| Statement of Linda Fullerton, Social Security Disability Coalition, Rochester, New
York
Members of the Committee:
My name is Linda Fullerton, I
am permanently disabled and receive Social Security Disability Insurance/SSDI
and Medicare. I am also President/Co-Founder of the Social Security Disability
Coalition, which is made up of thousands of Social Security Disability
claimants and recipients from all over the nation. Our group and experiences,
are a very accurate reflection and microcosm of what is happening to millions
of Social Security Disability applicants all over this nation. I must take
this opportunity to tell you how very proud I am of all our members, many like
myself, whose own lives have been devastated by a system that was set up to
help them. In spite of that, they are using what very little time and energy
they can muster due to their own disabilities, to try and help other disabled
Americans survive the nightmare of applying for Social Security Disability
benefits. There is no better example of the American spirit than these
extraordinary people! If you visit the Social Security Disability Coalition
website, or the Social Security Disability Reform petition website:
Social Security Disability
Coalition – offering FREE knowledge and support with a focus on SSD reform:
http://groups.msn.com/SocialSecurityDisabilityCoalition
Sign the Social Security
Disability Reform Petition – read the horror stories from all over the nation:
http://www.petitiononline.com/SSDC/petition.html
You will read over three
years worth of documented horror stories and see thousands of signatures of
disabled Americans whose lives have been harmed by the Social Security
Disability program. You cannot leave without seeing the excrutiating pain and
suffering that these people have been put through just because they happened to
become disabled, and went to their government to file a claim for disability
insurance that they worked so very hard to pay for. I continually throughout
the Commissioner’s Disability New Approach Program sent her hundreds of their
stories/comments from our website and petition and yet nowhere in her DSI plan
do I see any real help/relief for them.
My organization fills a void
that is greatly lacking in the SSA claims process. While we never represent
claimants in their individual cases, and in most cases due the nature of our
group, we don’t even know their real names for privacy concerns, we are still
able to provide claimants with much needed support and resources to guide them
through the nebulous maze that is put in front of them when applying for SSDI/SSI
benefits. In spite of the fact that the current system is not conducive to
case worker, client interaction other than the initial claims intake, we
continue to encourage claimants to communicate as much as possible with the SSA
in order to speed up the claims process, making it easier on both the SSA
caseworkers and the claimants themselves. As a result we are seeing claimants
getting their cases approved on their own without the need for paid attorneys,
and when additional assistance is needed we connect them with FREE resources to
represent them should their cases advance to the hearing phase. We also
provide them with information on how to access available assistance to help
them cope with every aspect of their lives that may be affected by the enormous
wait time that it currently takes to process an SSDI/SSI claim, including where
to get Medicaid and other State/Federal programs, also free/low cost
healthcare, medicine, food, housing, financial assistance and too many other
things to mention here. We educate them in the policies and regulations which
govern the SSDI/SSI process and connect them to the answers for the many
questions they have about how to access their disability benefits in a timely
manner, relying heavily on the SSA website to provide this help. If we as
disabled Americans, who are not able to work because we are so sick ourselves,
can come together, using absolutely no money and with very little time or
effort can accomplish these things, how is it that the SSA which is funded by
our taxpayer dollars fails so miserably at this task?
The
Social Security Disability New Approach Program at its inception, was a welcome
change from what we have seen in decades past. Everyone that I have dealt with
on the Commissioner’s staff was very courteous and responsive to our concerns
at the time and I am very grateful for that. We kept in constant communication
with them as much as we were allowed to participate. I have also been
privileged to interact with other employees of the SSA who have been of great
help to my organization as well, in particular members of AFGE/National Council
Of SSA Field Operations Locals American Federation Of Government Employees. In
spite of my own personal nightmare SSDI claims experience which I will be describing,
and the horror stories I hear on a daily basis, I am well aware that there are
very hard working, committed, caring people who work for this program. One of
our goals is to increase the lines of communication between th the SSA and the
disabled community.
That
being said, DSI does not go far
enough, fast enough for those who desperately need to access disability
benefits and whose very lives depend on them. It greatly disappoints me
that the Commissioner has not addressed most of the problems that my
organization, and hundreds of others had alerted her office about as part of
the SS Disability New Approach Program, in fact our cries for help have been
virtually ignored when making her recent regulation changes. I find it to be a
shame and disservice to the American taxpayers. It seems that the regulations
that have now been put in place will not do very much if anything to relieve
this horrendous situation, and for the most part will be very detrimental to
the disability claims process, rather than improve it. As mentioned, I have
been in direct communications with AFGE/National Council Of SSA Field
Operations Locals American Federation Of Government Employees, AFL-CIO who
represents thousands of Social Security Workers for the past few years now and
we have been trying together to clean up the problems that would make the
disability claims process better for both sides - the disability claimants and
the SSA workers themselves. It is amazing, and very refreshing to learn about
how much we agree, on the changes needed to make the SSDI/SSI process easier.
They have been extremely helpful to my group which has allowed me to better
help those struggling to get these crucial benefits. If we can do these things
together I see no reason why the SSA Commissioner (if she was doing her job
properly) would not want us actively involved every step of the way in these
changes that she is making. While I know the SSA is doing their very best with
the resources they have, they cannot do it alone, as many things needed to
truly reform this system, must be legislated by Congress. So I call on you
today to start taking this crisis seriously as many lives literally depend on
your actions.
As a person who has gone
through the Social Security Disability claims process myself, I know first hand
about
the pain, financial, physical and
emotional devastation that the current problematic SSDI process can cause, and
I will never be able to recover from it, since I can no longer work. I find it
disturbing that at this latest hearing and at past hearings, that glaringly
absent from your panel was representation from other disability organizations
such as mine. You continually choose the same panelists from the disability
community when there is any representation at all. I ask again as I have in
the past, that in future Congressional hearings on these matters, that I be
allowed to actively participate instead of being forced to always submit
testimony in writing, after the main hearing takes place. I am more than
willing to testify in person before Congress and I should be permitted to do
so. I want a major role in the Social Security Disability reformation process,
since any changes that occur have a direct major impact on my life and our
members lives and well being. Who
better to give feedback at these hearings than those who are directly affected
by its flaws! A more concerted effort needs to be utilized when scheduling
future hearings, factoring in enough time to allow panelists that better
represent a wider cross section of the American population, to testify in
person. It seems to me that if this is not done, that you are not getting a
total reflection of the population affected, and are making decisions on
inaccurate information which can be very detrimental to those whom you have
been elected to serve.
