Pissed Off & Upset

I got a letter today from Social Security telling me that they don't think I am disabled anymore and that that I would not longer be receiving a Social Security check anymore after June.  My Medicare and Medicaid QMB will end on the last day of June as well.  How can they possibly think I can go back to work?  Who is going to hire me?  I go to Physical Therapy twice a week (that's 2 days I won't be able to work), I see 2 different Dr's in town on a monthly basis plus I have my post-op with Dr. Baker.  Who is going to be paying for this now?  I have Oxygen at home, a CPAP Machine, an Updraft Machine, like 13 different medicines and Vitamins.  And there is no way I am going to be able to pay for the medical equipment and medicines, that alone runs well over thousand dollars a month.  I would have to work full-time, wait 90 days for health insurance from the job, pay like half my paycheck for it and my other half will have to pay my deductable and co-payments, whats left for bills and groceries? And who is going to watch my little niece every Monday and every other Tuesday?  I'm the only babysitter, I babysit so my sister and her husband can work full-time to have good health insurance for their baby.  They do everything without any help from the state or government.  My sister already works the minimum hours she can to qualify for her health insurance.  If I am sick and can't babysit, one of them has to miss work, so what happens if I have to go back to work? And what kind of job am I going to do?  My back, neck and shoulders are so messed up, I can't do a job working 8 hours sitting at a desk, nor 8 hours on my feet, can't work in any factories cause of my lungs.  Everything just sucks today, I called them and they are sending me papers for an appeal, but I feel like it won't do any good anyway, but I will do it anyway.  Just because I have lost a bunch of weight doesn't mean I am healthy enough to go back to work. 

Evelyn, your last line says it all. Just because you've lost weight doesn't mean you are able to work....YET. You absolutely need to appeal this!!!! I'm sure you can get all of your doctors to sign your paperwork. good luck, and keep us posted

Thanks Susan.  I think I am more worried about finding a job I can do with good enough health insurance to cover my medical needs.  I saw what happened to my Grandmama when her job no longer wanted to pay out her health insurance, they fired her. 

Evelyn, why would they think you are able to go back to work?  surely no doctor has told them that, is it simply because you have lost weight?  I know a lot of skinny people who are not in good enough health to work! hopefully some day you will be healthy enough but until then I think you need to talk to your doctor and see if you can appeal, Ive read enough of your profile and posts to know your getting there, just need more time!   Good Luck and God Bless Mary Lou

I'd probably be on the verge of a nervous breakdown if I were you.  Do you get to keep benefits while you appeal?  Or do you lose benefits at the end of June whether you appeal or not?  (Where they'd have to back-pay you if you won the appeal?)  Holy cow.   I have no experience with any of that, so sorry I can't offer you any good advice.  Good luck. 

If I want to keep getting benefits and Medicare during the appeal process then I have to go down to the Social Security office and fill out another kind of paperwork, but if after the appeal I am still denied then they can make me pay back all or some of the money including costs to Medicare.  I am not sure what I am going to do, as far as that goes.  I think I just need to try and work, and if it doesn't work out because of my health problems and such then I will have that to help during my appeal.  I am just more worried about paying for my medical equipment and medicines.   I should have gone to the Dr everytime I sneezed, and should have gone to the ER every single time I had trouble breathing.  But I figured since i already had oxygen at home and updraft at home, what would the point going to the Dr or ER unless I needed more medicine or thought I was dying.  But now based on my medical records alone, they feel like I am better.  I am calling my Dr tomorrow and talking to her, I don't think she would have said I can work.  She knows my health history. 

If you don't mind me giving you my two cents worth of advice.  Do Not try to work if you are trying to appeal, contrary to logical thinking -  going to work and failing may be worse for your appeal than not working at all. Social Security likes to randomly take people off of benefits, this is a way to limit how much monies go out.  It is a way of catching the slackers but it all so, sadly, causes undue hardship to those who truly are disabled. You need to call an attorney who deals SOLELY with Social Security claims.   A decent attorney will speak to you free of charge.  The cost for an appeal should not be much, and a payment plan is customary.  I don't know what area you are in but there are several good SS attorneys in Little Rock.  Baltz did mine - I used him because he worked for the Social Security for many years, which I feel gave him an edge. Also, fyi, keep the fact you babysit your niece to yourself.  SS will say if you can babysit you can work, regardless of how silly the logistics would be.  I have caught grief from them because I have a five year old - if you can take care of your child, you can work.   I won't go there. lol

I think it is time to see a Soc. Sec. Lawyer. AB

I am going to sign up for the CNA classes at the hospital and see how I handle it.  If I do okay with the classes, then I will see if I can't find a job working 2 or 3 twelve hour shifts a week, that should be enough hours for health insurance.  I really need to try though, because I won't know whether I can do it or not unless I really try.  And if I can't do it then I will see about a job at the hospital behind a desk, like personal relations, or admitting or ER or something.  I am still upset about the whole thing but I feel like I really want to try and maybe it is time for me to get back into the world. I am still going to file an appeal though.

I wish you the best of luck with the CNA classes.  I worked as an RNC BSN for 15 yrs in L & D, nursing, even just as a CNA is hard work.  You will be on your feet doing all the dirty jobs for 12 hrs a day or night (new people always get nights). Have you ever thought about applying with Easter Seals in Little Rock.  The have openings in all areas of the state.  Actually they can't keep enough staff.  My two children have waiver workers provided by Easter Seals under the Federal Waiver program and their allotted hours are never full do to lack of staff.  The girls/guys who work with my little ones get $9 an hour and if they work 36 hrs they get full benefits. Now working with my Corwin is not a piece of cake, a 12yr old profoundly Autistic Child is a handful, but my little one Kieran who is 5yrs old with acquired cp from a near drown is easy.  Spend a few hours after school and on the weekends playing with him, watching cartoons, going over school work, therapy stuff, and feeding. There are some clients that need little more than someone in case of an emergency or social guidence because of low cognition. Just a thought.  I wish you good health and success on your appeal.