Due to the increased backlog of claims in recent years, the wait for a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) has increased drastically. In most jurisdictions, a claimant will wait 12 to 18 months (or longer) to have a hearing in front of an ALJ. This wait time does not include the… read more
In many disability claims, vocational evidence becomes critical to whether you will be found disabled or not. A vocational expert (VE) is an “expert witness” called by the Social Security Administration to testify at your disability hearing. A VE knows about job availability in the current labor market and the skills needed to perform certain… read more
Due to the increased backlog of claims in recent years, the wait for a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) has increased drastically. In most jurisdictions, a claimant will wait 12 to 18 months (or longer) to have a hearing in front of an ALJ. This wait time does not include the… read more
There is a wide variety of conditions and impairments that may qualify a person for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits. What is important to understand is that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is not as concerned with the diagnosis itself as they are with the limitations that an impairment may impose… read more
People often confuse the term Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) with State Disability Insurance (“SDI”), when in reality the programs are quite different. There are 5 states that have state-mandated disability insurance requirements: California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. The territory of Puerto Rico also has mandatory insurance requirements. SSDI is administered… read more
Each year, you have a chance to make changes to your Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug coverage for the following year. The open enrollment period for Medicare for 2018 coverage began on October 15, 2017 and will continue through December 7, 2017. During this annual enrollment period you can make changes to various aspects of… read more
Federal law requires States to provide health insurance to certain groups. Medicaid is a program which provides health insurance to low-income individuals who are 65 or older, are blind, or disabled. However, whether a disabled individual automatically receives Medicaid coverage depends upon which state they reside in. For example, in thirty-two states and the District… read more
Who can qualify? Your child can get benefits if he or she is your biological child, adopted child, or dependent stepchild. To get benefits, a child must have: A parent(s) who is disabled or retired and entitled to Social Security benefits; or A parent(s) who died after having worked long enough in a job where… read more
This October, we are proud to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States. According to leading statistics, approximately 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. A diagnosis of breast cancer… read more
One of the biggest hurdles in many individuals’ claims for Social Security disability benefits is gathering all of the relevant medical records. No matter how severe your conditions are, your claim may be denied for lack of medical evidence. Many states have laws that waive or limit the amount of money medical providers can charge… read more