From
GAO testimony to your committee on 6/15/06: “Finally, SSA’s communication
efforts with stakeholders align with change management principles in several
respects. For example, SSA has employed a proactive, collaborative approach to
engaging the stakeholder community both during DSI’s design and in its planning
for implementation in order to explain why change is necessary, workable, and
beneficial. Even before the notice of proposed rule making on DSI was published,
SSA began to meet with stakeholder groups to develop the proposal that would
eventually shape the new structure. Then, once the proposed rule was issued,
SSA officials told us they formed a team to read and analyze the hundreds of
comment letters that stakeholders submitted. In addition, they conducted a
number of meetings with external stakeholders to help the agency identify
common areas of concern and develop an approach to resolving the issues
stakeholders raised before rollout began. According to SSA officials
responsible for these meetings, the Commissioner attended more than 100
meetings to hear stakeholder concerns directly. Further, SSA recently
scheduled a meeting for early July with claimant representatives to discuss
that group’s particular concerns about how the new process will affect their
work and their disability clients. SSA officials told us that senior-level
staff will lead the meeting and that about 100 claimant representatives from
the Boston region will attend.”
“While SSA’s steps and plans
look promising, we want to stress the importance of diligence and
follow-through in two key areas. The first is quality assurance, which entails
both effective monitoring and evaluation. A solid monitoring plan is key to
helping SSA quickly identify and correct problems that surface in the Boston rollout, because any failure to correct problems could put the entire process at
risk. An evaluation plan is critical for ensuring that processes are working as
intended and that SSA is achieving its overarching goals of making accurate,
consistent decisions as early in the process as possible. The second key area
is communication. It is important for SSA’s top leadership to support open
lines of communication throughout implementation if the agency is to facilitate
a successful transition. Failure to, for example, provide useful feedback to
staff - many of whom will be new to the agency or at least to the new tools -
could significantly jeopardize opportunities for improvement. Just as important,
SSA’s top management needs to ensure that the concerns and questions of
stakeholders affected by the new process are heard, and that concerned parties
are kept apprised of how SSA intends to respond.”
It
does not seem to me that SSA is off to a very good start in that area. I
continually asked to be part of such meetings if and when they were ever held,
but was never informed of any them, thus was not allowed to participate.
Since my organization primarily consists of SSDI/SSI claimants, I have to question
what sorts of “stakeholders” the Commissioner met with. Seems like her main
concern is to meet with “stakeholders” who stand to make the most money from a
claimant’s problems with the SSDI/SSI program rather than the claimant’s
themselves who are most affected by those problems. This is further evidenced
by the list of “stakeholders” referenced in the aforementioned GAO testimony.
Again proof of the Federal Government catering to special interest groups.
While many of these “claimant representatives” may have good intentions, unless
they personally experience what it is actually like to live through the process
of applying for these benefits, and have their lives permanently altered as a
result of it, they can never accurately convey to anyone what the problems with
dealing with a severely broken system is like for us. If this system is ever
to be reformed properly, it is crucial that before any changes to this program
are implemented, that the majority of input/involvement in any phase of change be
with a team of actual SSDI/SSI claimants and the SSA workers themselves who
must implement any proposed changes.
The Commissioner in the past
has stated “In drafting this final rule, we understood that, although there was
broad agreement on the need for change, numerous commenters perceived our
proposed rule as favoring administrative efficiency over fairness.”
It is very detrimental to the
American people, if the Commissioner is using their hard earned money to harm
them for the sake of efficiency rather than make it a priority to take every
step necessary to see that their cases are processed fairly as well as
quickly. We fear rubberstamping of denials for the sake of efficiency, which
is in fact ignoring the will of the people.
It is my understanding that
Congressman Levin suggested during the hearing that the General Accounting
Office (GAO) should conduct a study and cost analysis of DSI. After my own
personal experience with filing a claim for SSDI benefits dealing with enormous
processing time and the totally unnecessary problems I encountered, I also
agree that their should be major oversight by an independent body of all phases
of the disability claims process. I agree with the Congressman that the GAO
would do well to be involved in investigating further how the Commissioner’s
proposals would not only affect the SSA, but more importantly how her proposals
would affect the claimant’s themselves, which after all our input, she
continues to ignore.
We ask that the GAO review
processing times of all phases of the disability claims process with particular
focus on the DDS offices and the ALJ’s where the largest bottlenecks and
inconsistencies in the program are found. In addition we want the GAO to
consider recommending to Congress that they move to legislate that the Federal
Government take over the role that the DDS offices now perform. We have seen a
wide range of denial/approval rates and processing times for the same
classifications of disabilities based entirely on the state in which a claimant
lives, or which DDS worker (their training is very inconsistent by state)
happens to handle their claim. This should not be allowed and in fact most
people including elected officials are not aware that DDS workers are state,
rather than Federal employees. It is widely known that the following Federal
Standards are not being met by the DDS offices as the program is currently
structured:
404.1642 Processing time standards http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1642.htm
(a) General. Title II
processing time refers to the average number of days, including Saturdays,
Sundays, and holidays, it takes a State agency to process an initial disability
claim from the day the case folder is received in the State agency until the
day it is released to us by the State agency. Title XVI processing time refers
to the average number of days, including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, from
the day of receipt of the initial disability claim in the State agency until
systems input of a presumptive disability decision or the day the case folder
is released to us by the State agency, whichever is earlier.
(b) Target levels. The
processing time target levels are:
(1) 37 days for title II
initial claims.
(2) 43 days for title XVI
initial claims.
(c) Threshold levels. The
processing time threshold levels are:
(1) 49.5 days for title II
initial claims.
(2) 57.9 days for title XVI
initial
claims. [46 FR 29204, May 29, 1981, as amended at 56 FR 11020, Mar. 14, 1991]
404.1643 Performance
accuracy
standard
http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1643.htm
(a) General. Performance
accuracy refers to the percentage of cases that do not have to be returned to
State agencies for further development or correction of decisions based on
evidence in the files and as such represents the reliability of State agency
adjudication. The definition of performance accuracy includes the measurement
of factors that have a potential for affecting a decision, as well as the
correctness of the decision. For example, if a particular item of medical
evidence should have been in the file but was not included, even though its
inclusion does not change the result in the case, that is a performance error.
