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House Committee on
Ways and Means
Statement of Linda Fullerton, Social
Security Disability Coalition, Rochester, New York
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=printfriendly&id=5189
Members of the
Committee:
My name is Linda
Fullerton, I am permanently disabled and receive Social Security
Disability Insurance/SSDI and Medicare. I am also
President/Co-Founder of the Social Security Disability Coalition,
which is made up of thousands of Social Security Disability
claimants and recipients from all over the nation. Our group and
experiences, are a very accurate reflection and microcosm of what is
happening to millions of Social Security Disability applicants all
over this nation. I must take this opportunity to tell you how
very proud I am of all our members, many like myself, whose own
lives have been devastated by a system that was set up to help
them. In spite of that, they are using what very little time and
energy they can muster due to their own disabilities, to try and
help other disabled Americans survive the nightmare of applying for
Social Security Disability benefits. There is no better example of
the American spirit than these extraordinary people! If you visit
the Social Security Disability Coalition website, or the Social
Security Disability Reform petition website:
Social Security
Disability Coalition – offering FREE knowledge and support with a
focus on SSD reform:
http://groups.msn.com/SocialSecurityDisabilityCoalition
Sign the Social
Security Disability Reform Petition – read the horror stories from
all over the nation:
http://www.petitiononline.com/SSDC/petition.html
You will read over
three years worth of documented horror stories and see thousands of
signatures of disabled Americans whose lives have been harmed by the
Social Security Disability program. You cannot leave without seeing
the excrutiating pain and suffering that these people have been put
through just because they happened to become disabled, and went to
their government to file a claim for disability insurance that they
worked so very hard to pay for. I continually throughout the
Commissioner’s Disability New Approach Program sent her hundreds of
their stories/comments from our website and petition and yet nowhere
in her DSI plan do I see any real help/relief for them.
My organization
fills a void that is greatly lacking in the SSA claims process.
While we never represent claimants in their individual cases, and in
most cases due the nature of our group, we don’t even know their
real names for privacy concerns, we are still able to provide
claimants with much needed support and resources to guide them
through the nebulous maze that is put in front of them when applying
for SSDI/SSI benefits. In spite of the fact that the current system
is not conducive to case worker, client interaction other than the
initial claims intake, we continue to encourage claimants to
communicate as much as possible with the SSA in order to speed up
the claims process, making it easier on both the SSA caseworkers and
the claimants themselves. As a result we are seeing claimants
getting their cases approved on their own without the need for paid
attorneys, and when additional assistance is needed we connect them
with FREE resources to represent them should their cases advance to
the hearing phase. We also provide them with information on how to
access available assistance to help them cope with every aspect of
their lives that may be affected by the enormous wait time that it
currently takes to process an SSDI/SSI claim, including where to get
Medicaid and other State/Federal programs, also free/low cost
healthcare, medicine, food, housing, financial assistance and too
many other things to mention here. We educate them in the policies
and regulations which govern the SSDI/SSI process and connect them
to the answers for the many questions they have about how to access
their disability benefits in a timely manner, relying heavily on the
SSA website to provide this help. If we as disabled Americans, who
are not able to work because we are so sick ourselves, can come
together, using absolutely no money and with very little time or
effort can accomplish these things, how is it that the SSA which is
funded by our taxpayer dollars fails so miserably at this task?
The Social Security
Disability New Approach Program at its inception, was a welcome
change from what we have seen in decades past. Everyone that I have
dealt with on the Commissioner’s staff was very courteous and
responsive to our concerns at the time and I am very grateful for
that. We kept in constant communication with them as much as we
were allowed to participate. I have also been privileged to
interact with other employees of the SSA who have been of great help
to my organization as well, in particular members of AFGE/National
Council Of SSA Field Operations Locals American Federation Of
Government Employees. In spite of my own personal nightmare SSDI
claims experience which I will be describing, and the horror stories
I hear on a daily basis, I am well aware that there are very hard
working, committed, caring people who work for this program. One of
our goals is to increase the lines of communication between th the
SSA and the disabled community.
That being said, DSI
does not go far enough, fast enough for those who desperately need
to access disability benefits and whose very lives depend on them.
It greatly disappoints me that the Commissioner has not addressed
most of the problems that my organization, and hundreds of others
had alerted her office about as part of the SS Disability New
Approach Program, in fact our cries for help have been virtually
ignored when making her recent regulation changes. I find it to be
a shame and disservice to the American taxpayers. It seems that the
regulations that have now been put in place will not do very much if
anything to relieve this horrendous situation, and for the most part
will be very detrimental to the disability claims process, rather
than improve it. As mentioned, I have been in direct
communications with AFGE/National Council Of SSA Field Operations
Locals American Federation Of Government Employees, AFL-CIO who
represents thousands of Social Security Workers for the past few
years now and we have been trying together to clean up the problems
that would make the disability claims process better for both sides
- the disability claimants and the SSA workers themselves. It is
amazing, and very refreshing to learn about how much we agree, on
the changes needed to make the SSDI/SSI process easier. They have
been extremely helpful to my group which has allowed me to better
help those struggling to get these crucial benefits. If we can do
these things together I see no reason why the SSA Commissioner (if
she was doing her job properly) would not want us actively involved
every step of the way in these changes that she is making. While I
know the SSA is doing their very best with the resources they have,
they cannot do it alone, as many things needed to truly reform this
system, must be legislated by Congress. So I call on you today to
start taking this crisis seriously as many lives literally depend on
your actions.
As a person who has
gone through the Social Security Disability claims process myself, I
know first hand about the pain, financial, physical and emotional
devastation that the current problematic SSDI process can cause, and
I will never be able to recover from it, since I can no longer
work. I find it disturbing that at this latest hearing and at past
hearings, that glaringly absent from your panel was representation
from other disability organizations such as mine. You continually
choose the same panelists from the disability community when there
is any representation at all. I ask again as I have in the past,
that in future Congressional hearings on these matters, that I be
allowed to actively participate instead of being forced to always
submit testimony in writing, after the main hearing takes place. I
am more than willing to testify in person before Congress and I
should be permitted to do so. I want a major role in the Social
Security Disability reformation process, since any changes that
occur have a direct major impact on my life and our members lives
and well being. Who better to give feedback at these hearings than
those who are directly affected by its flaws! A more concerted
effort needs to be utilized when scheduling future hearings,
factoring in enough time to allow panelists that better represent a
wider cross section of the American population, to testify in
person. It seems to me that if this is not done, that you are not
getting a total reflection of the population affected, and are
making decisions on inaccurate information which can be very
detrimental to those whom you have been elected to serve.
