An SSA and DoD Collaboration Improves Disability Records File-Sharing

Knowledgeable Social Security lawyers are continually keeping up with improvements, changes and adjustments of benefit programs for the disabled. Recently, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) came together to cut through bureaucratic red tape. Their action simplified the application process to receive disability benefits for veterans, service members and dependents.

The two branches of the federal government had decided to simplify the application and benefits appropriation process. In the initial phase, processing sites that handle Social Security disability cases can now receive medical records directly from the military through a centralized Department of Defense site. This action is designed to significantly shorten the determination time to either approve or deny an application.

Minimizing the Delay

A pilot program was initiated in five states, and dozens of military treatment facilities, to improve the efficiency, accuracy and speed of the disability program. These states (Oregon, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado and Washington) can now access medical records electronically and have the results within three days. This is a significant improvement over traditional methods that returned information within five weeks.

The collaborative efforts of the DoD and SSA consolidated the medical records requests. All valuable information now comes from a central electronic repository that has complete access to DoD medical records.

Improving Efficiency

The results of this collaborative effort will assist social security disability lawyers in helping their clients quickly move through the application process. Other benefits include a more efficient record keeping, and a lessening of consultative examinations requested by the Social Security Administration.

This initial step in achieving a long-term goal of providing a fully automated solution to distributing medical information will dramatically help disabled veterans and their families. Social Security lawyers will now have quick access to all pertinent information concerning the service member or veteran's disability, to find a quick resolution for their client. This will result in the client receiving all the disability benefits he or she deserves.

How to Find the Best Social Security Disability Lawyer in Your Area

Finding the best Social Security disability lawyer is the ideal way to work your benefit application through the Social Security disability process. On average, it takes 1 to 2 years for an application to run through the entire process, and be approved or denied for benefits. Often times, the process is extremely complicated and confusing to the claimant. Because most applications are not approved, a denied claim can create excessive stress and anxiety on you. It often comes when you are unable to make ends meet, or do not have the ability to receive the medical treatments you require.

Locating Lawyers

A simple blueprint for locating the best Social Security disability lawyers involves asking any potential attorney if they have experience in representing a claimant suffering from your medical condition. Additionally, you can seek the advice from experienced organizations involved with attorneys. They will help you locate lawyers experienced in applying for disability benefits to the Social Security Administration.

Rate of Success

Every case is personalized and unique to the claimant. When discussing your case with a Social Security disability lawyer, you need to ask if they have the knowledge in gathering all the pertinent medical records and evidence needed to handle the application or appeal. Finally, you need to understand their success rate in handling cases just like yours, and the outcome of every case. Although even the best and most knowledgeable Social Security disability lawyers cannot win every case, you need to understand the rate of their success in dealing with Social Security disability benefits.

Following this simple blueprint should direct you to highly qualified Social Security disability lawyers in your area. Scheduling a one-on-one consultation with a qualified Social Security disability lawyer will help ensure you are selecting the best attorney available for you and your case. Turning the responsibilities of your claim over to your Social Security disability lawyer will remove the tension and anxiety you experience by dealing with the process on your own.

Your Social Security Disability Attorney Might Ask Your Friends to Lend a Hand with Your Claim

Your Social Security disability attorney will most likely ask for assistance from your family and friends to lend a supporting hand in providing evidence for your case. The Social Security Administration uses a Function Report – Adult – Third Party form that gathers information from individuals other than you that have evidence on your disability. The SSA wants information regarding the activities you perform in your daily life, along with any other additional supportive information.

Gathering Supporting Information
 
Your Social Security disability attorney will ask that your family and friends provide all the necessary supporting information that needs to be entered as evidence at your formal hearing. Specific individuals in your life will most likely have validating information on your limitations in living with your condition.

If you live with a spouse or parents, your Social Security disability attorney will secure vital information from any of those individuals that might have useful testimony. Their swore evidence might include your ability to care for yourself, clean or cook in your home, or take your prescribed medication. This information is important because someone directly involved with you in your home usually witnesses the limitations of your abilities and performing your daily activities.

Recently, the Ninth Circuit Federal Court reprimanded an Administrative Law Judge in their failing when limiting testimony from the complainant’s friends and family members. The Administrative Law Judge had felt there was a bias due to a communal relationship between the parties.

Valuable Supportive Evidence

Like the Ninth Circuit federal court rebuke, your Social Security disability attorney understands that the testimony of family and friends serves as a key to the process in determining your benefits. Though this testimony might be biased for your gain or benefit, it still provides additional necessary evidence to prove your inability to work.
You need to discuss with your Social Security attorney how any of your potential witnesses or representatives might help support your claim.

Two Distinctly Different Federally Funded Programs for the Disabled

Social Security lawyers can help disabled workers take advantage of government programs to cover their monthly financial obligations. These programs are designed to provide significant benefits, even though qualifying for disability can sometimes be an uphill battle. Disability benefits are available for workers that have been diagnosed with conditions or illnesses that make it impossible for them to perform the required duties of a job.

Social Security lawyers can assist qualified workers in determining which of the two separate SSA disability programs are best suited for their individual case. Both Social Security Administration programs for disability (SSDI and SSI) differ significantly in their economic eligibility factors.

Two Federally Funded Programs

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is an SSA benefit program structured on how much an individual has worked over the course of their lifetime. Alternatively, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is an economically challenged program for individuals living at, or below, the poverty level.

For any disabled individual seeking benefits through SSDI, he or she must qualify for the insurance by showing they have worked enough quarters in the past. The total number of employed quarters the worker has accumulated will help formulate the size of their monthly benefit. Recent verifiable employment of the disabled worker is part of the requirement for qualifying for SSDI.