Performance accuracy, therefore, is a higher standard than decisional accuracy.
As a result, the percentage of correct decisions is significantly higher than
what is reflected in the error rate established by SSA's quality assurance
system.
(b) Target level. The State
agency initial performance accuracy target level for combined title II and
title XVI cases is 97 percent with a corresponding decision accuracy rate of 99
percent.
(c) Intermediate Goals. These
goals will be established annually by SSA's regional commissioner after
negotiation with the State and should be used as stepping stones to progress
towards our targeted level of performance.
(d) Threshold levels. The
State agency initial performance accuracy threshold level for combined title II
and title XVI cases is 90.6 percent.
The following GAO reports
over the past several years prove that there are major problems with this
program:
GAO-04-656
- More Effort Needed To Assess Consistency of Disability Decisions – July 2004
GAO-03-117
- Social Security Administration: Major Management Challenges and Program Risks
– January 2003
GAO-03-119
- High Risk Series: An Update – January 2003
GAO-02-826T
- Social Security Disability: Significant Problems Persist and Difficult
Decisions Lie Ahead
GAO-02-322
- Disappointing Results From SSA's Efforts to Improve the Disability Claims
Process Warrant Immediate Attention
GAO/HEHS-97-28
- APPEALED DISABILITY CLAIMS: Despite SSA’s Efforts It Will Not Reach Backlog
Reduction Goal
GAO/HRD-94-11-
Increasing Number of Disability Claims and Deteriorating Service
GAO/HEHS-94-34
- Disability Rolls Keep Growing While Explanations Remain Elusive
Productivity/Poor Customer
Service
The Commissioner has stated:
“SSA is a good and worthy investment. Our achievements over the last year are
proof that resources provided to SSA are used efficiently and effectively to
administer America’s social security programs.”
It is very true that SSA is a
good and worthy investment when it works properly to provide vital disability
benefits to claimants in a timely manner, but from the Federal regulations that
are violated on a daily basis and the GAO reports to date, this is not the case
at all. This statement shows that the Commissioner is totally out of touch
with what is happening on her watch. I would be more that willing to speculate
that any other corporation in this country who ran their business this poorly,
would be out of business in it’s first year! By client standards SSA customer
service is extremely poor and in major need of improvement across the board.
Here is just a small sampling of the constant complaints we receive about the
Social Security Disability system and its employees:
Severe understaffing of
SSD workers at all levels of the program
Extraordinary wait times
between the different phases of the disability claims process
Employees being
rude/insensitive to claimants
Employees outright
refusing to provide information to claimants or do not have the knowledge to do
so
Employees not returning
calls
Employees greatly lacking
in knowledge of and in some cases purposely violating Social Security and
Federal Regulations (including Freedom of Information Act and SSD Pre-Hearing
review process).
Claimants getting
conflicting/erroneous information depending on whom they happen to talk to at
Social Security – causing confusion for claimants and in some cases major
problems including improper payments
Complaints of lack of
attention or totally ignoring - medical records provided and claimants concerns
by Field Officers, IME doctors and ALJ’s.
Fraud on the part of
DDS/OHA offices, ALJ’s, IME’s – purposely manipulating/ignoring information
provided to deny claims.
Complaints of lost files
and files being purposely thrown in the trash
Complaints of having other
claimants information improperly filed/mixed in where it doesn’t belong causing
breach of security
Complaints of backlogs at
payment processing centers for initial payments once claim is approved
Federal Quality Review
process adding even more wait time to claims processing, increasing backlogs,
no ability to follow up on claim in this phase
Poor/little coordination
of information between the different departments and phases of the disability
process
NOTE: These complaints
refer to all phases of the SSD process including local office, Disability
Determinations, Office of Hearings and Appeals, Payment Processing Centers and
the Social Security main office in MD (800 number).
All these concerns were
submitted in writing by myself, to the Commissioner’s staff as part of the New
Approach program, and in previous testimonies to this committee, yet very few
of them have even been addressed as part of the DSI. While there is no
acceptable excuse for why these incidents are occurring, it is of no surprise
to me that they are, based on the current conditions under which the SSA
functions. I must take this time to remind you that we are not just nine digit
SS numbers or case files, and I am sure as a result of very stressful working
conditions, that it is very easy at times for SSA workers to forget that fact.
We are living, breathing, and due to our illnesses – very fragile human beings,
whose survival in most cases, totally depends on these benefits. Often we are treated
like criminals on trial, or malingerers looking for a handout. Social Security
Disability (SSDI) is a Federal disability INSURANCE plan – not welfare - where
money is taken out of your paycheck every week, yet you could face
homelessness, bankruptcy and even death trying to get your benefits when you
need them most. Unfortunately, you may find yourself in a situation where you
suddenly need to access this fund, then find it’s the most mismanaged,
problematic Federal program there is. The stories of abusive and rude behavior
towards SSD/SSI claimants continue to increase. There does not seem to be much
oversight in this area, which is totally unacceptable. The GAO and the SSA
needs to monitor this problem more closely. A greater effort must be made to
treat all claimants with the utmost respect and dignity and when necessary SSA
must remove offending employees immediately. I ask that Congress/GAO create an
independent oversight team to make sure these problems are corrected as soon as
possible.
The SSA and GAO need to
involve people such as myself who are directly affected by any changes to the
SSDI/SSI program in any studies, surveys or committees to determine what
changes would be in the best interest of the disability community. Nobody
knows better about the flaws in the system and possible solutions to the
problems, then those who are forced to go through it and deal with the
consequences when it does not function properly. From my own personal
experience, and those of so many others that I have come in contact with, the
best approach is one that has the least amount of paperwork, the quickest
processing times, the most communication with SS workers, and no need to have
attorneys or the courts involved in the processing of claims. This program
should be as simple as a claim for any other kind of insurance such as
unemployment, auto etc. because insurance is actually what these benefits are!
There is no need for it to be this burdensome, beaurocratic nightmare that it
has turned into. To achieve this goal we suggest that you also establish an
independent commission, again including disability program clients, to provide
an ongoing monitoring/assessment of customer service, cost, time savings, and
functions of the Social Security Disability program.
