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Getting Disability After Getting a Denial Letter

When I first had my kidney failure, I never thought that I could even get insurance because I was denied the first time around. I know it's overwhelming having all those high medical bills and not know how you're going to pay it. There were times I wondered would I be able to pay it. When I had gotten denied for insurance, I decided to apply for disability because I really couldn’t work while my kidneys were failing.

Getting an advocate lawyer

It took them about 3 months to respond and deny me. I was completely lost and didn’t know what to do. I had a bunch of bills and no way to pay them. Then I realized they are people out there that will actually fight for your disability. I just Googled disability advocates and they were a list of them around my town.

I did not notice that some of these people are actually the ones we would see on TV in commercials – I just never noticed them. I got an advocate lawyer and they required me to do a few things:

  • Go to the doctor
  • Limit your work
  • Get doctor to fill out work recommendations
  • Take time to get back to work while going through treatment

Questions to ask yourself

  • How long can you sit or stand during jobs?
  • How many breaks do you need to have while working?
  • How many hours you can work?
  • Describe the seriousness of your condition and what is needed to help you get better?
  • What are your meds and the effects of them and does it affect your daily activities?

The path to disability approval

Do not be too worried if you talk to your lawyer but don’t hear back until a month later to start because they are trying to get the well-needed documentation to fight for your case, including medical history such as:

  • X-rays
  • CT scans
  • blood work
  • How many times you were admitted into the hospital
  • How long you stayed in the hospital
  • What you went to the hospital for

These things will be needed to help. It always is best, to be honest about depression, anxiety, and every emotion you experienced with your lawyer. Then you will receive a date to appear in court to have a chance to fight. When the judge asks the questions answer with all honesty and also lets your lawyer speak facts from the paperwork he has. He should make sure you can get every help possible. This will determine whether you will get long-term or short-term disability.

How disability can help people with lupus

Once and if you get approved, everything opens up to help you. Medicaid and Medicare, disability, food stamps, and housing assistance. Once you win the case these things become automatically available. You would just have to call the insurance and get your information until your cards come in. These things are going to help you pay bills. Through insurance, you will get dental insurance to go to appointments. Also, sometimes insurance goes 6 months back to pay for bills. Ever since then, I have had insurance and it was really helped me in the long run.

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This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Lupus.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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