Blepharospasm Bulletin Board

Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant
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Posted by: Gayle ®
02/05/2004, 07:26:54


Kinda long, but please read. This is concerning applying for disability and Medicare. I was told about this by another woman at work that has a child with MS. First you apply for disability and Medicare. Of course, you are always turned down the first time. In my case, that is what I want, because I can still work and disability money amount would not pay my bills. Anyway, once you are turned down, you take your paperwork to the Dept. of Family Services and apply for a dimmy waiver. It is a fed-funded offer. This lady said she has never known any one to be turned down for the waiver. The purpose is that the waiver pays for expenses not covered by your insurance. Such as the difference in medication that I have to pay, difference in doctor/botox visits that insurance does not pay. I intend to apply next week for disability and then follow up on the "waiver". I'll keep you informed.

Gayle in GA with rain (anyone noticed symptoms increase with the rain?)




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Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant
Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant -- Gayle Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Delaine in TN ®
02/06/2004, 07:57:20


Everyone is not turned down the first time and no one ever mentioned a dimmy waiver to me 4 years ago when I applied. My situation was different in that I was already covered by my employer for insurance for a small charge and got short term and then long term disability benefits up to 60% of my salary as a nurse. I had to apply for SSD when the long term disability started. The insurance premiums were reasonable for a year and then I was terminated from employment because I had been on medical leave for one year and still was not able to return to work and had received SSD within 60 days of getting long term disability on the first try. My premiums then were COBRA and sky high! I dropped it and just am covered by my husband's insurance. I do have Medicare part A which is free, but not part B which is not. I wasn't allowed to get Medicare for 2 years after I had been on SSD and it does not cover medications or doctor visits only hospitalization as a secondary insurance. If medicare was my only insurance I would have to get part B, but it will only pay for Botox every 91 days.



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Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant
Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant -- Gayle Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Shirley Barr in New Mexico ®
02/06/2004, 12:57:59


Hi Gayle,
I've never heard of a Dimmy Waiver, either. I've been on SSD for a little over 3 years now. Just recently sent in my 3 year re-evaluation forms. I agree with Delaine also that not everyone is turned down the first time for disability. I was but not everyone is.
It is my understanding that you cannot apply for social security disability if you are presently working. You couldn't at the time that I applied. Wasn't a problem for me as I couldn't work anyway because of the severity of the Blepharospasm. And like Delaine, Medicare is not even offered to you until you have been on disability for 2 years. So it wasn't an option. I'm sure that it would depend on your age too and if you were close to the age that medicare becomes available anyway.
Please let us know what you find out from Social Security Disability.

SSD does not pay much but if one can't work it is better than nothing. In my case, it was better than nothing.

Oh, I almost forgot your mention of symptoms worsening with rain. That is definitely the case for me and I've heard others mention this as well. I don't notice it quite as much here in New Mexico as I did in Arkansas but I generally know when a front is going through and my symptoms worsen.

Shirley in New Mexico




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Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant
Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant -- Gayle Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Cynthia ®
02/06/2004, 14:13:40


Don't know anything about the Dimmy Waiver, but do know that a cloudy, rainy day is worse for me than even the bright sunlight. Definitly, my symptoms increase with rain :-(
Looking forward to hearing how you are doing with your "waiver".
Cynthia in IL where it's snowy today, but shinshiny.



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Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant
Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant -- Gayle Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Linda Sue ®
02/07/2004, 13:08:26


I am also a nurse, no longer working, on disability. I was also told by others that I would be automatically turned down the first time but I was not, but SS disabilty does not start until 6 months after application. I had an employee disability policy and a private disablity and investments that tied me over and since I am self supporting I did have to pay the Cobra premium but it was still cheaper than trying to pay for my own office treatments and prescriptions. Because of a combination of medical challenges my personal physician told me to stop working. I think if your physician documents everything well than there is less chance to be turned down. I know nothing about a dimmer waiver. I am now insured through a senior HMO that is sponsered by our hospital/clinic and except for no prescription coverage it is equal to my policy when I was employed. I get two of my more expensive prescriptions from a Canadian pharmacy. I hope all goes well for you.
Linda from Wisconsin and we now have a lot of snow.