At this point I feel that one
of the best ways to illustrate the problems with the SSDI claims process is to
relate my own experience with the program. For the last 30 years of my life I
contributed to the Social Security System as millions of Americans do every
day. I never expected to use those funds till I was old enough to retire, yet
I was personally devastated by the SSA, losing
everything I worked for because I became ill. In December of 2001, I
applied for Social Security Disability benefits which I assumed would be there
to help me in my time of need. I’d heard nothing but discouraging stories, but
figured every case was different, and anyone with the list of illnesses that I
had, and the documentation to prove it, would surely get the help they needed,
yet I was sorely mistaken. After filling out several pages of paperwork, which
I was told was greatly reduced from which it had originally been, and
submitting a huge stack of medical records supporting my claim, I was told it
would take 4-6 months to go through the disability claims process. I was
shocked and asked what I was supposed to live on, and I was told to apply for
Social Services (Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance) while my claim was
being reviewed. I did just that, and was denied any sort of help based on the
cash value of a life insurance policy that is not even enough to bury me when I
die. Due to all my illnesses if I cashed in that policy, I would never be able
to get that form of insurance again! Going through that process and paperwork
was very difficult and humiliating as well, and then to be denied any help,
just added even more to my stress and misery.
I
was hoping beyond hope that I would soon get word that my disability claim was
approved, but instead on 4/25/02, I got the incredible letter that my Social
Security Disability claim had been denied! I found out that it’s common
knowledge on the streets and in legal circles that very few get approved the
first time they apply. Something is extremely wrong when you have to deal with
the pain and suffering physically and mentally that comes along with the
illnesses you have, and then have to struggle so hard to get the benefits that
you have worked for all your life.
I
still couldn’t understand how it was possible that anyone could read about all
the medical problems I have, and it not be totally transparent that I should
qualify for benefits, and that I never should’ve been denied in the first
place! I immediately filed for an appeal, had to go through an even more
complicated process and was told it would be at least August of 2003 before I
got my hearing if I didn’t die first! On 9/13/02, when I called the Office of
Hearings and Appeals in Buffalo NY to check on my claim the receptionist told
me, that my file was still in the un-worked status, which meant that nobody was
assigned to my claim yet, or even looked at the file at all since March, when I
originally filed my appeal. I expressed my disgust that after six months in
their possession that it had not even been touched yet! I called them again on
1/23/03 and they told me that STILL nobody had been assigned to my case and it
would be a MINIMUM of five months more or longer since they were just starting
to work on cases that were filed in November of 2001! The receptionist
expressed her sympathy for my cause and literally begged me to let others know
(especially the government and media) about how much of a problem they are
having. Imagine my surprise when I was calling them for help and they were begging
me – a disabled person, to get them help! That just proves even further how
poorly run the SSD program is. I was told that there were only 50 employees
handling hundreds of thousands of cases and they, along with all of us
claimants critically need help now!
Congressional
offices in many cases contact Social Security on behalf their constituents
going through the SSD process, so they must be aware of the many problems that
exist with the program. I wrote to ALL my elected officials and as a registered
voter myself, was very disappointed, disillusioned, and disgusted that my
elected officials whom I have supported in the polls every year, when I asked
for help in my own particular case, that the very few who responded at all,
said that I needed to be become homeless or have my utilities shut off before
they could help me, and there was nothing else they could do to expedite my
claim. It was totally appalling and unacceptable to me, that never once, did
they say that they would do anything to try and correct the flaws in the system
that cause the horrors we SSDI/SSI applicants face. The bi-partisan apathy in
regards to this issue is not only unacceptable, but criminally negligent
behavior, and Congress needs to be held responsible for it, create the legislation
and get the funding needed to address this crisis. We elected them, trusting
that they would protect, serve, and be there for us in our time of need. Time
is of the utmost importance in this matter, as millions of SS Disability
applicants, even as I write this are suffering and losing everything, including
their lives, while trying to get their benefits.
In
March 2003 I called the hearings and appeals office again and they said it
would be at least August 2003 before someone would look at my case. I then did
some research and found out that I could request copies of the reports of the
SSD IME doctor I was sent to, and the notes of the original DDS claim examiner
that denied me, and when I received them, my worst allegations were then confirmed.
Even though I have no real neurological problems they sent me to a neurologist
to examine me, so of course he would find nothing wrong with me and say that I
did not qualify as disabled. I should have instead, been sent to a
Rheumatologist since most of my problems are caused by several autoimmune
disorders. I also discovered that the DDS examiner purposely manipulated my
medical information in order to deny my claim. Even though I filed my
disability claim based on all the physical problems I have, the DDS examiner
purposely wrote depression as a PRIMARY diagnosis for disability, instead of as
secondary one, so of course I would be denied based on that as well. This was
after I had already submitted tons of documents to prove my PHYSICAL disability
– reports/documents that he chose to ignore. I then contacted the Social
Security Office of Public Inquiries and the Inspector General’s office in MD
and filed a formal willful misconduct complaint to him against the Buffalo DDS
office. In April 2003, I requested an immediate pre-hearing review of my case
on the grounds of misconduct and additional physical evidence. In order to get
that process going I had to fax the OHA copies of their own regulations since
the person I spoke with there had no clue what I was talking about. Once they
got all my paperwork to request the review, a senior staff attorney, and then a
hearing and appeals judge granted my request and my case was then sent back to
the DDS office that originally denied my claim. Finally it was seen by a
different DDS person who actually knew how to do their job. In two weeks my
case was approved at the DDS level and then was selected randomly by computer
(7 out of every 10 cases get chosen) for Federal review. It then took another
three weeks to be processed there.
By
this time, I had wiped out my life savings and lived off my pension from a
previous employer which is totally gone now, due to the enormous wait for my
claim to be processed properly. One month before becoming totally bankrupt,
homeless, losing my health insurance, and everything else I had worked for the
last 30 years of my life, I finally won my case by myself, with no lawyer
representing me, exactly 1-1/2 years to the day from when I originally filed my
claim. Under SSD regulations 5 months of my retro pay was withheld for no
good reason, money I surely could have used to help pay off debts incurred
while waiting for approval of my benefits. All the SSD retro pay I did
received is gone now too and the benefits I do get are nowhere near enough to
live on for the rest of my life. Plus there is always the stress of having to
deal with the SS Continuing Disability Review Process every few years, where
the threat of having your benefits suddenly cut off constantly hangs over your
head, even though all my illnesses are incurable and are getting progressively
worse. This is a total waste of time and money on the part of the SSA to
review people with incurable, no hope for improvement conditions, such as mine.