From GAO testimony
to your committee on 6/15/06: “Finally, SSA’s communication efforts
with stakeholders align with change management principles in several
respects. For example, SSA has employed a proactive, collaborative
approach to engaging the stakeholder community both during DSI’s
design and in its planning for implementation in order to explain
why change is necessary, workable, and beneficial. Even before the
notice of proposed rule making on DSI was published, SSA began to
meet with stakeholder groups to develop the proposal that would
eventually shape the new structure. Then, once the proposed rule was
issued, SSA officials told us they formed a team to read and analyze
the hundreds of comment letters that stakeholders submitted. In
addition, they conducted a number of meetings with external
stakeholders to help the agency identify common areas of concern and
develop an approach to resolving the issues stakeholders raised
before rollout began. According to SSA officials responsible for
these meetings, the Commissioner attended more than 100 meetings to
hear stakeholder concerns directly. Further, SSA recently scheduled
a meeting for early July with claimant representatives to discuss
that group’s particular concerns about how the new process will
affect their work and their disability clients. SSA officials told
us that senior-level staff will lead the meeting and that about 100
claimant representatives from the Boston region will attend.”
“While SSA’s steps
and plans look promising, we want to stress the importance of
diligence and follow-through in two key areas. The first is quality
assurance, which entails both effective monitoring and evaluation. A
solid monitoring plan is key to helping SSA quickly identify and
correct problems that surface in the Boston rollout, because any
failure to correct problems could put the entire process at risk. An
evaluation plan is critical for ensuring that processes are working
as intended and that SSA is achieving its overarching goals of
making accurate, consistent decisions as early in the process as
possible. The second key area is communication. It is important for
SSA’s top leadership to support open lines of communication
throughout implementation if the agency is to facilitate a
successful transition. Failure to, for example, provide useful
feedback to staff - many of whom will be new to the agency or at
least to the new tools - could significantly jeopardize
opportunities for improvement. Just as important, SSA’s top
management needs to ensure that the concerns and questions of
stakeholders affected by the new process are heard, and that
concerned parties are kept apprised of how SSA intends to respond.”
It does not seem to
me that SSA is off to a very good start in that area. I continually
asked to be part of such meetings if and when they were ever held,
but was never informed of any them, thus was not allowed to
participate. Since my organization primarily consists of SSDI/SSI
claimants, I have to question what sorts of “stakeholders” the
Commissioner met with. Seems like her main concern is to meet with
“stakeholders” who stand to make the most money from a claimant’s
problems with the SSDI/SSI program rather than the claimant’s
themselves who are most affected by those problems. This is further
evidenced by the list of “stakeholders” referenced in the
aforementioned GAO testimony. Again proof of the Federal Government
catering to special interest groups. While many of these “claimant
representatives” may have good intentions, unless they personally
experience what it is actually like to live through the process of
applying for these benefits, and have their lives permanently
altered as a result of it, they can never accurately convey to
anyone what the problems with dealing with a severely broken system
is like for us. If this system is ever to be reformed properly, it
is crucial that before any changes to this program are implemented,
that the majority of input/involvement in any phase of change be
with a team of actual SSDI/SSI claimants and the SSA workers
themselves who must implement any proposed changes.
The Commissioner in
the past has stated “In drafting this final rule, we understood
that, although there was broad agreement on the need for change,
numerous commenters perceived our proposed rule as favoring
administrative efficiency over fairness.”
It is very
detrimental to the American people, if the Commissioner is using
their hard earned money to harm them for the sake of efficiency
rather than make it a priority to take every step necessary to see
that their cases are processed fairly as well as quickly. We fear
rubberstamping of denials for the sake of efficiency, which is in
fact ignoring the will of the people.
It is my
understanding that Congressman Levin suggested during the hearing
that the General Accounting Office (GAO) should conduct a study and
cost analysis of DSI. After my own personal experience with filing
a claim for SSDI benefits dealing with enormous processing time and
the totally unnecessary problems I encountered, I also agree that
their should be major oversight by an independent body of all phases
of the disability claims process. I agree with the Congressman that
the GAO would do well to be involved in investigating further how
the Commissioner’s proposals would not only affect the SSA, but more
importantly how her proposals would affect the claimant’s
themselves, which after all our input, she continues to ignore.
We ask that the GAO
review processing times of all phases of the disability claims
process with particular focus on the DDS offices and the ALJ’s where
the largest bottlenecks and inconsistencies in the program are
found. In addition we want the GAO to consider recommending to
Congress that they move to legislate that the Federal Government
take over the role that the DDS offices now perform. We have seen a
wide range of denial/approval rates and processing times for the
same classifications of disabilities based entirely on the state in
which a claimant lives, or which DDS worker (their training is very
inconsistent by state) happens to handle their claim. This should
not be allowed and in fact most people including elected officials
are not aware that DDS workers are state, rather than Federal
employees. It is widely known that the following Federal Standards
are not being met by the DDS offices as the program is currently
structured:
404.1642 Processing
time standards http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1642.htm
(a) General. Title
II processing time refers to the average number of days, including
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, it takes a State agency to process
an initial disability claim from the day the case folder is received
in the State agency until the day it is released to us by the State
agency. Title XVI processing time refers to the average number of
days, including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, from the day of
receipt of the initial disability claim in the State agency until
systems input of a presumptive disability decision or the day the
case folder is released to us by the State agency, whichever is
earlier.
(b) Target levels.
The processing time target levels are:
(1) 37 days for
title II initial claims.
(2) 43 days for
title XVI initial claims.
(c) Threshold
levels. The processing time threshold levels are:
(1) 49.5 days for
title II initial claims.
(2) 57.9 days for
title XVI initial claims. [46 FR 29204, May 29, 1981, as amended at
56 FR 11020, Mar. 14, 1991]
404.1643 Performance
accuracy
standard
http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1643.htm
(a) General.
Performance accuracy refers to the percentage of cases that do not
have to be returned to State agencies for further development or
correction of decisions based on evidence in the files and as such
represents the reliability of State agency adjudication. The
definition of performance accuracy includes the measurement of
factors that have a potential for affecting a decision, as well as
the correctness of the decision. For example, if a particular item
of medical evidence should have been in the file but was not
included, even though its inclusion does not change the result in
the case, that is a performance error. Performance accuracy,
therefore, is a higher standard than decisional accuracy. As a
result, the percentage of correct decisions is significantly higher
than what is reflected in the error rate established by SSA's
quality assurance system.
