cancers:

http://ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/13.00-NeoplasticDiseases-Malignant-Adult.htm#13.02

Here is an excerpt for heand and neck cancers:

*******************************
13.02 Soft tissue tumors of the head and neck (except salivary glands

Just our 2 cents worth in regard to the Social Security Disability benefit. We were surpised and disappointed when our claim was denied. But we went through the appeal process and, even before my husband could make his case (he was finally able to), the presiding judge said that he had reviewed the documents and it was one of the most clear cases he had seen - benefits granted.

Sometimes the process does require appeals.

Anita

Anita,

So glad to hear the good news. I have been reading this thread and wondering how in the world they could deny your claim. Glad to see the Judge new what was right.

Take care.
Diane