Doctors have nothing to gain by lying. So that scum that said the doctors lied for you are just that scum, dirt balls, and a few other choice words. It is hard enough to be sick or hurting, without having to run into those types of people. I hope since then, someone has shown you some compassion direwolf. I hear it is your post, how angry and sad you are. Been there a time or two myself. I know this site, gave me tools, information, hope, caring, friendship, prayers, and also a kick in my butt to keep on keeping on. I will be here any time to talk to. I may not have had the same experiences as you have had, but I have had some bad apples in and around my case. My lawyers rep. kept me on an even keel, and made my frantic emotions more settled. I was lucky in that respect. Do you have a friend in your life to help ease your way through some of this muck? Even one person can make all the difference. ginnie

I have been reading this thread since it started a few days ago, and not knowing what to think about some of these comments. I do know this, we have a system in place that does work, does it have it's problems, sure just as any program can have, better than most, and not as good as others. However what Ginnie said is true, know what the SYSTEM REQUIRES in order to qualify for benefits. To truly believe that the people that administer this program would wake up on any given day and look at there schedule and say I'm going to screw any one of you over today is mind boggling.
I have spent allot of time reading rules and what SS requires. To be sure there are allot of hoops too jump thru, however if you are truly disabled, your medical records, treatment programs, and filling out the paper work correctly is all any of us can do to start. SS does not care if we are broke, homeless, losing our home, or someone stole your dog, that's not there job. There job is to look at what is presented to them and make a judgement off from what other professionals have told them. There are way to many people that are committing fraud when it comes to SSDI, all these people are doing is their jobs.

Direwolf, you probably should change your pronoun and use the term "I would call you clueless" rather than include the rest of us in your conclusion. Personally, I think Cameron1958 makes sense.

I am not going to comment on whether or not you were evaluated fairly or correctly (not having any details beyond whatever you post). Claims are approved every day of the week as well as denied. There are people in the world who try to get money for nothing as well as people in the world who can no longer hold jobs.

I think the appeal process takes too long but that would take more staff. If the DDS and field offices and the payment center had more staff, work could be done more quickly and/or with tremendous attention to detail. The pressures of volumes of work doesn't lend itself to long and exacting parsing of the details.

Making a disability decision is sometimes more of an art than a science. There is sequential evaluation that must be followed, but there may not be a numerical method of determining when someone has a marked, moderate or mild impairment.

Having a problem does not equate to being disabled. The SSA staff has no personal stake in whether or not your claim is approved or denied. Their pay is the same. If anyone wanted to push work through without true evaluation, approving everyone would be easier since then no one would appeal the approvals. Less work overall to just say yes to everyone.

I would also observe that people who post on sites like these are almost always those who are denied because those who are approved with smooth sailing don't go looking for sites like these. So IMO, in this kind of forum there will be statistically many more unhappy people looking for answers. So it is not representative of claimants as a whole.

You can disagree of course and it would be based on your own observations. Like the rest of us.

*admin edit*

I also think that experiences such as Direwolf's are not at all that rare and people would do well to listen to him.

Otherwise, whoever reads this...fight hard for your case....do whatever you have to do to win it....because God knows SSA won't fight for you to get the monetary help you need and deserve. I know because I've been there, and I'm still there. You can bet I'll be fighting for mine....

I am just going to mention here that we do have guidelines and request members refrain from profanity, as well as making disparaging remarks ("flames") against other members, or name specific professionals in ways that could be construed as libelous.
It is ok to disagree...but please do so respectfully and in accordance with our guidelines

I have had to edit a few posts, and hope the discussion can continue constructively. Thanks.

i disagree with this statement. it has been my experience here that most people who post here are in the process of or considering filing for ssdi or ssi and have questions about the process or concerns on where they are in the process. they outnumber the number of people who are posting because they were denied, and need information to appeal or just support.

You're both right. ELA: those that most posters ask questions or respond to others with support for a relatively short period of time. Janke: those that have had a long struggle with approval tend to post here for a longer period of time and post more frequently.

It took me several years to get a Fully Favorable decision (even though I came very close in the first 6 months before being denied in QR.) Why? Well, SS made some blunders, I wasn't adequately prepared before I filed, and having WC involved REALLY made it difficult for SS to determine if I was credible or not.

I spend time here trying to help other's avoid some of the errors I made and to help them utilize what worked positively for me, as well.

Plenty of doctors have been caught committing fraud to obtain SSI/SSDI benefits for their patients, often in partnership with attorneys. It does happen. Here's one of the largest examples: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3791910.html

*admin edit*
Yes, ** saw right through me yes he did, so bright a bulb was he that he had it all figured out, how I and my retinue of physicians had it in for SSA. Sherlock Holmes was a bump on the log compared to that genius, why he intuited that the Orthopedic surgeon, neurologist, radiologist, and the most respected internal medicine provider in my community had all conspired to rip off SSA solely to benefit me!

All of them filled out lengthy RFC's, which he then discarded in favor of the SSA hack, a cretin who has not so much as even lain eyes upon me! ** and many other ALJ's routinely play politics with lives, what do I mean by that you ask? I mean that they giggle to themselves as they plan out the day ahead of them!

That is until a real court takes notice of them, thats when things begin to equalize....

**

I wasn't responding to your post, I was responding to Ginnie's comment that, "Doctor's have nothing to gain by lying." That broad statement just isn't true. Some lie for financial gain. Some tell their patients to fill out their own RFCs and they'll sign it because they're overburdened with paperwork. Etc.

Are their ALJ's that have high denial rates? YES. (I've said this already.) But that is not the norm.

Your situation in all likelihood is not applicable to the OP's. Heck, you're excited to get remanded back to an ALJ yourself.

**