(b) Target level.
The State agency initial performance accuracy target level for
combined title II and title XVI cases is 97 percent with a
corresponding decision accuracy rate of 99 percent.
(c) Intermediate
Goals. These goals will be established annually by SSA's regional
commissioner after negotiation with the State and should be used as
stepping stones to progress towards our targeted level of
performance.
(d) Threshold
levels. The State agency initial performance accuracy threshold
level for combined title II and title XVI cases is 90.6 percent.
The following GAO
reports over the past several years prove that there are major
problems with this program:
GAO-04-656 - More
Effort Needed To Assess Consistency of Disability Decisions – July
2004
GAO-03-117 - Social
Security Administration: Major Management Challenges and Program
Risks – January 2003
GAO-03-119 - High
Risk Series: An Update – January 2003
GAO-02-826T -
Social Security Disability: Significant Problems Persist and
Difficult Decisions Lie Ahead
GAO-02-322 -
Disappointing Results From SSA's Efforts to Improve the Disability
Claims Process Warrant Immediate Attention
GAO/HEHS-97-28 -
APPEALED DISABILITY CLAIMS: Despite SSA’s Efforts It Will Not Reach
Backlog Reduction Goal
GAO/HRD-94-11-
Increasing Number of Disability Claims and Deteriorating Service
GAO/HEHS-94-34 -
Disability Rolls Keep Growing While Explanations Remain Elusive
Productivity/Poor
Customer Service
The Commissioner has
stated: “SSA is a good and worthy investment. Our achievements over
the last year are proof that resources provided to SSA are used
efficiently and effectively to administer America’s social security
programs.”
It is very true that
SSA is a good and worthy investment when it works properly to
provide vital disability benefits to claimants in a timely manner,
but from the Federal regulations that are violated on a daily basis
and the GAO reports to date, this is not the case at all. This
statement shows that the Commissioner is totally out of touch with
what is happening on her watch. I would be more that willing to
speculate that any other corporation in this country who ran their
business this poorly, would be out of business in it’s first year!
By client standards SSA customer service is extremely poor and in
major need of improvement across the board. Here is just a small
sampling of the constant complaints we receive about the Social
Security Disability system and its employees:
Severe
understaffing of SSD workers at all levels of the program
Extraordinary
wait times between the different phases of the disability claims
process
Employees being
rude/insensitive to claimants
Employees
outright refusing to provide information to claimants or do not have
the knowledge to do so
Employees not
returning calls
Employees greatly
lacking in knowledge of and in some cases purposely violating Social
Security and Federal Regulations (including Freedom of Information
Act and SSD Pre-Hearing review process).
Claimants getting
conflicting/erroneous information depending on whom they happen to
talk to at Social Security – causing confusion for claimants and in
some cases major problems including improper payments
Complaints of
lack of attention or totally ignoring - medical records provided and
claimants concerns by Field Officers, IME doctors and ALJ’s.
Fraud on the part
of DDS/OHA offices, ALJ’s, IME’s – purposely manipulating/ignoring
information provided to deny claims.
Complaints of
lost files and files being purposely thrown in the trash
Complaints of
having other claimants information improperly filed/mixed in where
it doesn’t belong causing breach of security
Complaints of
backlogs at payment processing centers for initial payments once
claim is approved
Federal Quality
Review process adding even more wait time to claims processing,
increasing backlogs, no ability to follow up on claim in this phase
Poor/little
coordination of information between the different departments and
phases of the disability process
NOTE: These
complaints refer to all phases of the SSD process including local
office, Disability Determinations, Office of Hearings and Appeals,
Payment Processing Centers and the Social Security main office in MD
(800 number).
All these concerns
were submitted in writing by myself, to the Commissioner’s staff as
part of the New Approach program, and in previous testimonies to
this committee, yet very few of them have even been addressed as
part of the DSI. While there is no acceptable excuse for why these
incidents are occurring, it is of no surprise to me that they are,
based on the current conditions under which the SSA functions. I
must take this time to remind you that we are not just nine digit SS
numbers or case files, and I am sure as a result of very stressful
working conditions, that it is very easy at times for SSA workers to
forget that fact. We are living, breathing, and due to our
illnesses – very fragile human beings, whose survival in most cases,
totally depends on these benefits. Often we are treated like
criminals on trial, or malingerers looking for a handout. Social
Security Disability (SSDI) is a Federal disability INSURANCE plan –
not welfare - where money is taken out of your paycheck every week,
yet you could face homelessness, bankruptcy and even death trying to
get your benefits when you need them most. Unfortunately, you may
find yourself in a situation where you suddenly need to access this
fund, then find it’s the most mismanaged, problematic Federal
program there is. The stories of abusive and rude behavior towards
SSD/SSI claimants continue to increase. There does not seem to be
much oversight in this area, which is totally unacceptable. The GAO
and the SSA needs to monitor this problem more closely. A greater
effort must be made to treat all claimants with the utmost respect
and dignity and when necessary SSA must remove offending employees
immediately. I ask that Congress/GAO create an independent
oversight team to make sure these problems are corrected as soon as
possible.
The SSA and GAO need
to involve people such as myself who are directly affected by any
changes to the SSDI/SSI program in any studies, surveys or
committees to determine what changes would be in the best interest
of the disability community. Nobody knows better about the flaws in
the system and possible solutions to the problems, then those who
are forced to go through it and deal with the consequences when it
does not function properly. From my own personal experience, and
those of so many others that I have come in contact with, the best
approach is one that has the least amount of paperwork, the quickest
processing times, the most communication with SS workers, and no
need to have attorneys or the courts involved in the processing of
claims. This program should be as simple as a claim for any other
kind of insurance such as unemployment, auto etc. because insurance
is actually what these benefits are! There is no need for it to be
this burdensome, beaurocratic nightmare that it has turned into. To
achieve this goal we suggest that you also establish an independent
commission, again including disability program clients, to provide
an ongoing monitoring/assessment of customer service, cost, time
savings, and functions of the Social Security Disability program.
