Disabled seems to have some new meaning!

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I am amazed at how many young, seemingly healthy 20somethings come in with medicare for insurance, since they have SSDI-completely disabled. From what I've seen with my friends and family, getting approved for disability is about as likely as winning the lottery on the way to pick up your Nobel Prize. Any tips? My bones are killing me. I can barely walk to my car after a 12hr shift. My personal med list is longer than any patient I've taken care of in the last year. What is the magic that gets these people approved? I'm not criticizing them, I'm envious. At the rate I'm going, my only hope it to end up in a permanently vegetative state long enough to draw my pension. Even then, I bet the government will declare my decomposing as proof that I am capability of gainful employment-as a flower pot.

For comparison I have NEVER had a patient at my hospital with insurance that isn't state, medicare or medicaid related....that is where I a work.

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I feel ya on being envious. I fully enjoy having a sound mind and the full activity of my limbs but I want a handicapped placard so I can get the good parking spots. :cheeky:

This reminded me of something that happened to me a few years ago. I was out shopping and as I was getting out of my car I saw a police officer walking towards me. I knew exactly what he was thinking. I was parked in a handicapped spot and had a placard hanging from my mirror. The officer asks me if I am using "grandma or grandpa's" placard so I could park there.

I thought "I wish", but told him no and gave a brief explantion. I was only in my late 20's and completely normal appearing, so no one could tell just by looking at me that I suffered from cardiomyopathy and CHF (long story...idiopathic/pregnancy related), became very SOB when walking longer distances and had an EF % lower than most 70 year olds. I was embarrassed to use the placard and spots because I was aware that people assumed I was just being ignorant for taking a spot that some 85 year old with a cane or wheelchair bound child might need.

Looks can be deceiving. Thankfully, I have fully recovered and no longer have any symptoms. However, I will never forget the feelings associated with being SOB...panic, fear and downright terror when you get to the point of needing intubated. Wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

Our health is precious, although like many things in life, we don't miss it until it's threatened or gone completely. I'll take my health and ability to breathe easily over a shiny placard and close parking spot any day.

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Oh and raise service cats.

My mental picture of this made me literally "lol". May just be me...but what in the world is a "service cat"??

I am trying to picture exactly what "services" a cat could provide to someone other than companionship. I've never seen a cat on a leash leading someone or anything else that I'm aware service dogs usually do. Admittedly, I'm not a cat person and have little knowledge of the animal service industry, but I'm just baffled.

Anyone care to enlighten me?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
There are two types of disability aid; SSI (supplemental security income) which is usually run by the state; and SSDI (social security disability income), which is run by the federal government.

SSI is less than SSDI, in terms of money.

There is a monetary amount related to working with either benefits; it's about 1,000 a month one can make, otherwise one is not able to collect benefits; living off of 1,000 month, depending on a household expenses, is not enough, even for one person when you factor in rent (or mortgage), utilities, food (some need food to help minimize symptoms) medication, and essentials (thinking household items and personal products), just something to think about... :whistling:

FYI, someone who is disabled can get SSDI, and if they have children, they receive SSI for support due to their parents inability to work.

Survivors of parents that are deceased also get SSDI survivors, which is based on how much their parents paid into the system; they stop receiving benefits by the age of 19; unless they have a documented disability.

Children of SSDI get SSDI benefits as well until they are 18 or still in high school....unless they are disabled themselves.

YOU can make up to $700.00 per month on SSDI.

SSDI and SSI are different pay scales. SSI is usually less. SSDI because it is based off your work salary and total amount of contribution is usually more.

They both have max amounts of benefits but neither is a livable amount of money.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

If SSDI goes broke....my family will be homeless. SO much for the years I've paid into it. I am truly hoping that this is just another political mumbo jumbo.

If it isn't...C'est la vie

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Specializes in Cardiac Stepdown, PCU.

Wow. The attitude and judgement of this thread is appalling. I'm sorry that someone doesn't meet YOUR stereotypical standard of what someone who lives in poverty should look like and live with or without. Or that you should be able to dictate what they have or don't have because you see that get assistance of some type. Or that just because you have some misconception about a disability that it shouldn't be one. /sarcasm I mean, obviously there's no such thing as disabling adhd or add, and that guy with anxiety made it to the office so clearly he's just lying, just because you're a nurse. You totally know everything. /sarcasm

*disclaimer: the word "you" is generalized and not specified to any one person.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
This conversation is discouraging to me as someone who just very reluctantly began the process of applying for SSDI.

I probably should've done it two years ago. I have been struggling so hard with trying to stay employed, and I'm a train wreck both mentally and physically.....so much so that one of my doctors, who is ex-military and once said he would 'never' sign off on disability papers for me, has brought it up as a viable option.

Mine are "invisible" illnesses, the kind that no one would know I had just by looking at me. I know I'm going to be judged the same way that others with invisible illnesses are; that's one of the reasons I've delayed filing. I don't want to be a burden on society. But as some have pointed out to me, I will NOT be living off the taxpayers should I win benefits, but money I've earned and paid into the system for over 35 years.

