September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. First officially recognized by the federal government in 1983, National Sickle Cell Awareness Month calls attention to sickle cell disease (SCD), a genetic disease that researchers estimate affects between 90,000 and 100,000 Americans. Sickle cell disease is inherited. People who have the disease inherit two copies of the… read more

On Tuesday, 80-year-old Wanda Witter checked her bank account to find that a deposit of $99,999 had been made from the federal government. After over a decade of struggling with the Social Security Administration, and being called crazy, she finally got what was hers. Ms. Witter moved to Washington, DC in 1999 after losing her… read more

Carolyn Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, recently posted a blog on the agency’s website regarding a major milestone for the disability insurance program. Specifically, this year marked the 60th anniversary of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). In 1956, an amendment to the Social Security Act created disability insurance as part of Social Security. Over… read more

In a previous article, we provided details regarding how a Social Security Disability claimant can potentially expedite their claim.  (See https://premierdisability.com/expedite-social-security-disability-claim-2/)  However, not every request to expedite a case is approved.  Unfortunately, Social Security’s criteria for expediting a case can be difficult to meet.  For example, we often have clients’ who are homeless denied because… read more

As the calendar changes from July to August next week, it is important to note that August is Psoriasis Awareness Month. Psoriasis is a chronic disease of the immune system that can be associated with other conditions, such as psoriatic arthritis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.  Psoriasis is a condition that varies widely in terms of… read more

Most jobs in our national economy require the worker to use their hands in some form.  Whether they are performing an office job or a labor job requiring heavy lifting, the ability to use one’s hands is extremely important for gainful employment.  For this reason, a severe impairment affecting a claimant’s ability to use their… read more

There are numerous sleep disorders that can be disabling. Narcolepsy, insomnia, and sleep apnea are just a few sleep disorders that we often see our claimants suffering from on a daily basis. The symptoms associated with sleep disorders can vary depending on the conditions, its severity, and the medications used to treat the disorder. In… read more

A doctor once said to me “Everybody diagnosed with cancer gets depressed.” I cannot speak for everybody. I know I got depressed after my diagnosis. Facing illness, whether it is acute like cancer or chronic like arthritis, can be depressing. The National Institute of Health (NIH) acknowledges, as do most health professionals, that chronic medical… read more

The Social Security Administration has implemented a campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of opening a secure online my Social Security account.  SSA has enlisted the assistance of various groups and organizations nationwide to help with this effort.  Through this campaign, this week has been deemed “National my Social Security Week.”  From April 4… read more

A claimant filing for Social Security Disability benefits has likely been waiting years for a decision by the time their hearing has concluded.  At this stage, a claimant has been denied twice[1] by SSA and is simply ready to be done.  Unfortunately, some claimants will be required to wait multiple months for a formal decision… read more