At this point I feel
that one of the best ways to illustrate the problems with the SSDI
claims process is to relate my own experience with the program. For
the last 30 years of my life I contributed to the Social Security
System as millions of Americans do every day. I never expected to
use those funds till I was old enough to retire, yet I was
personally devastated by the SSA, losing everything I worked for
because I became ill. In December of 2001, I applied for Social
Security Disability benefits which I assumed would be there to help
me in my time of need. I’d heard nothing but discouraging stories,
but figured every case was different, and anyone with the list of
illnesses that I had, and the documentation to prove it, would
surely get the help they needed, yet I was sorely mistaken. After
filling out several pages of paperwork, which I was told was greatly
reduced from which it had originally been, and submitting a huge
stack of medical records supporting my claim, I was told it would
take 4-6 months to go through the disability claims process. I was
shocked and asked what I was supposed to live on, and I was told to
apply for Social Services (Medicaid, food stamps and cash
assistance) while my claim was being reviewed. I did just that, and
was denied any sort of help based on the cash value of a life
insurance policy that is not even enough to bury me when I die. Due
to all my illnesses if I cashed in that policy, I would never be
able to get that form of insurance again! Going through that
process and paperwork was very difficult and humiliating as well,
and then to be denied any help, just added even more to my stress
and misery.
I was hoping beyond
hope that I would soon get word that my disability claim was
approved, but instead on 4/25/02, I got the incredible letter that
my Social Security Disability claim had been denied! I found out
that it’s common knowledge on the streets and in legal circles that
very few get approved the first time they apply. Something is
extremely wrong when you have to deal with the pain and suffering
physically and mentally that comes along with the illnesses you
have, and then have to struggle so hard to get the benefits that you
have worked for all your life.
I still couldn’t
understand how it was possible that anyone could read about all the
medical problems I have, and it not be totally transparent that I
should qualify for benefits, and that I never should’ve been denied
in the first place! I immediately filed for an appeal, had to go
through an even more complicated process and was told it would be at
least August of 2003 before I got my hearing if I didn’t die first!
On 9/13/02, when I called the Office of Hearings and Appeals in
Buffalo NY to check on my claim the receptionist told me, that my
file was still in the un-worked status, which meant that nobody was
assigned to my claim yet, or even looked at the file at all since
March, when I originally filed my appeal. I expressed my disgust
that after six months in their possession that it had not even been
touched yet! I called them again on 1/23/03 and they told me that
STILL nobody had been assigned to my case and it would be a MINIMUM
of five months more or longer since they were just starting to work
on cases that were filed in November of 2001! The receptionist
expressed her sympathy for my cause and literally begged me to let
others know (especially the government and media) about how much of
a problem they are having. Imagine my surprise when I was calling
them for help and they were begging me – a disabled person, to get
them help! That just proves even further how poorly run the SSD
program is. I was told that there were only 50 employees handling
hundreds of thousands of cases and they, along with all of us
claimants critically need help now!
Congressional
offices in many cases contact Social Security on behalf their
constituents going through the SSD process, so they must be aware of
the many problems that exist with the program. I wrote to ALL my
elected officials and as a registered voter myself, was very
disappointed, disillusioned, and disgusted that my elected officials
whom I have supported in the polls every year, when I asked for help
in my own particular case, that the very few who responded at all,
said that I needed to be become homeless or have my utilities shut
off before they could help me, and there was nothing else they could
do to expedite my claim. It was totally appalling and unacceptable
to me, that never once, did they say that they would do anything to
try and correct the flaws in the system that cause the horrors we
SSDI/SSI applicants face. The bi-partisan apathy in regards to this
issue is not only unacceptable, but criminally negligent behavior,
and Congress needs to be held responsible for it, create the
legislation and get the funding needed to address this crisis. We
elected them, trusting that they would protect, serve, and be there
for us in our time of need. Time is of the utmost importance in this
matter, as millions of SS Disability applicants, even as I write
this are suffering and losing everything, including their lives,
while trying to get their benefits.
In March 2003 I
called the hearings and appeals office again and they said it would
be at least August 2003 before someone would look at my case. I
then did some research and found out that I could request copies of
the reports of the SSD IME doctor I was sent to, and the notes of
the original DDS claim examiner that denied me, and when I received
them, my worst allegations were then confirmed. Even though I have
no real neurological problems they sent me to a neurologist to
examine me, so of course he would find nothing wrong with me and say
that I did not qualify as disabled. I should have instead, been
sent to a Rheumatologist since most of my problems are caused by
several autoimmune disorders. I also discovered that the DDS
examiner purposely manipulated my medical information in order to
deny my claim. Even though I filed my disability claim based on all
the physical problems I have, the DDS examiner purposely wrote
depression as a PRIMARY diagnosis for disability, instead of as
secondary one, so of course I would be denied based on that as
well. This was after I had already submitted tons of documents to
prove my PHYSICAL disability – reports/documents that he chose to
ignore. I then contacted the Social Security Office of Public
Inquiries and the Inspector General’s office in MD and filed a
formal willful misconduct complaint to him against the Buffalo DDS
office. In April 2003, I requested an immediate pre-hearing review
of my case on the grounds of misconduct and additional physical
evidence. In order to get that process going I had to fax the OHA
copies of their own regulations since the person I spoke with there
had no clue what I was talking about. Once they got all my
paperwork to request the review, a senior staff attorney, and then a
hearing and appeals judge granted my request and my case was then
sent back to the DDS office that originally denied my claim.
Finally it was seen by a different DDS person who actually knew how
to do their job. In two weeks my case was approved at the DDS level
and then was selected randomly by computer (7 out of every 10 cases
get chosen) for Federal review. It then took another three weeks to
be processed there.
By this time, I had
wiped out my life savings and lived off my pension from a previous
employer which is totally gone now, due to the enormous wait for my
claim to be processed properly. One month before becoming totally
bankrupt, homeless, losing my health insurance, and everything else
I had worked for the last 30 years of my life, I finally won my case
by myself, with no lawyer representing me, exactly 1-1/2 years to
the day from when I originally filed my claim. Under SSD
regulations 5 months of my retro pay was withheld for no good
reason, money I surely could have used to help pay off debts
incurred while waiting for approval of my benefits. All the SSD
retro pay I did received is gone now too and the benefits I do get
are nowhere near enough to live on for the rest of my life. Plus
there is always the stress of having to deal with the SS Continuing
Disability Review Process every few years, where the threat of
having your benefits suddenly cut off constantly hangs over your
head, even though all my illnesses are incurable and are getting
progressively worse. This is a total waste of time and money on the
part of the SSA to review people with incurable, no hope for
improvement conditions, such as mine.