I don't know anything about the 20-somethings on SSDI or SSI with their fancy cell phones and cigarettes. The system is there to help people of any age who can't work for whatever reason, and yes, someone with ADD who can't concentrate on anything longer than a bird can stay on one telephone pole IS disabled. Pills don't solve everything.....if they did, I wouldn't even think about going on SSDI because I'm taking a fistful of them.

Just a point of view from the other side of the issue.

Tell me about it. I've been disabled for about two years now. Are people judging me behind my back?

Spend a day in my wheelchair before you make assumptions about the disabled. And not all disabilities are able to be seen. There's no wheelchair nor crutches for someone who suffers from crippling anxiety or depression.

I paid into the system. I never intended to use it, but here I am, unable to work, so the system needs to help me. It's not like getting disability means you've won the lottery.

I would much rather work.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

I am in the process of applying for disability. I always loved nursing but had to quit after having both a CVA and MI within 1 1/2 years. I had a lot of CP and by the time they found that I had a PFO I already had long term damage. I'm 43 now and thought I would have many more years of nursing ahead of me - this is my second attempt filing for disability, the first time was before I received my diagnosis of fibro and before my CVA. I was denied again and had my appeal hearing 23 days ago (not that I'm counting :)

My cardiologist wrote me a VERY detailed letter to take with me - 4 pages I think. At the hearing, the judge asked me about hobbies - do I like to fish, do I go to church every Sunday, who does the grocery shopping and cooking at home.

My attorney said it would be at least a month before we hear anything - I know they have their plates full. I felt like an idiot bringing my big Tupperware box full of meds!

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
If SSDI goes broke....my family will be homeless. SO much for the years I've paid into it. I am truly hoping that this is just another political mumbo jumbo.

If it isn't...C'est la vie

I hope my cancer recurs and takes me out before that happens. There's no way I could count on the compassion of others, not in this "Me, me, me, mine mine, mine!" society.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I am in the process of applying for disability. I always loved nursing but had to quit after having both a CVA and MI within 1 1/2 years. I had a lot of CP and by the time they found that I had a PFO I already had long term damage. I'm 43 now and thought I would have many more years of nursing ahead of me - this is my second attempt filing for disability, the first time was before I received my diagnosis of fibro and before my CVA. I was denied again and had my appeal hearing 23 days ago (not that I'm counting :)

My cardiologist wrote me a VERY detailed letter to take with me - 4 pages I think. At the hearing, the judge asked me about hobbies - do I like to fish, do I go to church every Sunday, who does the grocery shopping and cooking at home.

My attorney said it would be at least a month before we hear anything - I know they have their plates full. I felt like an idiot bringing my big Tupperware box full of meds!

Anne, RNC

Wow that is amazing....I am sorry you are having issues. I fortunately (if one can call one fortunate when disabled) that I have a "qualifying" disability that is recognized by SS. I still got a lawyer...she did all the paperwork knew how to get it on the "right desk".

Good luck!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I hope my cancer recurs and takes me out before that happens. There's no way I could count on the compassion of others, not in this "Me, me, me, mine mine, mine!" society.
Amen sister....I feel so guilty for my family and the hardship I've caused my kids...but I digress.
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Thank you for that.^^

It's not that I take any of this personally; rather, I'm just disappointed to see so much judgment by educated professionals who know absolutely nothing of the people they're talking about. Yes, there are those who abuse the system, but I think it's safe to say they are NOT in the majority.

^^^THIS^^^

I couldn't agree more! As nurses, we are trained to provide care and teaching without judgment. I choose to live my life by the same rule.

The truth is that most public assistance programs are not abused by any significant number of people when compared to those who need the programs.

Recently, some states (due to kicking and screaming from their taxpayers) began drug testing welfare recipients/applicants as a condition for benefits. Taxpayers made a big judgment in the belief that the welfare system was being abused by a bunch of pot heads and drug dealers, and lazy people who surely must be on drugs! They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars (taxpayer money) to perform all this testing, and guess what percentage actually popped positive on the whiz quizzes?

TWO PERCENT! As in 2%. 98% of welfare recipients were CLEAN.

Taxpayers spent more testing applicants than the total of the benefits disbursed to those who were using illegal drugs.

I will locate some of the studies and post a link here later this evening.

Disability benefits are even more closely regulated than welfare benefits. The abuse rate is extemely low. Just because you see a young adult walking around with a fancy smart phone, and appearing to be 'healthy', it doesn't mean they can work, it doesn't mean they paid for their phone (gift? Mom & dad paying for it?), and it doesn't mean they have an illness that is controlled by medication, and if it is an illness that can be controlled by medication, perhaps there is a comorbidity or allergy or adverse reaction as the reason they cannot take medication? Or even a cultural reason.

I don't believe we have the right to judge anyone receiving benefits. If someone is abusing the system, they are few, and they will be caught.

note: replying from my mobile device, and I apologize in advance for grammar and spelling.

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