Sunday, July 01, 2007
Extremely Relevant Movie
'Sicko', the documentary made by Michael Moore about the American health care system, premiered last night nationwide, and I hope the judge deciding my sister's disability case on Monday saw it this weekend. Our lawyer informed us that though she's had 4 open-heart surgeries for Tetralogy of Fallot (also known as Blue Baby Syndrome), a spinal surgery for bone spurs that cut into the nerves in her spinal column (and is in need of another), has a shunt in one of her arteries, and suffers from firbromyalgia and is constantly in horrible pain, the Federal Government will most likely deny her claim and force her to work, basically giving her a death sentence. Thanks America.
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10 comments:
Definitely on my list.
I figure the time to see it is before you get sick (or sicker).
Um... I know someone who got disability for freakin carpal tunnel. It sounds like your sister's case is just a bit more serious. That's terrible and I'm sorry for her pain.
I definitely want to see Sicko. If there's one thing I think pretty much all of us can agree on, it's that our health care system is in DIRE need of reform. Now, we may debate on the solutions, sure... but anyone who thinks our system is fairly serving all Americans equally and providing the best care possible is probably either rich enough to be able to afford the best care or smokin crack.
Healthcare is a difficult issue. I've said elsewhere on this blog that we need to choose between market-driven healthcare and socialized medicine.
My first choice is deregulation, but my second is the philosophically consistent bill being offered by Dennis Kucinich, H.R. 676. The middle ground is killing us, literally.
I talked to a doctor friend of mine the other night about the American health care system. He was actually involved in the health care debate in the 90's, studying the issue, going overseas to see other health care systems in action, talking to politicians, etc. He said that even in the 90's most pols knew that universal health care was dead in the water, but that it would be inevitable within thirty years or so because the current system couldnt possibly sustain itself.
A decade and a half later, and look at the mess we've got - care to take a guess at how much longer it can continue? Another decade and a half, perhaps?
Do people really say to themselves, "hmmm, a system where a non-productive middle-man only makes profits from gambling that he'll take in more money than he spends on health care, yet controls the access to the health care that those who give him the money receive? Yeah, that works great!"
(and, yes, I did crib this from my own comment on Saur's blog)
Off Topic as can't be arsed to get into a debate regarding the pains of deregulation and private sector funding of a health service: read over at Cranky's that some readers had issue with comment mod and I would strongly defend your right to have it if you are receiving hateful comments.
Peace.
Laura,
Unfortunately one of the ways it happens is this: people who don't need it or deserve it get it and people who are in desperate need get denied. She'll be denied. The judge said that she HAS worked, so that proves that she CAN work, and she'll have to work part-time. I don't know who can survive on the money to be make from working 3 days a week, but I guess she'll have to work it out. Our other option is to move to Vermont.
UWL: It's horrible what your sister is going through and it's not right. I'm not an attorney, but I've worked as a paralegal and I've helped prepare more then a few winning disability cases. Unfortunately, pain like your sister is something that is easy for the courts to ignore.
I think she should appeal and that she should prepare for that appeal by returning to court well armed with facts and documents. Helpful documentation is varied and can include pain scores, diaries, and statements by coworkers, supervisors and family. Work records are also important, and document all activities that she avoids, work related or otherwise.
Another avenue for the claim is prescription drugs and their side-effects. If a person needs to be on medication (like pain medication), and the side-effects interfere with their ability to work, then that can be grounds for a disability claim, even if the primary medical problem is not.
A person can still work and be still be considered disabled ~ but the are limits are ridiculous. I think the current limit is $900.00 per month.
Anyway, I hope that info helps a little and I wish you and her the best in dealing with this injustice.
Thoughts and Prayers, United. I'm planning to go on Friday.
Godwhaker,
Thanks for the advice. I'll look into it, but I'm pretty sure they provided that judge with all of the information. The drugs thing might actually work. This sucks. My faith in this country is broken.
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