The hardest part about proving you’re disabled is relying on the medical treatment you are STUCK with
Today, a report was issued regarding the healthiest counties out 3000 counties nationwide.
Overall, the report found least healthy counties have childhood poverty rates more than three times higher than the healthiest counties. Residents of the least healthy counties are 60 percent more likely to be hospitalized for preventable conditions, a sign of poor primary care. A third of zip codes in the least healthy counties have at least one grocery store, compared to almost half of zip codes in the healthiest counties.
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/
Of course, this information is probably not going to be broadcast on twitter, facebook or myspace. And with the winter olympics and the BACHELOR going on, few will truly appreciate the impact of this report.
What does this report tell you? Quite simply, as stated in one article, “Looking at each state’s best and worst further illuminates a well-known trend: The least healthy counties tend to be poor and rural, and the healthiest ones tend to be urban or suburban and upper-income. ” http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-ap-us-med-countyhealth,0,2482605.story
Unfortunately, this doesn’t help the millions of people who are applying for Social Security Disability benefits. Why am I stressing this point? Quite simply this. The person bears the burden of proving they are disabled. The government doesn’t have to prove a thing. However, this presents a unique situation when you are sick, you aren’t working and you ‘DON’T HAVE INSURANCE’. So what do you do when you have those things striking against you? Well, you can either go to the free clinic, go to the Emergency Room, or get on the county health insurance.
Here’s how it gets tricky but you gotta try:
1) Ask about free clinics
You gotta ask your health care provider, the ER, social worker, county services, or non profits about free medical clinics. I always tell people that free medical treatment is better than NO medical treatment.
2) Find out if you qualify for county health insurance
Every county is different so you want to check to see if you qualify for any type of medical insurance that the county may offer. You don’t know unless you try. AND, if it’s available in your county but you haven’t tried to get it, it may count against you.
3) if you have a “SHARE OF COST”, make sure you understand what it means
A ‘SHARE OF COST’ basically means that you are responsible for a certain amount and anything above that, the government will pay. However, it gets funky because some people don’t understand how that works so you want to make sure you get a complete explanation so you can get treatment.
4) Go to the ER if your condition gets worse.
The Emergency Rooms are flooded every day. Unfortunately for some people, the only primary treatment they can get IS the ER. Don’t be afraid to go to the ER. At least you can get something if you HAVE to get treated.
5) Make SURE you tell SSA that you’ve done ALL of these things
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people who literally didn’t do anything. They didn’t go to the county. They didn’t go to the ER. They didn’t go to the free health clinic. AND YET THEY STILL say they can’t get any medical treatment. You gotta try in order to show SSA you made the effort.
I know that is difficult but you have to make the best of what you have available because in the long run, only YOU can prove that you are disabled.
Natural Disaster Law 101: Are you ready to move your life on a moments notice
For those of you who don’t live on a coastal state, we are OFFICIALLY in the FULL SWING of Hurricane Season. However, as a native of Arkansas (i.e. Tornado Alley), I understand how crazy it can be when a natural disaster strikes. The one thing that is common amongst every state in the Union is that you are susceptible to a natural disaster. Whether it’s mudslides or wildfires, hurricanes or tornados, earthquakes or flooding, and a myriad of crazy things in between, natural disasters can literally shake the foundation of your life in a matter of minutes.
The most important thing you need to know is that as long as YOU are ok, everything else is replacable. However, when your life has been greatly altered by a disaster, the hardest thing to do is to reconstruct what you’ve lost.
As crazy as it may seem, taking just a few simple steps can not only greatly help you rebuild your life but also help you help someone else:
1) Where in the world is the WEATHER?!
This statement seems weird but ask yourself this question, do you KNOW what natural disasters may affect your loved ones?? Sometimes, you need to be prepared to know what type of disasters your loved ones may be exposed.
2) Put your CRUCIAL documents in places in areas that may be weather safe!
If you’re like me, then you probably have documents all over the place. You know where they are but you never think about what you need to get if you have to leave on a dime! Put your items in fireproof or water proof container so that you can leave on a moment’s notice and not have to worry about the elements affecting your documents.
3) Don’t sleep on a safety deposit box.
When have you ever heard of items in a bank safety deposit box being destroyed by a disaster??? These boxes are designed to withstand explosives, fire, and the elements so why not put your items that you really need in a safety deposit box.
4) “ON THE GO” Kit.|
Here’s a drill for you. If you had to run out the door in 60 seconds, what would you absolutely MUST have with you when you leave? Now, I bet after you think about it for a few minutes, you’ll realize that that list is longer than you think. Take a second and get the things you need in one spot. Things like insurance cards, social security cards, insurance policies, lease / mortgage, credit cards, etc.
5) Itemize what you own.
