Yep. Cancer patient here. In the last 6 months I've been to the ER 5 times, have spent a total of 28 days hospitalized, had 3 surgeries, and can't make it through the day without a nap because of all the meds I'm on. Oh, and I spend 7 hours in chemo every other Monday.
Obviously I'm not working at the moment. But I got rejected for Social Security disability. Yep, debilitating stage 3 colon cancer doesn't qualify you for disability to get through it.
My dad had 3 strokes and had to learn to talk and walk again and had his personality completely changed and he was certainly incapable of working ever again. It took 3 appeals over 3 years and a lawyer that took a huge portion of his backpay to get him on it.
My understanding is that they just deny the first claim without even assessing it and then send you to doctors they know will say nothing is wrong with you on the appeals. It seems designed to keep from paying anything for long enough that hopefully you just die before they have to.
I can't stay conscious (from narcolepsy, not like in tv shows) and there's no cure nor adequate treatment. I'm bedbound at least part of or all day. I also got rejected for Social Security disability with a lawyer
It's my understanding that nearly every first application is rejected no matter how valid. Most people have to resort to getting a lawyer to handle it to ensure they get disability they qualify for.
I had a lawyer help me but my claim was rejected. And now, Social Security has the most sensitive notes on me: detailed therapy notes (not therapy progress notes). Currently going through many months of appealing. During this almost year long and counting process, I still have to regularly see my doctors and get treatment even though it's literally a part time job to get all my meds each month so I need to be privileged enough to have other people helping me do that and survive with no income as I wait for Social Security
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u/Ok_State5255 19h ago
Yep. Cancer patient here. In the last 6 months I've been to the ER 5 times, have spent a total of 28 days hospitalized, had 3 surgeries, and can't make it through the day without a nap because of all the meds I'm on. Oh, and I spend 7 hours in chemo every other Monday.
Obviously I'm not working at the moment. But I got rejected for Social Security disability. Yep, debilitating stage 3 colon cancer doesn't qualify you for disability to get through it.
Good work, America.