Hi Everyone,
I am new to this board and i don't know where else to turn. I went for medical assistance and was told i had to be disabled, so i had to file for social security disability. I filed for it so i could go to the doctors, after filing and waiting i went completely downhill. I was turned downhill, after having surgery for bladder cancer. So i filed an appeal and was turned down again, now i filed an appeal and have to go the next step. Meanwhile my bills are racking up and found out i have myelomalacia of the cervical spine. I refiled for medical assistance again and received a letter stating that it usually takes 30 days but it has went to the boards committee and i am still waiting, this is almost 2 months. I was wondering if anybody knows about how long it takes to hear back from them? I am very desperate now!!!! Thanks so much....

I'm so sorry to hear about your trouble getting help from the government. I went through the same thing after having brain surgery two years ago. I got to the stage of a third appeal which was six months after I started the process of frustration. I finally got a lawyer who specializes in social security and disability cases. I finally won after getting the lawyer but it was over a year after I originally applied before I actually got any money. The lawyer didn't charge anything upfront and I only had to pay her if I won. When I did win I had to pay 25% of the winnings ( the big check you get at the beginning) to the lawyer but nothing to the lawyer after that. The 25% figure is predecided by the government. My husband and I both thought if we followed all the rules, we could get me some help. My advice is find yourself a good lawyer, it will speed up the process and take a lot of stress off you. I was told all kinds of stupid stuff by the government about what there so called experts had determined. Like I could still work when I couldn't drive (had brain surgery morons) and then suffer from seizures due to the 20 brain tumors I still have. But all thought was going to cure itself by May 2011. Try not to get too discouraged it's not you it's just the way the government works. I highly suggest finding a good disability lawyer, if I could go back and do things all over again I would do that as soon as I got home from the hospital.

As was already suggested, you will need to hire an attorney that ONLY deals with Social Security Disability. Perhaps the atty can find out the delay of your medial assistance (which has nothing to do with applying for SSD).

You can also explain to your treating physicians that you are awaiting "medical assistance." Request to be put on a discounted payment plan until your "medical assistance" kicks in. Pay what you can.

If you decide to hire an attorney which I highly recommend, ask them what is the backlog time frame for "medical assistance" and "social security disability?" I do not mean to discourage you but, some states have backlogs from months to years regarding SSDI. That is why it is best to file for SSDI ASAP!!!!


GOOD LUCK!!!