Even after I was
finally approved for benefits, since current Medicare program
regulations discriminate against disabled Americans by making them
wait for 24 months after their disability date of entitlement, I
didn’t become eligible for Medicare until June 2004, having to spend
over half of my SSD check each month on health insurance premiums
and prescriptions, not including the additional co-pays fees on top
of it. Despite what you may hear, Social Security Disability
benefits rarely cover the basis necessities of life. The American
dream has become the American nightmare for me, since day to day I
don’t know how I’m going to survive without some miracle like
winning the lottery. I’m now doomed to spend what’s left of my days
here on earth, living in poverty, in addition to all my medical
concerns since I’m no longer able to work, and nobody in their right
mind would willing choose this horrible existence.
I continually deal
with enormous stress and face the continued looming threat of
bankruptcy and homelessness, due to the cost of my healthcare and
basic living expenses, still not qualifying for any public
assistance programs. I personally hold accountable the SSA, the DDS
Office in Buffalo NY, Congress and State legislators for their
apathy in regards to the problems that this program has, for the
mental, physical, emotional and financial destruction that this
experience has cost me. I have vowed to do whatever it takes for
the rest of my life, to make sure that no other American citizen has
to endure the hell that I continue to live with everyday as a result
of having to file for SSDI/SSI benefits. I did not ask for this
fate and would trade places with a healthy person in a minute.
Nobody ever thinks it can happen to them. I am proof that it can,
and remember that disease and tragedy do not discriminate on the
basis of age, race or sex.
America needs to
wake up and take action - anyone including you, could be one step
away from walking in my shoes at any moment! While the majority of
Americans were shocked at the reaction of the Federal government in
the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, I wasn’t surprised at all.
Americans saw when hurricane Katrina struck, how the poor and
disabled were left to die in the streets when they needed help the
most. I shudder to think of how many more lives will be further
ruined or lost, when the mentally and physically disabled victims of
Katrina, other natural disasters, 9/11 victims who survived that
day, but are now disabled and facing a similar fate, and the other
disabled Americans in general, encounter their next experience with
the Federal government as they apply for their SSDI/SSI benefits.
Also nothing is heard about the Veterans who are injured in the line
of duty and have to go through this same scenario to get their
benefits too. There are cases of Veterans rated 100% disabled by
the VA who get denied their Social Security Disability benefits and
end up living in poverty on the streets. Horrible treatment for
those who protect and serve our country. Keep in mind a
country is only as strong as the citizens that live there, yet as
you can now see, the Social Security Disability process preys on the
weak, and decimates the disabled population even further. The
process that an applicant endures when filing for SS disability
benefits, causes irreparable harm and has many serious side effects
including financial and physical devastation, unbearable stress and
anxiety, depression, and in some cases the depression is so severe
that suicide seems to be the only option to get rid of the pain, of
dealing with a system riddled with abuses against the disabled,
already fragile citizens of this country. It is a known medical
fact that stress of any kind can be detrimental to a person’s
health, and to subject a population whose health is already in
jeopardy to the sorts of stress that this process can cause, further
erodes a claimant’s health and is Federally sanctioned torture .
Based on my own personal experience, and from the horror stories I
hear on a daily basis I can’t help but feel that the Social Security
Disability program is purposely structured to be very complicated,
confusing, and with as many obstacles as possible, in order to
discourage and suck the life out of claimants, hoping that they give
up or die in the application process, so that benefits do not have
to be paid to them. A sad commentary to say the least.
We the
“Claimants, Customers, Stakeholders” are the people that the SSA and
Congress is supposed to be serving and listed below are some of our
concerns and proposals for reform:
We want disability
benefits determinations to be based solely on the physical or mental
disability of the applicant. Neither age, education or any other
factors should ever be considered when evaluating whether or not a
person is disabled. If a person cannot work due to their medical
conditions – they CAN’T work no matter what their age, or how many
degrees they have, yet this is a standard practice when deciding
Social Security Disability determinations. These non-disabling
factors should be eliminated immediately as a factor in determining
benefits eligibility.
The SSA “Bluebook”
listing of diseases that qualify a person for disability should be
updated more frequently to include newly discovered crippling
diseases such as the many autoimmune disorders that are ravaging our
citizens. Also SSD's current 3 year earnings window calculation
method fails to recognize slowly progressive conditions which force
people to gradually work/earn less for periods longer than 3 years,
thus those with such conditions never receive their 'healthy'
earnings peak rate.
In her testimony
before the Senate Finance Committee on 3/14/06 the Commissioner
referred to an Electronic Disability Guide (eDG) which she states is
accessible to the public. To date that has not been made available
to the public, all areas are flagged as restricted, and we request
that it be made accessible to the public as soon as possible.
We want to see
institution of a lost records fine, wherein if Social Security loses
a claimants records/files an immediate $1000 fine must be paid to
the claimant.
Funding
The Commissioner has
stated in the past: “Since funding is the fuel that drives our
ability to meet the needs of the people who rely on our services, I
must tell you that there are very real consequences when we have
reduced resources. Under the current performance-based budgets,
there is a certain amount of work that can be done for a certain
amount of funding, and when our portfolio of traditional work and
the new workloads I have described expands without funding, our
effectiveness is jeopardized.”
We agree with the
Commissioner that proper funding is crucial to the success of SSA
programs and there are severe, very real consequences to claimants
when SSA has reduced resources, yet it is my understanding that she
has imposed a hiring reduction. SSA has already experienced
staffing cuts in 2006, and based on the President’s proposed budget,
is expected to experience even more staffing cuts in 2007. The SSA
will now have only a 1 of 8 employee replacement ratio for those
leaving SSA and who work directly on the front lines in the field
offices. This is a claimant’s primary interview contact in the
disability claims and appeals process, and this staffing cut is a
great cause of concern for us. Even now there is not enough staff
to handle the current workloads, and the influx of new disability
claims is only going to increase over time as the population ages,
and we face very turbulent times ahead. The idea that the
Commissioner would use these resources she has been given, to create
new levels of claims processing, that in reality will make the
system tougher on claimants to access benefits, instead of properly
staff the program and make it more claimant friendly is a travesty
and waste of tax payer dollars. We ask that Congress legislate to
ensure that the Social Security trust fund should never be touched
for anything else but to pay benefits to the people who are entitled
to it, and that the SSA does not have to compete for appropriation
funds. We also call on Congress and the GAO to step in, and
prevent the Commissioner’s very detrimental staffing cut from taking
place.