Even
after I was finally approved for benefits, since current Medicare program
regulations discriminate against disabled Americans by making them wait for 24
months after their disability date of entitlement, I didn’t become eligible for
Medicare until June 2004, having to spend over half of my SSD check each month
on health insurance premiums and prescriptions, not including the additional
co-pays fees on top of it. Despite what you may hear, Social Security
Disability benefits rarely cover the basis necessities of life. The American
dream has become the American nightmare for me, since day to day I don’t know
how I’m going to survive without some miracle like winning the lottery. I’m
now doomed to spend what’s left of my days here on earth, living in poverty, in
addition to all my medical concerns since I’m no longer able to work, and
nobody in their right mind would willing choose this horrible existence.
I
continually deal with enormous stress and face the continued looming threat of
bankruptcy and homelessness, due to the cost of my healthcare and basic living
expenses, still not qualifying for any public assistance programs. I
personally hold accountable the SSA, the DDS Office in Buffalo NY, Congress and State legislators for their apathy in regards to the problems that this
program has, for the mental, physical, emotional and financial destruction that
this experience has cost me. I have vowed to do whatever it takes for the rest
of my life, to make sure that no other American citizen has to endure the hell
that I continue to live with everyday as a result of having to file for
SSDI/SSI benefits. I did not ask for this fate and would trade places with a
healthy person in a minute. Nobody ever thinks it can happen to them. I am
proof that it can, and remember that disease and tragedy do not discriminate on
the basis of age, race or sex.
America needs to wake up and take action - anyone including you,
could be one step away from walking in my shoes at any moment! While the majority of Americans were shocked at the
reaction of the Federal government in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, I
wasn’t surprised at all. Americans saw when hurricane Katrina struck, how the
poor and disabled were left to die in the streets when they needed help the
most. I shudder to think of how many more lives will be further ruined or
lost, when the mentally and physically disabled victims of Katrina, other
natural disasters, 9/11 victims who survived that day, but are now disabled and
facing a similar fate, and the other
disabled Americans in general, encounter their next experience with the Federal
government as they apply for their SSDI/SSI benefits. Also nothing is heard about
the Veterans who are injured in the line of duty and have to go through this
same scenario to get their benefits too. There are cases of Veterans rated
100% disabled by the VA who get denied their Social Security Disability
benefits and end up living in poverty on the streets. Horrible treatment for
those who protect and serve our country. Keep in mind a country is only
as strong as the citizens that live there, yet as you can now see, the Social
Security Disability process preys on the weak, and decimates the disabled
population even further. The
process that an applicant endures when filing for SS disability benefits,
causes irreparable harm and has many serious side effects including financial
and physical devastation, unbearable stress and anxiety, depression, and in
some cases the depression is so severe that suicide seems to be the only option
to get rid of the pain, of dealing with a system riddled with abuses against
the disabled, already fragile citizens of this country. It is a known medical
fact that stress of any kind can be detrimental to a person’s health, and to
subject a population whose health is already in jeopardy to the sorts of stress
that this process can cause, further erodes a claimant’s health and is
Federally sanctioned torture . Based on
my own personal experience, and from the horror stories I hear on a daily basis
I can’t help but feel that the Social Security Disability program is purposely
structured to be very complicated, confusing, and with as many obstacles as
possible, in order to discourage and
suck the life out of claimants, hoping that they give up or die in the application
process, so that benefits do not have to be paid to them. A sad commentary to
say the least.
We the “Claimants,
Customers, Stakeholders” are the people that the SSA and Congress is supposed
to be serving and listed below are some of our concerns and proposals for
reform:
We want disability benefits
determinations to be based solely on the physical or mental disability of the
applicant. Neither age, education or any other factors should ever be
considered when evaluating whether or not a person is disabled. If a person
cannot work due to their medical conditions – they CAN’T work no matter what
their age, or how many degrees they have, yet this is a standard practice when
deciding Social Security Disability determinations. These non-disabling factors
should be eliminated immediately as a factor in determining benefits
eligibility.
The SSA “Bluebook” listing of
diseases that qualify a person for disability should be updated more frequently
to include newly discovered crippling diseases such as the many autoimmune
disorders that are ravaging our citizens. Also SSD's current 3 year earnings
window calculation method fails to recognize slowly progressive conditions
which force people to gradually work/earn less for periods longer than 3 years,
thus those with such conditions never receive their 'healthy' earnings peak
rate.
In her testimony before the
Senate Finance Committee on 3/14/06 the Commissioner referred to an Electronic
Disability Guide (eDG) which she states is accessible to the public. To date
that has not been made available to the public, all areas are flagged as
restricted, and we request that it be made accessible to the public as soon as
possible.
We want to see institution of
a lost records fine, wherein if Social Security loses a claimants records/files
an immediate $1000 fine must be paid to the claimant.
Funding
The Commissioner has stated
in the past: “Since funding is the fuel that drives our ability to meet the
needs of the people who rely on our services, I must tell you that there are
very real consequences when we have reduced resources. Under the current
performance-based budgets, there is a certain amount of work that can be done
for a certain amount of funding, and when our portfolio of traditional work and
the new workloads I have described expands without funding, our effectiveness
is jeopardized.”
We
agree with the Commissioner that proper funding is crucial to the success of
SSA programs and there are severe, very real consequences to claimants when SSA
has reduced resources, yet it is my
understanding that she has imposed a hiring reduction. SSA has already experienced staffing cuts in 2006, and
based on the President’s proposed budget, is expected to experience even more
staffing cuts in 2007. The SSA will now
have only a 1 of 8 employee replacement ratio for those leaving SSA and who
work directly on the front lines in the field offices. This is a claimant’s
primary interview contact in the disability claims and appeals process, and
this staffing cut is a great cause of concern for us. Even now there is not
enough staff to handle the current workloads, and the influx of new disability
claims is only going to increase over time as the population ages, and we face
very turbulent times ahead. The idea that the Commissioner would use these
resources she has been given, to create new levels of claims processing, that
in reality will make the system tougher on claimants to access benefits,
instead of properly staff the program and make it more claimant friendly is a
travesty and waste of tax payer dollars. We ask that Congress legislate to
ensure that the
Social Security trust fund should never be touched for anything else but to pay
benefits to the people who are entitled to it, and that the SSA does not have to compete for appropriation funds. We also
call on Congress and the GAO to step in, and prevent
the Commissioner’s very detrimental staffing cut from taking place.
