Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
I started a new thread on this because there were so many posts with both good information and some common misconceptions.
I tried to answer any emails I received personally but please forgive me if I missed someone as I have been fighting with this vertiigo for a month.
When people speak of DISABILITY most people refer to SOCIAL SECURITY, but there are other types. You may have private disability from your employer, and there can be WORKMANS COMP for an on the job injury but that doesn't usually involve us.
Social Security Disability is a federal program. It does not vary by state.
If you have worked ( on the books as they say) and paid into social security, if you have become too sick to work and you have enough "work quarters" you can apply for this program. It is insurance you have PAID into when you were working so do NOT feel badly about trying to get it..it is your insurance!
I wont repost my entire website here but briefly, the younger you are, the less quarters you need. Generally,you must have 5 years of work (20 calendar quarters) in the 10-year period (40 calendar quarters) ending with the quarter prior to the onset of disability (if an applicant became disabled in the first quarter of 2007, the 10-year period ends with the 4th. quarter of 2006).
For applicants who become disabled prior to the age of 31, the requirement is 6 quarters of work in the applicable 12-quarter period.
The date of your disability is usually set as the date of your application so it is important that you are not staying at home sick gathering up quarters with NO WORK in them and letting the work quarters drop off..they will only go back ten years.
Your family income is not a factor. Your may have a working spouse, own property etc.If you have children under 18 you are also entitled to benefits for them.After 24 months of entitlement to social security you are eligible for medicare.
Also there is no point in waiting as the process is often long and if by some miracle you are cured and and can go back to work, there is no penalty for applying.
There is another form of disability provided by the federal government called SSI. This is a totally different thing.The money does NOT come out of the social security fund and the requirements for it basically are that you be disabled with virtually NO resources or property and a very low family income.
If you are eligible for SSI you are eligible for Medicaid.
I hope this helps with some of your questions.
I will be glad to answer any others by email, or on this thread if I see it..
Two sites that may help are:
http://fibrowelcomepackage.com
and
http://tinyurl.com/3kcfv
Hugs Micki
I tried to answer any emails I received personally but please forgive me if I missed someone as I have been fighting with this vertiigo for a month.
When people speak of DISABILITY most people refer to SOCIAL SECURITY, but there are other types. You may have private disability from your employer, and there can be WORKMANS COMP for an on the job injury but that doesn't usually involve us.
Social Security Disability is a federal program. It does not vary by state.
If you have worked ( on the books as they say) and paid into social security, if you have become too sick to work and you have enough "work quarters" you can apply for this program. It is insurance you have PAID into when you were working so do NOT feel badly about trying to get it..it is your insurance!
I wont repost my entire website here but briefly, the younger you are, the less quarters you need. Generally,you must have 5 years of work (20 calendar quarters) in the 10-year period (40 calendar quarters) ending with the quarter prior to the onset of disability (if an applicant became disabled in the first quarter of 2007, the 10-year period ends with the 4th. quarter of 2006).
For applicants who become disabled prior to the age of 31, the requirement is 6 quarters of work in the applicable 12-quarter period.
The date of your disability is usually set as the date of your application so it is important that you are not staying at home sick gathering up quarters with NO WORK in them and letting the work quarters drop off..they will only go back ten years.
Your family income is not a factor. Your may have a working spouse, own property etc.If you have children under 18 you are also entitled to benefits for them.After 24 months of entitlement to social security you are eligible for medicare.
Also there is no point in waiting as the process is often long and if by some miracle you are cured and and can go back to work, there is no penalty for applying.
There is another form of disability provided by the federal government called SSI. This is a totally different thing.The money does NOT come out of the social security fund and the requirements for it basically are that you be disabled with virtually NO resources or property and a very low family income.
If you are eligible for SSI you are eligible for Medicaid.
I hope this helps with some of your questions.
I will be glad to answer any others by email, or on this thread if I see it..
Two sites that may help are:
http://fibrowelcomepackage.com
and
http://tinyurl.com/3kcfv
Hugs Micki
The FIBRO WELCOME PACKAGE is something we have worked on for over 10 years.It is constantly changing and updated..I do alot of the research, writing and editing but we have MANY people working on it...Including a Social Security expert, several writers, a graphic designer and a doctor who reviews all medical information..so it is a lot more than just another fibro site.
We used to send the information out by email but it just got to be too much..
This version has only been online since July and we have had well over 5000 visitors to our site already!.
Hugs, Micki
http://www.fibrowelcomepackage.com
I just checked out your site and it is exactly what I have been looking for. I am real new to the Fibro diagnosis. First I was diagnosed with Lupus, then MS, then I was tested for Lyme's. Now my drs. are saying it is Fibro. It has been a very long path. I bought a book called Fibromyalgia for Dummies, written by Roland Staud, a doctor at Shands in Gainesville, FL. I am trying to get in to see him, but his first appointment is April.
I am also filing for SSDI. I have been denied three times (initial, reconsideration, and hearing judge). The appeals counsil overturned the hearing judge's decision and remanded it for rehearing. That was in June 2006. We still don't have a hearing date and in the meantime my diagnosis change. This process (medical and SSDI) is very frustrating.
Again thanks for the info on the sight. I think it is very important to those of us that are new to this.
micki
hugs
hugs