(01-14-2018 11:45 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote: (01-13-2018 03:19 PM)DavidSt Wrote: Well, the requirements are for people o are able-body to go to work. I am having test done on me on why I am having the black outs. So far all the tests are not coming up with what is wrong.
Taken 3 Neurontin a day for the spinal cord, high blood pressure pills, Flexeril at bed time to help my muscles relaxed (had my muscles tensed up on me which caused me to be completely paralyzed when I wake up in the mornings), Meclizine for dizziness which the dizziness leads to blackouts, Omeprazole for my stomach which some Meds caused problems, and diclofin-misopr for my lower back pain. Bad discs in the lower back which my doctor said it is way too late to even have surgery on it. As it is, I can't work. Nobody will hire me right now because of my health issues just in case I have another blackout and all that. My back and neck screams out in pain when I either sit or lay down for a long period of time. Plus, most of my medicines make me drowsy which could hurt the way I type at times.
The requirements would be for "able bodied" persons to have some skin in the game. I would leave it up to your physician to determine what that would be...if any. I have zero problem with even FULL public assistance to those that are medically, mentally or physically disabled. I do think however that a large percentage of "disabled" persons can productive in some manner. For instance...The wife of one of my co-workers is physically disabled due to a back issue. Despite this... She has no problem driving a car all over town to do whatever she needs to do. Im sure there is some volunteer organization or even a private transportation service that could use her driving skills.
BTW..David...Im sorry for your health issues. I hope they can be resolved so you can be return to a productive state.
One thing the general public doesn't understand about federal disability is it takes a different view from private disability insurance and from workers comp or VA disability.
With private disability insurance all that matters is you cannot perform the job you were insured for. So if you are say commercial airline pilot for FedEx and cannot pass the FAA physical for a commercial license you are disabled. With the federal disability program you could fail an FAA physical and still be capable of hundreds if not thousands of jobs and so wouldn't be disabled.
With worker's comp or VA you can be partially disabled. You can be 30% disabled or 60% disabled and get benefits (or a settlement) in line with that. Lose a leg and you get paid. With Federal disability it is all about capacity to do full time work. If you have say lupus and you are capable of working 46 weeks a year but you end up spending three weeks in a hospital and three weeks recovering at home, you can't meet the definition of working full time so disabled, but by the same token if you lose a leg or an arm, depending on your age and education you probably are not disabled and get zero.
The federal return to work rules are brutal. Let's say you've been making about $50,000 a year and at age 51 you have a significant health issue. You will get a benefit of about $30,000 and in 13 to 24 months you go on Medicare (part A free, B you pay premium out of your benefit).
After surgery and physical therapy, you find someone who will hire you to work 10 hours per week at your old rate of pay so you can make $12,500. When you first start out you report your earnings and your benefits and they start adjusting your benefit, they reduce it but it isn't a dollar for dollar offset so you come out ahead.
They try a new drug. Then you get even better and can now work 16 hours a week and can make $20,000 a year and you are a good citizen so you do that, plus you like working.
Nine months later you get a letter informing you that you are now ineligible for disability and you are losing your Medicare as well.
By being a good citizen and person who enjoys your work you now make $30,000 less than when you worked full time AND you make $10,000 less than when you are on disability and you've lost the insurance that helped you pay for the medication that permitted you to be able to work 16 hours a week.
People are capitalists at heart, they want the greatest return. While it is great when people go back to work part-time and reduce how much they are drawing in benefits, the reality is that the system is designed to beat you up.
If you are applying and your doctors say you can only work 16 hours a week and there is evidence that the doctor isn't just saying that (ie. records of tests, exams, medication) you are disabled but if you work 16 hours a week at your pay scale, you end up worse off so the smarter person takes the check and calls it a career.