Can you list EVERYTHING you own off of the top of your head? You think it’s crazy when you move, try reciting everything you own to an insurance company when your home has been destroyed or significantly damaged. It’s a pain but take a few minutes to itemize everything.
6) Check your insurance policies NOW!
Are you sure your policy covers your property through a storm? Does it cover wind or water or both? How about mudslides or earthquakes? Don’t wait for the emergency to happen and THEN get your feelings hurt when you find out your policy doesn’t cover the disaster. Find out now.
7) Contact Calls and Contact Phone numbers
Ok, I know we live in Cell Phone Central and Twitterville, USA but imagine a situation where the TOWERS go down and the internet is gone. Whatcha gonna do now?? Keep a land line available in your home if possible and more important, ensure you have a list of people who will expect a call from you in the event of a disaster.
The Joy of the Virtual Universe
As silly as it may seem, the joy of ‘ZIP DRIVES’ makes it possible to save the things on our computer that we may need. Remember the good ole days when we used to copy things on floppy disks and CDs? Now, you can use your USB and 5 or 6 GB drive that can be used to take anything sensitive off of your computer. Also, if you scan things to your computer, you now have a copy of the document that you can put on your key ring.
Natural disasters are devastating and can be even more traumatic when you are trying to put your life back together. Take the steps now to make sure you have a head start.
Common Sense Legal Tips for Natural Disasters
For those of you who live in Coastal States, we all know what June 1 signifies. That’s right. Hurricane Season. After living through 6 or more hurricanes (including a pretty strong Cat 3 storm), I truly appreciate the importance of preparing for the worst. However, as a kid growing up in Tornado Alley, I, also, understand that Natural Disasters can strike at a moment’s notice. Most of us don’t give a lot of thought to how we will deal with the rebuilding process if a natural disaster may hit. Whether it’s a flood, hurricane, tornado, forest fire, mood slide or earthquake, we should all be prepared for the possibility that we may need to move at a moment’s notice. With that being said, here a few common sense legal tips for Natural Disasters:
1) If you keep all of your money in your house, guess what happens when your house is destroyed? I know a lot of people who don’t trust banks. And if you have to get on the road quickly, you may not have access to an atm machine or a bank. There’s nothing wrong with keeping a few dollars handy but let’s be real. If you keep ALL of your money in your home, what are you going to do if you don’t have time to get it all? Keep your money in a bank or credit union so you have ability to access your money from a remote location if you need to do so.
2) First time, shame on them. Second time, shame on you. If you’ve been through a natural disaster in your area and survived, consider yourself blessed. However, if you learn nothing from that previous experience, you can’t be mad if you didn’t make the necessary preparation for a second time. Pay close attention to the things that you didn’t do the first time around to ensure that you have the necessary preparations.
3) Keep sensitive documents in a place where someone can get to them. If you have a will or life insurance policy or some other document, you may want to create a duplicate so that someone else can access it if they need it. Think about it. If your home is destroyed and you only have one copy of your document, reconstructing it may be an issue.
4) Create a grab bag. Take a Ziploc bag (a big one) and put every sensitive you may need in the bad. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, insurance policies, mortgages, wills. Keep this bag in a location where you can ‘grab it’ and run. If you have to leave on a moment’s notice, you won’t have time to run all over the place looking for documents.
5) Tell someone that it is about to GO DOWN!!! You should always keep family and friends informed of the natural disasters that are in your area. Most disasters come with no warning so that if your loved ones realize that you are in that area, your phone will probably start blowing up. For Hurricanes, you usually have enough time to move but you still want SOMEONE to know that you are about to be mobile so they will know about your whereabouts.
6) Three numbers you should always carry: Your family / friends, your insurance, and your state attorney general. Now, Family should be self explanatory. You should contact your insurance company as soon as possible to let them know that you may have a claim. Now, some of you may be looking crazy because I said “your state attorney general”. Recognize this, in a time of crisis, people look for opportunity in the midst of misery. That’s usually when you see price gouging and people trying to take advantage. Most state attorney generals are ready for those people who are trying to run dirty. They won’t know unless you tell them.
7) Check your policies. Make sure you contact your insurance carrier to get an idea of what your policy covers. The last thing you want is to put a claim forward and realize that you are not covered.
Inventory your effects. Wooooooo, I know I set you back on this one. You probably think that you know everything in your house. Well, start writing a list and you will quickly realize that you have more things than you think.
9) Use the resources. Emergency Response teams in most cities and counties are prepared to provide you the support you need to prepare for a disaster and rebuild after a disaster.
10) Be safe / Be smart.
Some of the things that I’ve shared with you may seem very generic. However, after having to relocate after two hurricanes, I realized that most of us are ill prepared to handle a natural disaster when it comes. Even more disturbing is that most of us don’t realize how difficult it is to start over when you are attempting to reconstruct your life. Prepare now so that you are ready for when the worst comes.
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