Communication Between SSA And Its Customers
Is Crucial/DCM/QDD
Increased contact with claimants
throughout WHOLE disability claims process is crucial to the success of the
program. Currently there is virtually no communication with claimants after
initial intake, written denial, approval, review notices or if by chance the
claimant is able to get through to the 1-800 number to ask a question. A
welcome step in that direction is the Disability Claims Manager (DCM) pilot
where the claimant is able interact on a regular basis in SSA field offices
with the person who would be making the decision on their case. If trained
properly we believe that DCM staff could perform this role, and it is my
understanding that in the pilot these managers processed claims faster and more
accurately than the state DDS offices do now. We are very pleased to see the
Commissioner’s creation of the Quick Disability Determination Unit (QDD)
process for the obviously disabled which is long overdue, especially for those
who suffer from terminal illness, who currently in many cases, die before they
get approved for benefits. We must state that though, that it would better
serve its clients if it were part of the SSA field office as well. Also a
claimant should be allowed to review all records in their case file at any
time, during all phases of the SSDI/SSI process. Currently they are only
allowed to review their file after a denial in the initial phase is issued.
Before a denial is issued at any stage, the applicant should be contacted as to
ALL the sources being used to make the judgment. It must be accompanied by a detailed
report as to why a denial might be imminent, who made the determination and a
phone number or address where they could be contacted. In case info is missing
or they were given inaccurate information the applicant can provide the
corrected or missing information before a determination is made. This would
eliminate many cases from having to advance to any hearing phase.
Consolidation/Coordination
– The Disability Common Sense Approach
The most ideal customer
service scenario would be to have ALL phases of the disability claims process
be handled directly out of the SSA field offices. Since SSDI/SSI are Federal
benefits why has a State DDS level been added to this process at all? We must
question why this common sense solution is not being instituted as part of the
DSI. We ask that SSA, Congress and the GAO to look into reforming this program
in such a way that ALL who handle benefit claims are Federal employees and
consolidate ALL phases of the SSDI/SSI process into the individual SSA field offices
throughout the nation. More Federal funding is necessary to continue to create
a universal network between all outlets that handle SSDI/SSI cases so that
claimant’s info is easily available to caseworkers handling claims no matter
what level/stage they are at in the system. Since eDib is not fully
functional at this time, and even when it is, keeping as much of the disability
process as possible in the SSA field offices would dramatically cut down on
transfer of files and the number of missing file incidences, result in better
tracking of claims status, and allow for greater ease in submitting ongoing
updated medical evidence in order to prove a claim. In addition,
all SSA forms and reports
should be made available online for claimants, medical professionals, SSD
caseworkers and attorneys, and be uniform throughout the system. One universal
form should be used by claimants, doctors, attorneys and SSD caseworkers, which
will save time, create ease in tracking status, updating info and reduce duplication
of paperwork. Forms should be revised to be more comprehensive for evaluating
a claimant’s disability and better coordinated with the SS Doctor’s Bluebook
Listing of Impairments.
5 Month Withholding/Waiting Period For
Benefits
Remove
5 month waiting period for SSDI/SSI benefits. Supposedly this law was
instituted because it was felt by Congress that the majority of Americans have
short and long term disability insurance through their employers. In fact
according to the Labor Department's National Compensation Survey released in
March 2006, only 40% of U.S. employers offer short-term disability, and only
30% offer long-term disability. We now live in a climate where employer
sponsored benefits are in fact decreasing, while as the population ages the
need for them is increasing. There is absolutely no good reason for
withholding these funds and it is basically robbery of 5 months of their hard
earned benefits! Also prime rate
bank interest should be paid on all retro payments from first date of filing,
due to claimants, as they are losing this as well while waiting for their
benefits to be approved. The amount of money withheld during this time could mean the
very difference between a more secure future or financial ruin for a population
who can no longer work and that will never be able to recoup that loss of back
benefits that they are subjected to. It could determine whether or not a
person will have to file for State assistance in addition to their Federal
benefits and then have to rely on two support programs rather than just one for
the rest of their lives. Now more than ever it is time for Congress to remove
this additional hindrance to disabled Americans.
Medicare
Eligibilty/24 Month Waiting Period/Accelerated Benefits Trial/Mental Health
Treatment Study/
HIV/AI Demonstrations,
The
Commissioner’s proposed Accelerated Benefits trial ignored our request to get
Congress to legislate removal of 24 month waiting period for ALL Social
Security Disability recipients to get full Medicare coverage. That needs to
change and we ask this Committee to institute the necessary legislation to
remove it as soon as possible. Her suggestion to only allow claimant’s whose
have medical conditions that are expected to improve within 2-3 years is blatant
discrimination against the disabled citizens who need Medicare the most. This
proves a total lack of understanding on her part, of how crucial these benefits
are to someone who is disabled and can no longer work. Imposing this waiting period, also forces many to have
to file for Medicaid/Social Service programs who otherwise may not have needed
these services if Medicare was provided immediately upon approval of disability
benefits. My
organization agrees totally with the Medicare Rights Center, that coverage
under all parts of Medicare must start immediately for them, upon disability
date of eligibility. As part of the Mental
Health Treatment Study and HIV/AI Demonstrations, the Commissioner states that
SSA will provide comprehensive health care to DI beneficiaries who have
schizophrenia or affective disorders, HIV/AI disorders. Again this should be
extended to ALL SSDI claimants regardless of possible work outcome!
Claims
Processing Times/Dire Needs/Compensation For Losses Incurred While Waiting For
Benefits
We are calling for All SSD
case decisions to be determined within three months maximum of original filing
date. When it is impossible to do so a maximum of six months will be allowed
for appeals, hearings etc – NO EXCEPTIONS. Failure to do so on the part of the
SSA will constitute a fine of $500 per week for every week over the six month
period - payable to claimants in addition to their awarded benefit payments and
due immediately along with their retro pay upon approval of their claim. A dire needs case in the
eyes of the SSA means that you have to prove in writing, that you are going to
have your home foreclosed on, be evicted from your apartment or have your
utilities shut off. Nobody should ever have to deal with that sort of thing
when they are sick! Many claimants are also unable to afford health insurance,
medicine, food, other necessities of life, and have to wipe out their financial
resources because of their inability to work, but even that is not considered a
dire need! Worsening health doesn’t seem to be much of a factor in speeding up
SSD claims either, as there are several reported cases of people who have died
while waiting to get their benefits. This
is outrageous when something this serious, and a matter of life and death, could
be handled in such a poor manner. No other company or other government
organization operates with such horrible turn around times. As a result we are
calling for Congress to legislate that the SSA will be held financially responsible to reimburse claimants for any
loss of property, automobiles, IRA’s, pension funds, who incur a compromised
credit rating or lose their health insurance as a result of any delay in
processing of their claims, which may
occur during or after (if there is failure to fully process claim within six
months) the initial six month allotted processing period.