To receive SSI benefits, poverty-stricken children, and adults under the age of 65, will need to meet the minimum disability criteria, or be legally blind. Their economic qualifications will be determined on their low income and limited assets. Individuals 65 years and above must meet the qualifying standards of limited assets and low income.

Experienced Social Security Lawyers

Any person suffering from obvious disabilities, and not so obvious, should use the services of experienced Social Security lawyers knowledgeable in disability law. A skilled attorney can provide assistance at every stage of the application, and the appeal, if the application is initially denied.

Your Social Security Disability Attorney Can Stop the Termination of Your Disability Benefits

Your Social Security Disability Attorney Can Stop the Termination of Your Disability Benefits Your Social Security disability attorney understands that many individuals receiving disability become highly concerned with the possibility of losing their benefits. The process of applying for benefits from the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Program is long and complex. It can sometimes take a year or more for the initial application to be approved. Individuals that were initially denied have an even longer wait to receive the benefits they rightly deserve.

Defining Disability

Your Social Security attorney understands that there are conditions that can happen to terminate your SSDI benefits. To continue to be eligible, your medical condition must meet the definition of disability as defined by the SSA. Additionally, you must have been unable to work for at least a year or more, due to your disability.  Finally, the condition of your original acceptance was that you had previously worked in jobs that were covered by Social Security. Your Social Security disability attorney understands that keeping and receiving these SSDI benefits hinge upon the first two conditions.

Reasons for Review

If there is dramatic improvement in your medical condition, the SSA has the right to rule that, according to them, you are no longer disabled. Typically, this information is gathered during a Medical Continuing Disability Review. Anytime the SSA believes your medical condition will improve, they will schedule a review every three years, or seven years if they believe your issues will not improve. The findings of that review will help determine if you can continue to receive all of your disability benefits. Your Social Security disability attorney should be present in every review hearing to ensure you are fully represented and that your rights are protected.

It is imperative that you use the skillful knowledge of an experience Social Security disability attorney anytime you interact with the SSA, concerning legal matters on the approval or continuation of your disability benefits.

Disability Attorneys Handle "Light Duty" Disability Benefit Claims

A disability attorney can usually help older individuals that have been diagnosed with a restriction of only performing "light duty" at their job. Often times, this diagnosis can significantly reduce the number of hours the individual can work, by performing less mentally and physically demanding tasks.

While the Social Security Administration often defines "light duty" as "light work", the two labels might not always mean the same thing. The SSA usually defines any type or classification of work an individual performs by relying on the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, published by the Department Of Labor.

In that occupational dictionary, "light work" is defined as the task of exerting up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or 20 pounds occasionally. It also states that a negligible amount of force might need to be exerted to move objects. It might also include working in a sedentary position for long periods.

Defining the Condition

Most any disability attorney will agree that the legal definition of "light work" is hazy. However, it often requires standing or walking to a significant degree. It may also require the use of pulling or pushing the legs or arms for controls. Many "light work" jobs require working at a specific rate to keep up with production. Many times, someone who has been diagnosed as available for "light duty" simply cannot perform these light work duties.

Fighting for Individual Rights

An experienced disability attorney has the skill and knowledge to fight for these individual's rights and garner the disability benefits they deserve. Left alone without the skillful tools of a disability attorney, many claimants have their application denied. Without the knowledge of all of the laws concerning disability benefits with the Social Security Administration, a claimant can usually expect a negative outcome of their claim.

Skillful disability attorneys understand that claimants older than 55 with no transferable skills have a better chance of an approved claim. Additionally, non-English speaking, are illiterate individuals older than 50 years old, also have higher approval ratings.

Using the skills of a disability attorney to handle a "light work" claim is a sure way to make sure every avenue is taken for a positive outcome. Even "light work" claimants deserve disability benefits.

Social Security Disability Lawyers Handle SSDI and Mental Disorders

Social Security disability lawyers have the experience and knowledge to help individuals seeking benefits due to their mental disorder. They understand that debilitating and serious mental disorder creates a crippling impact on an individual’s daily life, and their ability to function and work. These types of mental conditions are serious illnesses and the individuals that suffer usually deal with a variety of physical and mental impairments.

Though the need for assistance seems obvious to a Social Security disability lawyer, the SSA (Social Security Administration) takes a harsh approach and uses stringent guidelines to block these individuals from their deserved benefits. The SSA's denial of disability benefits requires an appeal to the case. Using the skillful knowledge and tools of a qualified Social Security disability lawyer, these claimants can submit a form asking for reconsideration.

Mental Disorders Classifications

Social Security disability lawyers can help prove that the claimant's disorder qualifies under the disability listing of impairments (The Blue Book) of the Social Security Administration. The categories of these classified mental disorders include Mental Retardation, Anxiety-Related/Organic/Personality/Somatoform disorders, Autism, and Schizophrenia/Psychotic disorders.

A Social Security disability lawyer can provide medical evidence including a diagnosis of the claimant's mental impairment, showing the various stages of the disorder. This will help determine the level of severity. The Social Security disability lawyer can also provide a mental status examination along with standardized psychological tests.

Valuable Evidence

Social Security disability lawyers will seek medical testimony involving screening tests, neuropsychological assessments, phobic reactions, physical and mental manifestations, along with effects of treatment and medication. This evidence is used as a way to evaluate the claimant's abilities and limitations to function.

Hiring a team of Social Security disability lawyers can dramatically improve the chances of being approved to receive disability benefits, due to a mental disorder. With full knowledge of the law, an attorney can cut through the bureaucratic red tape to achieve a positive outcome.