Communication
Between SSA And Its Customers Is Crucial/DCM/QDD
Increased contact
with claimants throughout WHOLE disability claims process is crucial
to the success of the program. Currently there is virtually no
communication with claimants after initial intake, written denial,
approval, review notices or if by chance the claimant is able to get
through to the 1-800 number to ask a question. A welcome step in
that direction is the Disability Claims Manager (DCM) pilot where
the claimant is able interact on a regular basis in SSA field
offices with the person who would be making the decision on their
case. If trained properly we believe that DCM staff could perform
this role, and it is my understanding that in the pilot these
managers processed claims faster and more accurately than the state
DDS offices do now. We are very pleased to see the Commissioner’s
creation of the Quick Disability Determination Unit (QDD) process
for the obviously disabled which is long overdue, especially for
those who suffer from terminal illness, who currently in many cases,
die before they get approved for benefits. We must state that
though, that it would better serve its clients if it were part of
the SSA field office as well. Also a claimant should be allowed to
review all records in their case file at any time, during all phases
of the SSDI/SSI process. Currently they are only allowed to review
their file after a denial in the initial phase is issued. Before a
denial is issued at any stage, the applicant should be contacted as
to ALL the sources being used to make the judgment. It must be
accompanied by a detailed report as to why a denial might be
imminent, who made the determination and a phone number or address
where they could be contacted. In case info is missing or they were
given inaccurate information the applicant can provide the corrected
or missing information before a determination is made. This would
eliminate many cases from having to advance to any hearing phase.
Consolidation/Coordination – The Disability Common Sense Approach
The most ideal
customer service scenario would be to have ALL phases of the
disability claims process be handled directly out of the SSA field
offices. Since SSDI/SSI are Federal benefits why has a State DDS
level been added to this process at all? We must question why this
common sense solution is not being instituted as part of the DSI.
We ask that SSA, Congress and the GAO to look into reforming this
program in such a way that ALL who handle benefit claims are Federal
employees and consolidate ALL phases of the SSDI/SSI process into
the individual SSA field offices throughout the nation. More
Federal funding is necessary to continue to create a universal
network between all outlets that handle SSDI/SSI cases so that
claimant’s info is easily available to caseworkers handling claims
no matter what level/stage they are at in the system. Since eDib
is not fully functional at this time, and even when it is, keeping
as much of the disability process as possible in the SSA field
offices would dramatically cut down on transfer of files and the
number of missing file incidences, result in better tracking of
claims status, and allow for greater ease in submitting ongoing
updated medical evidence in order to prove a claim. In addition,
all SSA forms and
reports should be made available online for claimants, medical
professionals, SSD caseworkers and attorneys, and be uniform
throughout the system. One universal form should be used by
claimants, doctors, attorneys and SSD caseworkers, which will save
time, create ease in tracking status, updating info and reduce
duplication of paperwork. Forms should be revised to be more
comprehensive for evaluating a claimant’s disability and better
coordinated with the SS Doctor’s Bluebook Listing of Impairments.
5 Month
Withholding/Waiting Period For Benefits
Remove 5 month
waiting period for SSDI/SSI benefits. Supposedly this law was
instituted because it was felt by Congress that the majority of
Americans have short and long term disability insurance through
their employers. In fact according to the Labor Department's
National Compensation Survey released in March 2006, only 40% of
U.S. employers offer short-term disability, and only 30% offer
long-term disability. We now live in a climate where employer
sponsored benefits are in fact decreasing, while as the population
ages the need for them is increasing. There is absolutely no good
reason for withholding these funds and it is basically robbery of 5
months of their hard earned benefits! Also prime rate bank interest
should be paid on all retro payments from first date of filing, due
to claimants, as they are losing this as well while waiting for
their benefits to be approved. The amount of money withheld during
this time could mean the very difference between a more secure
future or financial ruin for a population who can no longer work and
that will never be able to recoup that loss of back benefits that
they are subjected to. It could determine whether or not a person
will have to file for State assistance in addition to their Federal
benefits and then have to rely on two support programs rather than
just one for the rest of their lives. Now more than ever it is time
for Congress to remove this additional hindrance to disabled
Americans.
Medicare
Eligibilty/24 Month Waiting Period/Accelerated Benefits Trial/Mental
Health Treatment Study/ HIV/AI Demonstrations,
The Commissioner’s
proposed Accelerated Benefits trial ignored our request to get
Congress to legislate removal of 24 month waiting period for ALL
Social Security Disability recipients to get full Medicare
coverage. That needs to change and we ask this Committee to
institute the necessary legislation to remove it as soon as
possible. Her suggestion to only allow claimant’s whose have
medical conditions that are expected to improve within 2-3 years is
blatant discrimination against the disabled citizens who need
Medicare the most. This proves a total lack of understanding on her
part, of how crucial these benefits are to someone who is disabled
and can no longer work. Imposing this waiting period, also forces
many to have to file for Medicaid/Social Service programs who
otherwise may not have needed these services if Medicare was
provided immediately upon approval of disability benefits. My
organization agrees totally with the Medicare Rights Center, that
coverage under all parts of Medicare must start immediately for
them, upon disability date of eligibility. As part of the Mental
Health Treatment Study and HIV/AI Demonstrations, the Commissioner
states that SSA will provide comprehensive health care to DI
beneficiaries who have schizophrenia or affective disorders, HIV/AI
disorders. Again this should be extended to ALL SSDI claimants
regardless of possible work outcome!
Claims Processing
Times/Dire Needs/Compensation For Losses Incurred While Waiting For
Benefits
We are calling for
All SSD case decisions to be determined within three months maximum
of original filing date. When it is impossible to do so a maximum
of six months will be allowed for appeals, hearings etc – NO
EXCEPTIONS. Failure to do so on the part of the SSA will constitute
a fine of $500 per week for every week over the six month period -
payable to claimants in addition to their awarded benefit payments
and due immediately along with their retro pay upon approval of
their claim. A dire needs case in the eyes of the SSA means that
you have to prove in writing, that you are going to have your home
foreclosed on, be evicted from your apartment or have your utilities
shut off. Nobody should ever have to deal with that sort of thing
when they are sick! Many claimants are also unable to afford health
insurance, medicine, food, other necessities of life, and have to
wipe out their financial resources because of their inability to
work, but even that is not considered a dire need! Worsening health
doesn’t seem to be much of a factor in speeding up SSD claims
either, as there are several reported cases of people who have died
while waiting to get their benefits. This is outrageous when
something this serious, and a matter of life and death, could be
handled in such a poor manner. No other company or other government
organization operates with such horrible turn around times. As a
result we are calling for Congress to legislate that the SSA will be
held financially responsible to reimburse claimants for any loss of
property, automobiles, IRA’s, pension funds, who incur a compromised
credit rating or lose their health insurance as a result of any
delay in processing of their claims, which may occur during or after
(if there is failure to fully process claim within six months) the
initial six month allotted processing period.
