I had a writing assignment recently about social security disability. I learned a lot about the process, and here are a few tips for those thinking about filing:

1. The majority of SSD cases are denied at the initial stage, and the most common reason is not enough or missing information. As a matter of fact, some people file without even seeing a doctor. This will not work. SSD cannot render a favorable decision about disability benefits without medical evidence.
2. The majority of SSD cases are denied at the reconsideration level, also. Again, not enough information or medical evidence. If you go longer than 90 days without a visit to your doctor, the Disability Examiner in charge of your case has to consider that medical history and not a reflection of your current status.
3. They don’t care how sick you are, and they don’t care how sick you feel. What the SSA does care about is how your illness or injury affects your ability to earn a living. They also care about if you are able to be re-trained in another job.
4. You can still work and receive disability benefits as long as you don’t go over a threshold of earnings. As of the current date, that amount is $1000, and it is adjusted every year to account for inflation and cost of living.
5. Most people quit the process after the first two denials which is a mistake, because once that’s out of the way your claim is scheduled for a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge. It is here that most claims are approved for benefits, but at this point you really need legal representation.

I’ll continue this as time goes on. It’s a frustrating process for sure, but if you are seriously disabled it might be the only option.

Okay, I’m just cracking up here.

I research a lot of things on the internet; that’s part of my job. A part that I absolutely love, actually, because I’m a nosy little critter. I receive a lot of odd-type assignments as a freelance writer, and so I’m usually looking up a variety of stuff that you would not believe.

Today (and I can hear you snickering already) it was hemorrhoids. Come on, a lot of people have them, especially if you’ve borne children, gained or lost weight, or if you’ve had poo problems. Don’t be embarrassed….it happens to a lot of people. That’s not what’s making me gigglesnort.

In my research, I have learned there are other uses for the best hemorrhoid treatments and creams. Wanna know what they are?

1. Applying the cream beneath your eyes can reduce the appearance of bags, or puffiness. Yes. It’s true. The trick is to only leave it on for about twenty minutes, then gently remove. The skin should be less puffy and very soft when you’re done.

2. Reduce the unsightly appearance of blemishes by diminishing the swelling. It doesn’t do anything for the redness, but it does shrink the zit.

3. Reduces the appearance of fine wrinkles or laugh lines (like the ones I’m getting now from gigglesnorting. Heh.)

4. Can be used as a cold sore treatment, but it is advised NOT TO LICK IT! (I’m dying here.)

5. Can also be used to temporarily tighten the skin on the thighs or upper arms.

So, now you know. And I’m left wondering if all those expensive beauty creams can be used in a pinch if you have an attack of hemorrhoids and have no Prep H handy. Tit for tat, right?

Of all the antiaging products and anti-wrinkle stuff I’ve ever heard of, this one not only blows my mind but it’s rather disgusting, if you asked me.

I just saw a news clip in which you can have fat liposuctioned off of your derriere and injected into your face to reduce the appearance of old age.

Uh.

I know you can hear the jokes from there.

Not only do I not want needles near my face, the thought of syringes filled with the fat from my ass doesn’t do anything for me, either.

I think I’ll stick with Oil of Olay. Although I think I’d better check the ingredients panel. Oie.

Here comes the onslaught for Valentine’s Day.

Flowers, chocolate, lingerie, jewelry…but you know the best kind of unique gifts for her? Time. Minutes, hours, whatever you can spare. I’d much rather have an hour with my loved one than a bucket full of diamonds.

Wait. Let me think about that for a minute. Heh.

Honestly, I’d really rather have time with my peeps than gifts that die, put weight on my ass, give me a scratchy wedgie, or sparkle coldly in the sunshine. Not that I don’t appreciate gifts, mind you, especially buckets full of sparklies, but there’s nothing that takes the place of a hug, a kiss, a snuggle.

When the kids were little, I’d spoil them on Valentine’s Day. It’s supposed to be the day where you show the people who mean the most to you how much you love them, and that doesn’t mean lovers only. Although VD has become disgustingly commercialized, much like Christmas, I still like the idea of showing the people whom I love so dearly just how much they matter to me. That goes for friends, family, and lovers.

