Hello to anyone that reads this

I'm in Georgia and in the middle of my reconsideration. I keep reading everywhere that it is vital to have an RFC completed by your dr or a PT. I asked while at the orthopedic's today about having their PT people fill it out for me.....takes 1/2 a day and costs $600.

I'm willing to go that route if it will help me get this reconsideration approved for my small fiber neuropathy.

Any thoughts ?

Thanks much,

Debi

Paying for a letter takes 1/2 day? Costs $600???? Someone is making money on you. My lawyer,(representative) who saw me though my hearing etc. didn't collect until my case was settled. The main thing that helped me was a" private", written letter by my primary care Physician. He said in just a few paragraphs what was needed to tell those hearing the case just what was wrong. He dictated it to his nurse and never charged one thin dime. The letter was brought up in court, and the judge granted my SSD on the spot. Perhaps your PCP would do this for you. In this day and age with PC's and fast printing, I can't see what the $600 is for. I think they may know how important these letters are and are taking full advantage. This is just my opinion, and what happened to me. I hope things work out for you. ginnie

I cannot believe your doctor's office charges $600 to complete a form. It sounds to me like they're confusing it with a FCE (functional capacity evaluation) that does usually take a minimum of four hours to evaluate you doing different things, like lifting, pushing, pulling, they evaluate your endurance. My dr told me that insurance usually doesn't cover it and it costs around $800 - $900 (my insurance covered it and I paid only a $25 co-pay).

Good luck!!
Nanc

Thanks so much for the reply......I cannot get any dr I have seen....even my PCP that I have seen for over 5 years to fill this out. But I've seen other posts on here about having a physical therapist do it. If they do not approve my reconsideration I'll have to wait approx. 2 years for a video hearing before a judge. The PT will work with me for 1/2 a day to determine my physical abilities and fill out the form for me to send in to disability.

My unemployment will run out in Jan 2014. We can make it but it would be much easier with the disability coming in.

I have sent my biopsy paperwork in showing I have 0 fibers (a & c) left in my feet but not sure how far that will get me for approval.

This is driving me crazy !

Thanks and please let me know what you think...any others too.

Debi

Hi Debi,

I would wait until you get a response to your reconsideration. If denied, after reconsideration, then I would consider spending the money to get a functional report from the PT department. It would be beneficial at the ALJ hearing level especially under your circumstances with no assistance from the physicians that see you.

If you are denied at the reconsideration level, you will have plenty of time to decide and get a functional report while you await your hearing.

I think the fee is high and I would also investigate other PT sources and ask what they would charge. I would also make some calls to some disability attorneys and get some FREE phone advice. Many are willing to do a brief phone consult and could steer you in the proper direction. They may know of PT sources and their respective fees that may be less expensive.

You do not need to sign up with the attorney just to pick his/her brain for a few minutes over the phone. I spoke with several different firms on the phone long before I chose one to be my representative.

Just my opinion. You have been in the reconsideration stage for a little while so I think you may be too late to have any effect on that stage. I could be wrong but I think you may hear from them shortly with their decision.

Would hate to see you pay out the money if you are in the pipe for an approval already. I would wait until denied and they appeal requesting an ALJ hearing. Then I would get as much info as possible in front of them.

Best to you.

Hopeless

Filing for ssdi has been so upsetting for me. Never thought for one minute in my whole life that I would be doing this. I would much rather go back to work if I could walk

I try to stay positive but it's been hard lately. The orthopedic dr I saw today just shook his head. Due to 0 a and c fibers in my feet he says the same as other dr's.....just try to get enough relief so I can have some type of daily quality of life. Sometimes I ask why me ? But heck...why not me ? The good Lord knows there are people worse off. So I keep chugging along. Right now pain meds are the only thing keeping me going and I hate that.

Enough of the pity party. Thanks again for all the help. I probably won't do the PT thing right now. I'm so confused.

Take care my friends

Debi

She didn't say that she was paying $600 for a letter. She said she was considering paying that for the EXAM and the documentation of the findings of that exam.

It sounds like they plan on doing an FCE exam for Debi.

Debi, to make sure that you understand the difference (although some of our other posters might be able to explain it better)......

The FCE (functional capacity evaluation) is usually done by a PT and does take hours to complete. It measures your ability to do certain tasks on the day of the test. Many of those "tasks" or questions are also listed on an RFC form (residual functional capacity). Completing an RFC form doesn't require that a doctor watch one stand for 8 hours to determine whether or not a patient can or cannot stand for that long. The RFC asks for the doctor's JUDGEMENT on how long the patient can stand, sit, walk, etc in an 8 hour period. If your doctor completes an RFC form and he understands that you USUALLY are limited in a certain way, ie, if you have to lay down due to severe pain or fatigue every few hours on MOST days, your doctor can document that you are unable to RELIABLY stand, walk, or sit or any 8 hour period. If you happen to have a good day, or take extra meds to get through the FCE exam with a PT, when they check off what you could do THAT day, it implies that you could do at least that every day.

SSDI doesn't require an FCE EXAM. In the practical sense, SSDI approval seems to require the INFO that can be found on an RFC or FCE FORM. Because so much of the info on either form can be interchangeable, people can mistakenly use the terms interchangeably.

If all of your docs are adamant about not spending the time completing the documentation that you need and this is the only way you can get some of this info into your SSDI application, I would feel like I had no choice but to fork over the $$$. I would clarify first that your treating orthopedic doc will also be signing the form. In the land of the SSA, it seems an MD opinion counts more than a PT opinion, so make your money count.

Debi,

You should look into your state laws on unemployment. In many areas there is a conflict between collecting unemployment and applying for disability.

Hey Finz and thanks for the reply and info. I think my dr is 'afraid' to fill out anything right now. They were taken over by Emory out of Atlanta and everything has changed drastically. I've been using this clinic for over 30 years and I've have been seeing Amy for over 5 years. We are close and I've become one of her favorite patients. My mom and daughter see her too. It's frustrating for me that she will not fill this out or write a letter (well she did write a letter but all it said was that I had been her patient for over 5 years and listed all the issues that I have). Before all this it was sinus infections, her referring me to have my gallbladder out, colds and such. I am one of those that waits until I'm sick sick before going and she would always want to write me out of work for a day or 2 and I always told her no that I was going straight back to work. The visit notes from her that I have sent to ss disability have been very detailed. She has mentioned more than once that I am disabled in her opinion but I have no idea how much that helps. My onocolgist also wrote in his notes that this is a result of diabetes and the chemo he gave me (taxol/carbo combo) and that I could no longer work, shop or drive.

I know this is long but I just had to get it out ! The biopsy report I send with my reconsideration was also very descriptive. Things like "intra-epidermal nerve fiber density severely decreased, epidermis essentially devoid of fibers...one biopsy was 0.0 fibers/mm and the other 0.06 fibers/mm"......."the utter absence of fibers is indicative of advanced small fiber neuropathy" and finally "severe loss of intra-epidermal fibers" along with all the other mumbo jumbo.

I also included in the package to ss letters from my husband, son, daughter, daughter in law who is an RN that talked about my condition and what I could and could not do and what they now have to do for me. Also letters from prior co workers and 2 prior bosses that said how much I enjoyed working and they thought if there was anyway I could work I would be doing so.

There it is.....in all it's glory....think I have a chance without the FCE/RFC ?

Thanks.........Debi

Finz....just saw your last post.......I did check with the dept of labor.......IF I get approved I will have to pay back the unemployment I've received if I'm back dated to May 1 and receive back pay. I was thankful they let me keep drawing. That's how GA does it anyway.

Are you rep by an atty?