Treating
Physicians
All doctors should
be required by law, before they receive their medical license, and
it be made a part of their continuing education program to keep
their license, to attend seminars provided free of charge by the
SSA, in proper procedures for writing medical reports and filling
out forms for Social Security Disability and SSD claimants. Often
claimants cannot get their doctors to fill out SSA forms due to time
constraints and staffing problems or they have no access to any kind
of medical care at all. SSA field offices should also, when a
person applies for disability benefits, provide at no charge to the
claimant, a listing of free/low cost healthcare resources that they
may need to utilize in order prove their disabilities. While the
SSA in such cases may order a claimant to go for an IME in these
situations, they cannot adequately determine a claimants disability
in one visit like a treating physician who see a claimant on a
regular basis can.
Proper Weight of
Treating Physician Reports/Evidence And IME/Consultative Exams
Too much weight at
the initial time of filing, and throughout the claims process is put
on the independent medical examiner’s and SS caseworker’s opinion of
a claim. The independent medical examiner, SS caseworker only sees
you for a few minutes and has no idea how a patient’s medical
problems affect their lives after only a brief visit with them. The
caseworker at the DDS office never sees a claimant. The decisions
should be based with priority given to the claimant’s own treating
physicians opinions and medical records. When evidence is lacking
in that area, and SSD requires a medical exam, it should only be
performed by board certified independent doctors who are specialists
in the disabling condition that a claimant has (example –
Rheumatologists for autoimmune disorders, Psychologists and
Psychiatrists for mental disorders). Currently this is often not
the case. Also independent medical exams requested by SSA should
only be required to be performed by doctors who are located within a
15 mile radius of a claimants residence. If that is not possible –
Social Security should provide for transportation or travel expenses
incurred for this travel by the claimant.
Easy/Free Access
For Patients To Copies Of Their Own Medical Records
All Americans should
be entitled to easy access and FREE copies of their own medical
records, including doctor’s notes (unless it could be proven that it
is detrimental to their health) at all times. This is crucial
information for all citizens to have to ensure that they are
receiving proper healthcare and a major factor when a person applies
for Social Security Disability. Often inaccuracies in these records
are never caught, allowing incorrect information to be passed on
from doctor to doctor over the years, and could even lead to serious
misjudgments in patient care based on bad information.
Removal Of
Reconsideration Phase
NY State where I
live, is one of the worst in the nation to file a claim for SSDI/SSI
benefits, compared to the rest of the nation, especially since
9/11. NY is one of ten test states where the reconsideration phase
of the SS Disability claims process was eliminated, causing
extraordinary wait times, up to several years in some cases, for
claims to be processed At the Buffalo NY DDS office where my own
claim for benefits was processed, 48.6% of T2 initial cases, 57.2%
of initial cases and 67% of concurrent initial cases were denied.
Yet over half of those claims were then approved at the Hearings and
Appeals level in the time period between 6/25/05 – 9/00/05. With
initial claims denial rates this high and no opportunity for
reconsideration, it only stands to reason that claimants will
request a hearing thus forcing them into the court system.
Currently in states where the reconsideration phase has been removed
there is even a need to ship in ALJ’s from other states to help
manage the court backlog problem. Yet the SSA Commissioner, has
ignored this problem occurring already in these 10 test states and
has now passed regulations to remove the reconsideration phase for
the whole country, which will continue to force thousands more into
the already backlogged Federal Court system. Why waste more Federal
dollars on expanding removal of this phase when it has already been
proven that it causes even more of a problem to both the claimants
and the courts.
Use of
Attorneys/ALJ’s In Claims Processing
The SSDI/SSI claims
process should be set up so there is no need whatsoever for claimant
paid legal representation when filing for benefits
Currently the
program is set up to line the pockets of the legal system, since a
claimant is often encouraged from the minute they apply for benefits
to get a lawyer. Why should you need to pay a lawyer to get
benefits that you have earned? Every effort should be made to set
up the claims process so there is very little need for cases to
advance to the hearing and appeal stage since that is where one of
the major backlog and wait time exists. It seems that this would
create an incentive when work loads at DDS offices are especially
high, to rubberstamp denials, moving them to the hearing phase, and
pushing their workload into the already overloaded Federal court
system, rather than take a little extra time to properly review the
claim. The need of lawyers/reps to navigate the system and file
claims, and the SSD cap on a lawyer's retro commission is also a
disincentive to expeditious claim processing, since purposely
delaying the claims process will cause the cap to max out - more
money to the lawyer/rep for dragging their feet adding another cost
burden to claimants. In other words the system is structured so
that it is in a lawyer’s best interest for your case to drag on
since they get paid 25% of a claimant’s retro pay up to $5300 – the
longer it takes the more they get. From the horror stories I hear
from other claimants, many attorneys are definitely taking advantage
of that situation. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I
am told of people whose health is deteriorating, who are losing
their homes and filing for bankruptcy because their attorneys do
nothing to try and speed up their claims. Many qualify for dire
needs status or are eligible for pre-hearing/review on the record
status in order to prevent these problems but are never told that by
their attorneys, who sit back and do nothing but collect from a
claimant’s retro check. Claimants are told that there is a major
backlog and since they are unaware of SS regulations they do not
question this fraudulent behavior. We view this as a criminal act,
yet there is almost oversight on this problem. Instead, from what I
have seen in the Commissioner’s DSI plan, she is catering to the law
community in much the same way that the pharmaceutical companies
were catered to when the Medicare Part D plan was instituted. Just
as it has with the Medicare program, this adds a greater cost and
processing time to the administration of the SSDI program and again
adds a financial burden for the disabled. Instead the SSA should
provide claimants with a listing in every state, of FREE Social
Security Disability advocates/reps when a claim is originally filed
in case their services may be needed.