So, when you think about a special Valentine’s gift, think about the gift of time. It’s unique, one size fits all, and there are no calories.

One thing about online colleges — there are more options than ever before for non-traditional type students. When I took a few college courses over a decade ago, there weren’t near as many choices as there are today. Online colleges have evolved and are a great choice for people who don’t have the access to an accredited or specialized college near them, but who want to continue their education.

Establishments like Northwestern college offer flexibility, personal support, and degrees in hot careers such as an HIT degree. Tuition is cheaper than a “mortar and brick” school, and financial aid is available for those who qualify.

I think this is a fabulous option, and one well worth looking into.

I’ve been on Medicare since 1996 for my disability consisting of Crohn’s disease and back problems (due to the medications taken for Crohn’s) Did I want to go on disability? No, because I had a wonderful job as a floor nurse that I loved. But that’s yet another story about “don’t let your job define you.”

The bright side was that after struggling for years here and there without insurance, I now had a stable insurance that I could count on.

Medicare is great. There is not a lot of hassle with it, such as finding a doctor or pharmacy “in your network,” or needing to get certain tests or procedures “cleared before hand” although Medicare won’t pay for some things. All in all, it wasn’t that much of a hassle.

The downsides to Medicare were no prescription coverage and a 20% co-pay on everything. I say “co-pay” because Medicare only pays for 80% of medical care and the patient is responsible for the other 20%. And in the age of big insurance, most doctors want that 20% right then and there.

Believe me, that can be difficult for a person on a fixed income.

What I finally had to do was find a Medicare supplement. When I was married, one of my husband’s employers offered insurance, so that served as my supplement. But when he then found himself out of work post 9-11, I had to search for my own.

Medicare.gov is a great resource. I was able to find a very good supplemental insurance in North Carolina. Initially, I paid an extra $34 a month (on top of the $89 Medicare premium) and I had low co-pays and decent prescription coverage. When G.W. Bush passed the Part D Medicare prescription bill, my supplemental monthly premiums shot up to $84 a month. But in less than a year they dropped back down to $40 a month.

When I moved to Florida, I lost my supplemental insurance in North Carolina. I’ve been searching for a good supplement since. And there are plans that range from $0-$240 a month. The good news is that with my single disability income, I qualify for help from the state government to cover my $93 a month Medicare premium (it raises every year along with the cost of living increase)

However, even supplemental insurance will place a gap on your prescriptions, meaning, you’re allotted just over $2000 a year for prescriptions. If you go over that amount, you then have to pay that amount out-of-pocket before the insurance kicks back in under “catastrophic.”

So keep these things in mind as you head toward Medicare. Even with these flaws in the system, I’m still grateful. As a non-disabled person working 40+ hours a week, I wouldn’t be able to afford the insurance I have under Medicare. As a Medicare recipient, I’m still paying into the system (ok, technically, the state of Florida is, but I was before that) and I’m still paying a private insurer to cover the gap.

If that’s not the best argument for universal care, I just don’t know what is. It’s a win-win for insurance companies and all Americans.

I try to keep up with the pharmaceutical news, just because someone should be keeping an eye out on those Phucktards and their co-horts, the FDA. It amazes me, how one seems to have totally bought the other and therefore dictates what drugs are released. Of course, only the most popular and expensive seem to be pushed through the government bureaucracy, but maybe that’s just me.

For instance — did you know the smoking cessation drug being touted on commercials everywhere under the name of Chantix and Zyban will now carry warning labels that one of the side effects could be the urge to commit suicide? The drugs won’t be banned, but they will carry a warning.

I think suicide is a pretty radical way to stop smoking, but what the hell do I know.

Zicam cold remedies containing zinc could cause a permanent loss of the ability to smell. So, you’ll shorten the duration of a cold but the price is giving up your olfactory sense. You decide if it’s worth it.

After the FDA received 23 reports of liver damage or death, the manufacturers of Hydroxycut (a fat burner and weight loss aid) have voluntarily pulled the product from the shelves. More than top weight loss pills are subject of a warning because of undeclared or risky ingredients.