Treating
Physicians
All doctors should be
required by law, before they receive their medical license, and it be made a
part of their continuing education program to keep their license, to attend
seminars provided free of charge by the SSA, in proper procedures for writing
medical reports and filling out forms for Social Security Disability and SSD
claimants. Often claimants cannot get their doctors to fill out SSA forms due
to time constraints and staffing problems or they have no access to any kind of
medical care at all. SSA field offices should also, when a person applies for
disability benefits, provide at no charge to the claimant, a listing of
free/low cost healthcare resources that they may need to utilize in order prove
their disabilities. While the SSA in such cases may order a claimant to go for
an IME in these situations, they cannot adequately determine a claimants
disability in one visit like a treating physician who see a claimant on a
regular basis can.
Proper
Weight of Treating Physician Reports/Evidence And IME/Consultative Exams
Too much weight at the
initial time of filing, and throughout the claims process is put on the
independent medical examiner’s and SS caseworker’s opinion of a claim. The
independent medical examiner, SS caseworker only sees you for a few minutes and
has no idea how a patient’s medical problems affect their lives after only a
brief visit with them. The caseworker at the DDS office never sees a
claimant. The decisions should be based with priority given to the claimant’s
own treating physicians opinions and medical records. When evidence is lacking
in that area, and SSD requires a medical exam, it should only be performed by board
certified independent doctors who are specialists in the disabling condition
that a claimant has (example – Rheumatologists for autoimmune disorders,
Psychologists and Psychiatrists for mental disorders). Currently this is often
not the case. Also independent medical exams requested by SSA should only be
required to be performed by doctors who are located within a 15 mile radius of
a claimants residence. If that is not possible – Social Security should
provide for transportation or travel expenses incurred for this travel by the
claimant.
Easy/Free Access For Patients To Copies Of
Their Own Medical Records
All Americans should be
entitled to easy access and FREE copies of their own medical records, including
doctor’s notes (unless it could be proven that it is detrimental to their
health) at all times. This is crucial information for all citizens to have to
ensure that they are receiving proper healthcare and a major factor when a
person applies for Social Security Disability. Often inaccuracies in these
records are never caught, allowing incorrect information to be passed on from
doctor to doctor over the years, and could even lead to serious misjudgments
in patient care based on bad information.
Removal Of
Reconsideration Phase
NY
State where I live, is one of the worst in the nation to file a claim for
SSDI/SSI benefits, compared to the rest of the nation, especially since 9/11.
NY is one of ten test states where the reconsideration phase of the SS
Disability claims process was eliminated, causing extraordinary wait times, up
to several years in some cases, for claims to be processed At the Buffalo NY
DDS office where my own claim for benefits was processed, 48.6% of T2 initial
cases, 57.2% of initial cases and 67% of concurrent initial cases were denied.
Yet over half of those claims were then approved at the Hearings and Appeals
level in the time period between 6/25/05 – 9/00/05. With initial claims denial
rates this high and no opportunity for reconsideration, it only stands to
reason that claimants will request a hearing thus forcing them into the court
system. Currently in states where the reconsideration phase has been removed
there is even a need to ship in ALJ’s from other states to help manage the
court backlog problem. Yet the SSA
Commissioner, has ignored this problem occurring already in these 10 test
states and has now passed regulations to remove the reconsideration phase for
the whole country, which will continue to force thousands more into the already
backlogged Federal Court system. Why waste more Federal dollars on expanding
removal of this phase when it has already been proven that it causes even more
of a problem to both the claimants and the courts.
Use
of Attorneys/ALJ’s In Claims Processing
The SSDI/SSI claims process should be set up so there is no need
whatsoever for claimant paid legal representation when filing for benefits
Currently
the program is set up to line the pockets of the legal system, since a claimant
is often encouraged from the minute they apply for benefits to get a lawyer.
Why should you need to pay a lawyer to get benefits that you have earned?
Every effort should be made to set up the claims process so there is very
little need for cases to advance to the hearing and appeal stage since that is
where one of the major backlog and wait time exists. It seems that this would
create an incentive when work loads at DDS offices are especially high, to
rubberstamp denials, moving them to the hearing phase, and pushing their
workload into the already overloaded Federal court system, rather than take a
little extra time to properly review the claim. The need of lawyers/reps to
navigate the system and file claims, and the SSD cap on a lawyer's retro
commission is also a disincentive to expeditious claim processing, since
purposely delaying the claims process will cause the cap to max out - more
money to the lawyer/rep for dragging their feet adding another cost burden to
claimants. In other words the system is structured so that it is in a lawyer’s
best interest for your case to drag on since they get paid 25% of a claimant’s
retro pay up to $5300 – the longer it takes the more they get. From the horror
stories I hear from other claimants, many attorneys are definitely taking
advantage of that situation. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I
am told of people whose health is deteriorating, who are losing their homes and
filing for bankruptcy because their attorneys do nothing to try and speed up
their claims. Many qualify for dire needs status or are eligible for
pre-hearing/review on the record status in order to prevent these problems but
are never told that by their attorneys, who sit back and do nothing but collect
from a claimant’s retro check. Claimants are told that there is a major backlog
and since they are unaware of SS regulations they do not question this
fraudulent behavior. We view this as a criminal act, yet there is almost
oversight on this problem. Instead, from what I have seen in the
Commissioner’s DSI plan, she is catering to the law community in much the same
way that the pharmaceutical companies were catered to when the Medicare Part D
plan was instituted. Just as it has with the Medicare program, this adds a
greater cost and processing time to the administration of the SSDI program and
again adds a financial burden for the disabled. Instead the SSA should
provide claimants with a listing in every state, of FREE Social Security
Disability advocates/reps when a claim is originally filed in case their
services may be needed.
We are
not in favor of any changes that would result in more hearings, lesser back
payments or a greater reliance on attorneys for claimants to receive benefits.