We are not in favor
of any changes that would result in more hearings, lesser back
payments or a greater reliance on attorneys for claimants to receive
benefits. The Commissioner has proposed that a record would be
closed after an ALJ issues a decision and new/material evidence
would only be allowed to be submitted under certain limited
circumstances. This is totally unacceptable, given that a great
number of ALJ decisions are currently appealed due to rampant bias
against claimants, fraudulent behavior and poor performance by the
ALJ’s currently serving. We have even heard stories of claimants
who are being told by ALJ’s that they must give up years of back pay
or the judge will not approve their disability claims, which is
criminal behavior! We are in favor of audio and/or videotaping of
Social Security Disability ALJ hearings and during IME exams allowed
at all times to avoid improper conduct by judges and doctors. A
copy of court transcript should automatically be provided to
claimant or their representative within one month of hearing date
FREE of charge. We want to see the institution of a very strict
code of conduct for Administrative Law Judges in determining cases
and in the courtroom, with fines to be imposed for inappropriate
conduct and payable to claimants. We also ask that the GAO review
the role of the ALJ in the processing of disability claims and their
decision making which has often proven to be very harmful to
claimants. We suggest that the GAO and this Subcommittee look at
the following report:
General Bias and
Administrative Law Judges: Is there a Remedy for Social Security
Disability Claimants?
http://organizations.lawschool.cornell.edu/clr/90_3/Vendel_90_Cornell_Law_Review.pdf
Ticket To Work
Program - Catch 22 – Fear and Mistrust of the SSA
According to SSA
disability guidelines: Social Security pays only for total
disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or for
short-term disability. You have a valid claim if you have been
disabled or are expected to be disabled for 12 consecutive months,
or your condition will result in your death. Your condition must
interfere with basic work-related activities for your claim to be
considered. If your condition is severe but not at the same or
equal level of severity as a medical condition on the list, then
they must determine if it interferes with your ability to do the
work you did previously. If it does not, your claim will be denied.
If you cannot do the work you did in the past, SSD looks to see if
you are able to adjust to other work. They consider your medical
conditions and your age, education, past work experience and any
transferable skills you may have. If you cannot adjust to other
work, your claim will be approved. If you can adjust to other work,
your claim will be denied.
SSA forces the
disabled to go through years of abuse trying to prove that they can
no longer work ANY job in the national economy due to the severity
of their illnesses in order to be approved for benefits. The
resulting devastation on their lives, often totally eliminates the
possibility of them ever getting well enough to ever return to the
work force, even on a part time basis, in order to utilize the SS
Ticket to Work program. Then, sometimes weeks after they are
finally approved for SSD/SSI benefits, after their health and
finances have been totally destroyed beyond repair, they receive a
“Ticket To Work” packet in the mail. A cruel joke to say the least
and it is no wonder that the disabled fear continuing disability
reviews, utilization of the Ticket to Work Program, and distrust the
Federal Government! The Ticket to Work Program is often viewed as a
carrot and stick it to the disabled approach.
How Backlogs In The
SSDI/SSI Program Place An Increased Burden On The States
Due to the enormous
wait times that applicants may endure while waiting for their
SSDI/SSI claims to be processed, many are forced into poverty and
have to apply for other state funded programs such as Medicaid, food
stamps and cash assistance, who wouldn’t have needed them, if their
disability claims were approved in a timely manner. Another very
stressful demeaning process to say the least. This causes an
enormous burden across this nation, on those state Social Service
programs. This problem would be greatly reduced if the Federal
SSD/SSI program was fixed, and the states would definitely reap the
benefits in the long run. Also if a healthy person files for Social
Service programs and then gets a job, they do not have to reimburse
the state once they find a job, for the funds they were given while
looking for work. Disability claimants who file for state Social
Services assistance while waiting to get SSI benefits in many
states, have to pay back the state out of their meager disability
benefits once approved, in most cases keeping them below the poverty
level and forcing them to continue to use state funded services for
the rest of their lives in addition to the Federal SSI program.
They are almost never able recover or better themselves, since they
can no longer work, and now have to rely on two support programs
instead of just one. In all states there should be immediate
approval for social services (food stamps, cash assistance, medical
assistance, etc) benefits for SSD claimants that don’t have to be
paid back to the states out of their SSD benefits once approved. We
are calling on the SSA, the GAO and the states to make it a priority
to start tracking this connection and act swiftly to correct this
problem. Since states are being crushed under the increased
Medicaid burden I am sure that this would do a great deal to
alleviate that problem as well.
Continuing
Disability Reviews
We have heard that
there is a proposal to give SSD recipients a limited amount of time
to collect their benefits. We are very concerned with the changes
that could take place. Since every patient is different and their
disabilities are as well, this type of “cookie cutter” approach is
out of the question. We especially feel that people with
psychological injuries or illness would be a target for this type of
action. Some medical plans pay 80% for treatment of biological
mental heath conditions, but currently Medicare only pays 50% for an
appointment with a psychiatrist. This often prohibits patients from
getting proper treatment and comply with rules for continual care on
disability. The current disability review process in itself is very
detrimental to a patient’s health. Many people suffer from chronic
conditions that have NO cures and over time these diseases grow
progressively worse with no hope of recovery or returning to the
work force. The threat of possible benefits cut off, and stress of
a review by Social Security again is very detrimental to a
recipients health. This factor needs to be taken into consideration
when reforming the CDR process. In those cases total elimination of
CDR’s should be considered or a longer period of time between
reviews such as 10-15 years rather then every 3-7 years, as is
currently the case. This would save the SSA a great deal of time,
money and paperwork which could then be used to get new claimants
through the system faster.
Unless everyone of
the concerns/issues outlined above is addressed and resolved in a
timely manner, the SSA, Congress and the State governments will
continue to fail at what they were put in place to do – serve the
people. Most of us were once hard working, tax paying citizens with
hopes and “American dreams” but due to an unfortunate accident or
illness, have become disabled to a point where we can no longer
work. Does that mean we are not valuable to our country, or give
the government/society the right to ignore or even abuse us? I
think not! We are your mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers,
children, friends and acquaintances, and most people think that this
could ever happen to them. Remember that at any point in time you
too could be facing our dilemma and contrary to what may be popular
opinion, nobody willingly chooses this type of existence. I only
hope that I can live long enough to see you do what is right for all
of us. Since we can no longer work due to our disabilities, we are
often considered "disposable" people by general and government
standards. In addition our cries and screams are often ignored,
many preferring that we just shut up or die. I am here to tell you
those days are over now. We are watching, we are waiting, we may be
disabled but we vote! Thank you for your time.
Please check out
website at:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/bump.html
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