I could go on for pages. The bottom line is, it’s all about money. What do those drugs I just cited have in common? POPULARITY. Everyone wants to quit smoking, everyone gets a cold, and everyone wants to lose weight. We’re talking big bucks, and it looks like these drugs were pushed through the FDA system too fast in order to rack up the profits.

I guess the point of all this is before you take that prescription from your doctor (if you’re lucky enough to have insurance to SEE a doctor, and don’t get me going on this) ask some questions. Just because a drug is new doesn’t mean it’s better — quite the opposite, in fact. Older drugs have been on the market longer, have a longer and better documented performance record, and might be more suitable for what ails you. Pharmaceutical reps visit doctor’s offices with gifts and free samples of the newest best thing — but their job is to sell drugs. They inform the doctor of the basics of the new drug, and sometimes the doctor has time to read all the accompanying literature and sometimes they don’t. But always remember, the new wonder drug is all about money.

Be your own advocate. Don’t just take the red pill because the doctor said it will fix your problem. Educate yourself and make your own decision.

Is anyone else as sick of outsourced customer service as I am?

For once, I’d like to call a customer support line and have someone understand what I’m saying. Better yet, I’d like for ME to be able to understand THEM.

I realize it’s a matter of economics, and it’s not these people’s fault. They’re just taking the opportunity offered, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I blame the CEO’s of the companies that are outsourcing jobs that could be better utilized here, in the US. It’s not like we couldn’t use them in this economy.

In the meantime, it seems like I’ll have to learn a foreign language just to find out why my order hasn’t shipped or to get information on my cell phone account.

*sigh*

You know, not for nothing, but I am so sick to death of paying for cable. As a matter of fact, my daughter just dropped hers and I think I’m going to drop mine. Not only is television the Ultimate Time Sucker and Brain Drainer, it’s expensive.

In this economy, you have to trim expenses where you can. You have to evaluate priorities and adjust accordingly. Granted, I don’t have a fancy cable package, and when I first moved in to my new place, I didn’t have anything for a couple of weeks. I need the internet connection in order to work, and it seemed like a good idea to just take the whole package; phone, cable, internet.

I’m rethinking that since I’ve discovered a couple of sites that stream my favorite shows. I love “reality” shows like So You Think You Can Dance, and the Amazing Race etc. Thanks to Hulu.com, I’ve come across “Firefly”, which I thoroughly enjoyed. They have a ton of TV shows that have been canceled in an untimely manner, and shows that I used to like to watch but have sadly come to an end, like “The Pretender” or “American Gothic”. Hulu also has a stable of movies, although their choices aren’t that great…yet.

Full Episode TV is a fairly new site with an interface that’s similar to Hulu, and offers promos and websites in which you can view videos of shows from the original network. The advantage to this is everything is in one place, and although it’s fairly young, it shows a lot of promise and a variety of shows you can’t find on Hulu.

All in all, I think I’m cutting the cable loose. Not only will I save money, but I’m thinking it will cut down on the distraction of shiny things when I’m trying to get work done. And I’m a little happy about taking the fangs out of the cable company, to be honest.

It’s estimated that over 1 million people are still not prepared for the switch from analog to digital viewing. As I don’t buy cable, I am already prepared, boxes and antennas ready to go. I actually did get and use my 2-per-household government coupons for my converter boxes.

Tomorrow the way we watch tv stands to bring the American public kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.

I don’t watch a lot of television to begin with. Mostly because I don’t have cable and I can’t get even the basic stations like CBS, NBC or PBS to come in. I’m honestly glad I don’t have cable, not only because I think the service is ridiculously high, but because as a recovering tv addict, I know I’d spend all my time in front of the Boob-Tube.

I remember, as a child and even into my early adulthood, being able to pick up all the stations to Channel 13. I don’t know what’s happened in the last decade that has made CBS, NBC and PBS weaken their signals. So I’m hoping that through this conversion I’ll at least be able to once again watch my favorite shows on all of the basic channels. I do so miss my PBS.

So how about you? Are you ready?