The Commissioner has proposed that a record would be closed after an ALJ issues
a decision and new/material evidence would only be allowed to be submitted
under certain limited circumstances. This is totally unacceptable, given that
a great number of ALJ decisions are currently appealed due to rampant bias
against claimants, fraudulent behavior and poor performance by the ALJ’s
currently serving. We have even heard stories of claimants who are being told
by ALJ’s that they must give up years of back pay or the judge will not approve
their disability claims, which is criminal behavior! We are in favor of audio
and/or videotaping of Social Security Disability ALJ hearings and during IME
exams allowed at all times to avoid improper conduct by judges and doctors. A
copy of court transcript should automatically be provided to claimant or their representative
within one month of hearing date FREE of charge. We want to see the
institution of a very strict code of conduct for Administrative Law Judges in
determining cases and in the courtroom, with fines to be imposed for
inappropriate conduct and payable to claimants. We also ask that the GAO
review the role of the ALJ in the processing of disability claims and their
decision making which has often proven to be very harmful to claimants. We
suggest that the GAO and this Subcommittee look at the following report:
General
Bias and Administrative Law Judges: Is there a Remedy for Social Security
Disability Claimants?
http://organizations.lawschool.cornell.edu/clr/90_3/Vendel_90_Cornell_Law_Review.pdf
Ticket To Work Program -
Catch 22 – Fear and Mistrust of the SSA
According to SSA disability
guidelines: Social Security pays only for total disability. No benefits are
payable for partial disability or for short-term disability. You have a valid
claim if you have been disabled or are expected to be disabled for 12
consecutive months, or your condition will result in your death. Your
condition must interfere with basic work-related activities for your claim to
be considered. If your condition is severe but not at the same or equal level
of severity as a medical condition on the list, then they must determine if it
interferes with your ability to do the work you did previously. If it does not,
your claim will be denied. If you cannot do the work you did in the past, SSD
looks to see if you are able to adjust to other work. They consider your
medical conditions and your age, education, past work experience and any
transferable skills you may have. If you cannot adjust to other work, your
claim will be approved. If you can adjust to other work, your claim will be
denied.
SSA forces the disabled to go
through years of abuse trying to prove that they can no longer work ANY job in
the national economy due to the severity of their illnesses in order to be
approved for benefits. The resulting devastation on their lives, often totally
eliminates the possibility of them ever getting well enough to ever return to
the work force, even on a part time basis, in order to utilize the SS Ticket to
Work program. Then, sometimes weeks after they are finally approved for
SSD/SSI benefits, after their health and finances have been totally destroyed
beyond repair, they receive a “Ticket To Work” packet in the mail. A cruel
joke to say the least and it is no wonder that the disabled fear continuing
disability reviews, utilization of the Ticket to Work Program, and distrust the
Federal Government! The Ticket to Work Program is often viewed as a carrot and
stick it to the disabled approach.
How Backlogs In The SSDI/SSI Program Place
An Increased Burden On The States
Due to the
enormous wait times that applicants may endure while waiting for their SSDI/SSI
claims to be processed, many are forced into poverty and have to apply for
other state funded programs such as Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance,
who wouldn’t have needed them, if their disability claims were approved in a
timely manner. Another very stressful demeaning process to say the least. This
causes an enormous burden across this nation, on those state Social Service
programs. This problem would be greatly reduced if the Federal SSD/SSI
program was fixed, and the states would definitely reap the benefits in the
long run. Also if a healthy person files for Social Service programs and then
gets a job, they do not have to reimburse the state once they find a job, for
the funds they were given while looking for work. Disability claimants who
file for state Social Services assistance while waiting to get SSI benefits in
many states, have to pay back the state out of their meager disability benefits
once approved, in most cases keeping them below the poverty level and forcing
them to continue to use state funded services for the rest of their lives in
addition to the Federal SSI program. They are almost never able recover or
better themselves, since they can no longer work, and now have to rely on two
support programs instead of just one. In all states there should be immediate
approval for social services (food stamps, cash assistance, medical assistance,
etc) benefits for SSD claimants that don’t have to be paid back to the states
out of their SSD benefits once approved. We are calling on the SSA, the GAO
and the states to make it a priority to start tracking this connection and act
swiftly to correct this problem. Since states are being crushed under the increased
Medicaid burden I am sure that this would do a great deal to alleviate that
problem as well.
Continuing Disability
Reviews
We have heard that there is a
proposal to give SSD recipients a limited amount of time to collect their
benefits. We are very concerned with the changes that could take place. Since
every patient is different and their disabilities are as well, this type of
“cookie cutter” approach is out of the question. We especially feel that
people with psychological injuries or illness would be a target for this type
of action. Some medical plans pay 80% for treatment of biological mental heath
conditions, but currently Medicare only pays 50% for an appointment with a
psychiatrist. This often prohibits patients from getting proper treatment and
comply with rules for continual care on disability. The current disability
review process in itself is very detrimental to a patient’s health. Many
people suffer from chronic conditions that have NO cures and over time these
diseases grow progressively worse with no hope of recovery or returning to the
work force. The threat of possible benefits cut off, and stress of a review by
Social Security again is very detrimental to a recipients health. This factor
needs to be taken into consideration when reforming the CDR process. In those
cases total elimination of CDR’s should be considered or a longer period of
time between reviews such as 10-15 years rather then every 3-7 years, as is
currently the case. This would save the SSA a great deal of time, money and
paperwork which could then be used to get new claimants through the system
faster.
Unless everyone of the
concerns/issues outlined above is addressed and resolved in a timely manner,
the SSA, Congress and the State governments will continue to fail at what they
were put in place to do – serve the people. Most of us were once hard working,
tax paying citizens with hopes and “American dreams” but due to an unfortunate
accident or illness, have become disabled to a point where we can no longer
work. Does that mean we are not valuable to our country, or give the
government/society the right to ignore or even abuse us? I think not! We are
your mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, friends and acquaintances,
and most people think that this could ever happen to them. Remember that at
any point in time you too could be facing our dilemma and contrary to what may
be popular opinion, nobody willingly chooses this type of existence. I only
hope that I can live long enough to see you do what is right for all of us.
Since we can no longer work due to our disabilities, we are often considered
"disposable" people by general and government standards. In addition
our cries and screams are often ignored, many preferring that we just shut up or
die. I am here to tell you those days are over now. We are watching, we are
waiting, we may be disabled but we vote! Thank you for your time.
Please check out my
website at:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/bump.html
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