I posted this a few months ago, and it got a few hits but there seem to be lots of questions about disability again, so I thought I would repost.
Here is a link to some very valuable SS information and CF
<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm">http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm</a> Look under 3.00-respiratory, and also 5.00 if you have digestive issues.
Here are some VALUABLE things you should know:
First: if you get denied DO NOT reapply. If you APPEAL your case instead, and down the line (yes even 2, 3 years later) they find that you were entitled to benefits at the time you applied, they will back pay you to the date you applied (or were elgible based on work history). We just won our case in december and started recieving benefits in February. We are also getting a 20k check for 26 months of backpay
Second: You DO NOT have to "meet: exactly list what the options A,B and C (below) say. For example, in my husbands case, he almost "met" situation C except his lung infections were about every 8 months, not 6 months. But then he had an episode of bronchitis about once a year, and had some digetive issues as well (listed under 5.00) but nothing that "met" the listings there either. When someone evaluates a CF case, they are required to take all things into consideration since it is a disease that can effect so many different things and parts of the body. The judge said that although he didn't meet one single listing in the digestive or respiratory section, he had some issues in both of the categories and the combination of all of them was bad enough to equal one of the listings (if that makes sense) so he ruled in our favor.
Third: If you do choose to hire a lawyer (we did, and I think it did help us with the case because he was able to submit the right "paper" documents, but I certainly don't think he worked hard enough to get the percentage he got paid) find out if he/she has ever done CF cases. Ours didn't and I had to do all the research and provide it to our lawyer, but we lived in a tiny town and only had about 3 lawyers to choose from. Make sure you don't have to do all the research.
Fourth: if anybody has questions, please dont hesitate to email me at division902@hotmail.com. I am not a lawyer by any means, but I think it is a shame what CFers get denid for and want to see it happening less and less because we are all knowledgable about our rights (and when I say we, I mean not only CFers but those who care for CFers)
and here is a little blurb of what it says about CF, but you should go there yourself and read in depth!
3.04 Cystic fibrosis. With:
A. An FEV1 equal to or less than the appropriate value specified in table IV corresponding to the individual's height without shoes. (In cases of marked spinal deformity, see. 3.00E.);
or
B. Episodes of bronchitis or pneumonia or hemoptysis (more than bloodstreaked sputum) or respiratory failure (documented according to 3.00C, requiring physician intervention, occurring at least once every 2 months or at least six times a year. Each inpatient hospitalization for longer than 24 hours for treatment counts as two episodes, and an evaluation period of at least 12 consecutive months must be used to determine the frequency of episodes;
or
C. Persistent pulmonary infection accompanied by superimposed, recurrent, symptomatic episodes of increased bacterial infection occurring at least once every 6 months and requiring intravenous or nebulization antimicrobial therapy.
The table wouldn't fit on here so you can see it on the website.
IF anybody has any further questions, or would like to see some of the daily logs and information we used in our case-and finally won with, please email me at division902@hotmail.com
Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)
Here is a link to some very valuable SS information and CF
<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm">http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm</a> Look under 3.00-respiratory, and also 5.00 if you have digestive issues.
Here are some VALUABLE things you should know:
First: if you get denied DO NOT reapply. If you APPEAL your case instead, and down the line (yes even 2, 3 years later) they find that you were entitled to benefits at the time you applied, they will back pay you to the date you applied (or were elgible based on work history). We just won our case in december and started recieving benefits in February. We are also getting a 20k check for 26 months of backpay
Second: You DO NOT have to "meet: exactly list what the options A,B and C (below) say. For example, in my husbands case, he almost "met" situation C except his lung infections were about every 8 months, not 6 months. But then he had an episode of bronchitis about once a year, and had some digetive issues as well (listed under 5.00) but nothing that "met" the listings there either. When someone evaluates a CF case, they are required to take all things into consideration since it is a disease that can effect so many different things and parts of the body. The judge said that although he didn't meet one single listing in the digestive or respiratory section, he had some issues in both of the categories and the combination of all of them was bad enough to equal one of the listings (if that makes sense) so he ruled in our favor.
Third: If you do choose to hire a lawyer (we did, and I think it did help us with the case because he was able to submit the right "paper" documents, but I certainly don't think he worked hard enough to get the percentage he got paid) find out if he/she has ever done CF cases. Ours didn't and I had to do all the research and provide it to our lawyer, but we lived in a tiny town and only had about 3 lawyers to choose from. Make sure you don't have to do all the research.
Fourth: if anybody has questions, please dont hesitate to email me at division902@hotmail.com. I am not a lawyer by any means, but I think it is a shame what CFers get denid for and want to see it happening less and less because we are all knowledgable about our rights (and when I say we, I mean not only CFers but those who care for CFers)
and here is a little blurb of what it says about CF, but you should go there yourself and read in depth!
3.04 Cystic fibrosis. With:
A. An FEV1 equal to or less than the appropriate value specified in table IV corresponding to the individual's height without shoes. (In cases of marked spinal deformity, see. 3.00E.);
or
B. Episodes of bronchitis or pneumonia or hemoptysis (more than bloodstreaked sputum) or respiratory failure (documented according to 3.00C, requiring physician intervention, occurring at least once every 2 months or at least six times a year. Each inpatient hospitalization for longer than 24 hours for treatment counts as two episodes, and an evaluation period of at least 12 consecutive months must be used to determine the frequency of episodes;
or
C. Persistent pulmonary infection accompanied by superimposed, recurrent, symptomatic episodes of increased bacterial infection occurring at least once every 6 months and requiring intravenous or nebulization antimicrobial therapy.
The table wouldn't fit on here so you can see it on the website.
IF anybody has any further questions, or would like to see some of the daily logs and information we used in our case-and finally won with, please email me at division902@hotmail.com
Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)