What not to do
August 2, 2008 Posted by
I would like to share some information. A few months ago I received a disability pension from the Veterans administration, which couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time, as I was broke. With the help of the law firm representing me the Social Security disability followed a few months later. Having legal representation go to bat for me was a wise choice after I was denied the first time. The Social Security pension is about $500 a month more (than I received fro the VA) so of course I will take it. There are certain obligations in doing so. My VA pension was not war related so it is not one I can keep once I receive the Social Security disability. So I must contact the VA and report the SS pension to them. They will then cancel the VA pension since I am going to receive the SS disability funding. If this is applicable to your situation you should report to the VA immediately after the SS income starts. After qualifying/receiving SS Disability, delaying reporting it will cost you a payback (sometimes with penalty or interest) to the VA or any other gov. institution that had been supplying financial assistance.
The other thing that is a “not to do” involves the Social Security disability. You will qualify for Medicare in two years from the date they start your payments, otherwise from the date you appealed their denial. In my case it will be in April of 2010 even though I will only be 61 at that time. According to my law firm’s paralegal assistant, Dawn, who has 20 years plus experience, you will have the opportunity to take this Medicare program or choose not to take it. Dawn cited one such case, a lady who was a Veteran and had a 100% coverage on medical from the VA. She chose not to go with Medicare and stay with the VA medical plan. Made sense to me as I have the same deal with me from the VA. But the bottom line was that once the VA found out she had the opportunity to go on Medicare and she chose not to go with it, they disqualified her from further VA medical assistance. So she immediately called the Social Security back to let them know she made a mistake and wanted to go on Medicare. She was told that once she turned it down it would be another two years before she would qualify for Medicare again. So there she was with two years of no medical coverage. So the question is, can it happen to you? The answer is “maybe”. Do not take that chance even if you have a private medical insurance company. When the time is there for you to make the decision, check with your medical supplier first to see where you stand. Do not get caught in that trap. Be diligent, do your research and be on the safe side……Any questions, post it to me and I will try to get back with an answer.
Financial help and Frustrations
May 14, 2008 Posted by
Most individuals with low vision deal with a lot of frustration. Starting with not being able to drive or get around as they use to. Finding work is one of the hardest obstructions. This may lead to the question – where can one get financial help?
If you’re a Veteran, Veterans Administration Disability can give assistance to the tune of about $984.00 or more depending on your service connection. But most of us have Social Security Disability that we look at first. We paid into it all our working lives, right? Well, it’s not good news there. The Social Security Administration turns down about 95% of all applications. You have to be iron-clad blind, bumping into walls, before they will accept you for benefits. The other thing you should know is it takes 5 to 6 months for them to process your application. So don’t spend your savings. There are attorneys who will appeal your case for about 25% of any back benefits you may get – and none if you don’t receive any. That is a good thing, believe me, as our system right now is screwed up! Your other alternative is the State Department of Health and Social Services. They have a disability program that will get you a little assistance like food stamps, medical card, and financial assistance depending on your disability status. Check with your Phone company and Utilities companies as they sometimes have programs for the disabled to lessen your bills.
Now here’s what I want to caution you on, because it will mean how much of a fight you may have obtaining help from financial assistance programs. “CHECK YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS”. I can not emphasize this more. Every agency out there will obtain your medical records to make their decision. If there is one word that can be used to disqualify you, even an obvious error, they will use it to turn you down. So go to your doctor, look or get copies of your medical records and make sure all the “i”s are dotted and the “t”s crossed. Do this before you file for assistance. It will save a lot of agonizing time and frustration. I know, this is what I am going through. And they will literally go back years to find that one word or type-o to make an argument against your eligibliity
If you are able to use a computer, or have someone do it for you, look up Social Security or Vetrans and Department of Health and Social Services. Search for their definitions of blindness or any other disability you may apply for. It’s all there, and make yourself aware of what the law is. The all have web pages and are available to the public.
New drug being tested for low vision
Posted by
There is a drug, not yet widely used by Eye Doctors, called AVASTIN. This is actually a chemotherapy drug that can also be injected into the eye for off-label use treating eye disease. People with macular degeneration or people that have macular edema (swelling) have had success with this. I went in to Boise Retinal clinic on a Wednesday and received an injection. My vision at that time was 20/80. Two days later on Friday, my eyes were 20/25. I was ecstatic over the results. I received shots every six weeks for about a year. Unfortunately, I had a problem with my eye just giving up. But, this drug has helped other people see better. I wanted to let you know about this, as it can be used on an off-label basis for some eye diseases, and Opthalmologists can have access to it.
After I reported on this drug called Avastin, I found that it has been taken of the market due to medical side effects of this drug. I am experiencing these side effects. Actually, I discovered alot of medical problems I had shortly after the injections into my eyes. I experienced migraine headaches, sinus problems and scarring of the sinuses , along with additional hemorrhaging in my eyes. One of the things I discovered in reading on the Internet is that my chances of a brain aneurysm is increased by 20 to 30% .. So do yourself a favor before any Dr. wants to inject your eyes and do some research on what it is that he wants to put in your eyes whether it be Avastin or another steroid some kind .. You can Google “side effects of Avastin”. I see on the Internet, that there are some class-action suits against the maker of Avastin. Although the drug seems to work for people with macular degeneration, my disease was branch vein retinal occlusions which as I stated in the column that eventually became blind .so do your research and get a second opinion as a lot of doctors in Sweden, France and at other European countries recommend that when you have hemorrhaging in your eyes that you not receive injections. They say eventually the bleeding will be absorbed and you would be a lot better off and even possibly regain your eyesight back to normal.
Welcome…
May 9, 2008 Posted by
| Welcome to Low Vision Territory. All individuals with low vision are welcome here for comradery – to share stories, tips, advice, coping strategies and anything else that is part and parcel of having low vision. Tell us about yourself, how low vision has affected your life, what your day to day adjustments have been, how your relationships have been affected, what helpful resources or assistance you utilize, and any other low vision topic you want to talk about. If you have low vision or are close to someone with low vision we welcome your participation at the Low Vision blog. DLK (More about me here.) |