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Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant
Re: Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant -- Linda Sue Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Delaine in TN ®
02/07/2004, 16:14:17


Yes good documentation and support from doctors can make a big difference. I applied for SSD in Nov. when my LTD started from my employer. My last day of work was May 1999. Did 30 days of family/medical leave using my vacation and sick leave, that qualified me for STD for 90 days and toward the end of that period I applied for LTD and got it. I had 30 days to apply for SSD. I was declared disabled from the day I last worked in May, so that period from May until Nov. was my 5 month waiting period which was not covered by SSD. That meant my benefits were retroactive to Nov and I had no lapse in income. Whew! That worked out great. I applied for SSD in Nov. and approved in less than 60 days and started the 4th Wed in Jan. because my birthday is the 30th of the month. I had to pay back SSD from Nov. to Jan to LTD.......cause it really was a loan except for the portion written in my employers policy to give me 60% of my salary if it was less than SSD monthly payment. It is by 400.00 a month. That part continues unless I work again. I had worked for 27 1/2 years and much of it in management but had never realized how SSD and employee disability worked together. Since I had a good income for 15 years prior to becoming disabled I was fortunate that my SSD was based on an average of those 15 years. Unfortunately I had worked the last 5 years making about 20,000 a year less than the previous years because I had been in management and ICU getting paid really well. I'm still very thankful for that 60% I get. They had just lowered it from 80% to 60% the previous year!!!! Oh well.



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Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant
Re: Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant -- Delaine in TN Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Linda Sue ®
02/08/2004, 21:29:19


I realize that there are people in all professions that have been affected by dystonias but I am realizing how it has affected the nursing profession as I continue to read the BB. No wonder there is a nursing shortage as many of us with a long term employment have had to drop out. I was in the profession for over 30 and the most difficult decision I had to make was to leave. The second difficulty was to tell my collegues that I needed to go on disability and getting the reply "but you look so good" inspite of them witnessing the struggles that I had been going through. I always pushed myself to complete my assignment and more each day. My closest friends gave me the support that I needed and I guess that's what counts.



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Re: Dimmy Waiver (more info)
Re: Dimmy Waiver offered by Fed Grant -- Gayle Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Gayle ®
02/09/2004, 16:00:30


I have a nephew that works with the social security office here in Columbus, GA. He explained to me last night that I was to call for an appointment. The appointment will/can be handled over the phone. They will ask my medical reasons but they will also ask my gross monthly income. Based on my income, I will be turned down. Later I will receive a denial letter and that is the letter that I take to the Dept. of Family Services to apply for a Dimmy Waiver. When I apply, I will ask if it can be used if a person is on disability/medicare or what the limitations are. If anyone can think of any questions I can ask while applying for the waiver, then post to this reply and I will write them down. Maybe it can help others. My friend that told me about this said they back-paid with the waiver over $75,000 of her daughter's medical expenses.

Gayle with sunny day




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Re: Dimmy Waiver (more info)
Re: Re: Dimmy Waiver (more info) -- Gayle Top of thread Archive
Posted by: Shirley Barr in New Mexico ®
02/09/2004, 18:22:14


Hi Gayle,
This can all be very confusing. Your ability to "obtain" Social Security Disability does not have anything to do with what you have earned in the past. You will not be turned down for SSD because of past income or what you have in the bank. If you file for SSD and are approved, the amount that you would receive would be based on your past 15 years salary history.

I believe that you are referring to Social Security Income when you say that you will be turned down based on your income, which is different than Social Security Disability. You can be turned down for Social Security Income based on your income or assets. Whenever you apply for SSD, they automatically have you apply for SSI. If your income or assets are too great (for the government) then you will be denied SSI. You really have to be poverty level to obtain SSI. I also received a letter stating that I would not qualify for SSI when I applied for SSD. I already knew that but the letter that I got really threw me and I thought that I was being turned down for the SSD. I had to call the Social Security office and have them explain things to me.
I was later approved for SSD but not SSI.

Let us know what the social security office says when you call them.

Shirley in New Mexico




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Re: Dimmy Waiver (more info)
Re: Re: Dimmy Waiver (more info) -- Gayle Top of thread Archive
Posted by: denise mckew ®
02/11/2004, 08:57:47


Gayle,

What happened for me was I had a phone appointment, and was immediately turned down for Soc Sec Supplement Income based on our income. I later recieved a letter confirming that. I was never directed to Dept of Family Services. So I am wondering if that is a step that a parent takes for a child with a disability to get help with medical costs?

Also, SSSI is not the same as Soc Sec Disability. As someone said, that is not based on income. It based on your ability to work. So just because you are turned down for SSSI, you can still be eligible for Soc Sec Disability and Medicare.

Hope this helps.
Denise




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