Midwest Disability, P.A.'s Blog

Veterans may struggle with memories of losing friends

On behalf of Midwest Disability, P.A. posted in Veterans' Issues on Friday, May 29, 2020.

Even veterans who return from a combat zone without any physical injuries may have serious mental and emotional challenges to overcome. For those who lost friends while they were there, and who may even have been present when those individuals lost their lives, this is not something that is easy to get over.

And, while fatalities are not as common for American troops in modern wars as they were in the major wars of the past, they still happen on a consistent basis. For instance, between 2006 and 2019, a total of 2,178 U.S. soldiers lost their lives in Iraq alone. That's not counting Afghanistan or any other theater. Not only does that mean thousands of families have lost loved ones in the conflict, but that countless other soldiers that they served with have been impacted by these deaths.

What causes most service members' traumatic brain injuries?

On behalf of Midwest Disability, P.A. posted in Veterans' Issues on Friday, May 22, 2020.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are injuries that individuals suffer after having been subjected to some type of outward force. An individual may be diagnosed with a TBI after becoming involved in a car crash, being involved in a contact-sports incident or an assault. These types of events don't speak very much as to how service members often end up with TBIs, though.

Armed forces service members are most apt to end up with a TBI during combat or after an explosion goes off near them.

The Pandemic, Treatment Gaps, and Disability

On behalf of Midwest Disability, P.A. on Thursday, May 21, 2020.

The ongoing pandemic has created a difficult situation for many individuals with chronic conditions who have pending disability claims.

Remember that disability cases are built on consistent medical treatment. The more providers you see and the more treatment you receive, the easier it is to show you have severe impairments that prevent you from working.

Covid-19, Autoimmune Disorders, and Disability

On behalf of Midwest Disability, P.A. on Monday, May 18, 2020.

After two months of pandemic lockdowns around the country, many states are now allowing businesses to reopen, albeit with new social distancing policies.

This has put many workers, particularly those with autoimmune disorders, in a bind.

A common refrain I see on social media is that "you should just stay home if you're worried about catching the virus."

Why does phantom limb pain happen?

On behalf of Midwest Disability, P.A. posted in Social Security Disability Benefits for Injuries on Friday, May 15, 2020.

You wake up one night with shooting pain in your left hand. It's excruciating. You sit in bed waiting for it to subside, but it just won't go away.

Which is strange, because you lost that hand in a workplace accident six months ago.

Disability facts you should be aware of

On behalf of Midwest Disability, P.A. posted in Social Security Disability Benefits for Injuries on Friday, May 8, 2020.

Understanding disabilities in the United States starts with breaking down the statistics and looking at the facts. This can help you form an accurate picture of what disabilities look like, whom they impact, how they change lives and what types of assistance different individuals need.

With that in mind, here are some interesting facts you should know:

Disabilities are more common with the elderly. For instance, when those who were 75 and older were asked, about 49.8% reported a disability. The same was true for 25.4% of the age group from 65 to 74.
Middle-aged Americans have the most total disabilities. Their percentages are lower -- just 13% when looking at people between the ages of 35 and 64 -- but there are so many more people that the 16 million of them living with disabilities exceeds other groups.
Disability odds do appear to be the same between men and women, showing no gender bias.
If you're wondering about how disabilities impact people, the two main ways are that they cannot live independently and that they struggle with mobility.
Minnesota has a relatively low number of disabilities, when compared with other states. The highest totals are in West Virginia.
Consistently, when you compare disabled and non-disabled Americans, earnings are higher for those without disabilities. This shows just one more way that living with a disability can be very challenging.

COVID-19 and New Scams

By Benjamin L. Lundquist of Midwest Disability, P.A. posted in Covid-19 on Saturday, May 2, 2020.

The current situation with the COVID-19 virus has spawned a new round of scams relating to Social Security. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), individuals should not respond to calls, emails or other communications claiming to be from the U.S. Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, or other government agencies offering COVID-19 related grants or economic impact payments in exchange for personal financial information, or an advanced fee, or charge of any kind, including the purchase of gift cards.

CDC says 25% of Americans have a disability

On behalf of Midwest Disability, P.A. posted in Social Security Disability Benefits for Injuries on Friday, May 1, 2020.

If you are living with a disability, whether this is a new development in your life or something you have been living with for some time, you should know that you are not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about 25% of Americans, or one out of every four, have a disability.

While disabilities clearly take many forms, the most common type is a disability that impacts mobility. For adults as a whole, you can find this with one out of every seven individuals. As people become older, reaching 65 and above, it becomes even more common and impacts two out of every five.

SSI Recipients, Their Dependents, and Stimulus Payments

By Benjamin L. Lundquist of Midwest Disability, P.A. posted in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on Friday, May 1, 2020.

Over half of Americans have received their stimulus payment issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, millions are still waiting for their payment. Payments have not yet been issued to Americans that do not file taxes. This includes recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Recipients of SSI can expect to see their stimulus money in May. This money will arrive by the method that these induvial normally receive their SSI benefits

Social Security Moves to Phone Only Hearings

On behalf of Midwest Disability, P.A. on Friday, April 24, 2020.

At least once a month or so, a client will ask me if for, whatever reason, they can do their disability hearing over the phone.

And I've always said that we can request it if they really want, but the judge is very likely to deny it.

Then the novel coronavirus hit the U.S. in mid-March. And since then Social Security has decided that all hearings are to be held by telephone.