Perhaps we, the recipients and potential recipient of SS and VA benefits,
etc, don't complain enough.
Looks what happening to the recipients (victims is maybe the better word) of
HMO benefits.  There are so many more of them, they were getting screwed by
thee HMO and now there's a BI-partisan Patient's Bill of Rights which is
reportedly going to be  passed by Congress.  And look what's happened with
the IRS.  Enough people complained that Congress is also about to pass a
bill to straighten those folks out.

Perhaps when we're done trying to get $  for Udall we should start on
Congress to fix the poorly run SSA.  I would love to see some of its victims
I've heard about here over the years testifying before a Congressional
committee  on  the evening news.  We will have to just individually have to
start bitchin' though.  The problem is the typical SSA victim is probably
not as vocal as the typical IRS (collects tax revenues) victim.

That was an interesting comment from GEV about India.  400 million (?)
people on their own if disabled?  You probably have stronger family ties
than we do, but still ......!!
-----Original Message-----
From: Maria Gillan <[log in to unmask]>
To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 1998 8:51 AM
Subject: Re: Do PWPs Have Nerve & Muscle Damage?


Hello everyone. My husband was turned down for social security benefits as
well when he could'' function at his job. We went t a lawyer who filed a
request for reconsideration, and Dennis was granted social security
benefits.  Barbara Mallutt--you should try that because I understand that
often the first request is denied.  For a highly-developed country our
benefit system seems primitive by comparison with that in other nations. I
can't understand why that should be. M.G.

----------
From:   Ida & Andre Kamphuis[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Monday, March 23, 1998 5:11 PM
To:     Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
Subject:        Re: Do PWPs Have Nerve & Muscle Damage?

At 20:28 22-3-98 UT, Barbara Mallut wrote:

>Dear List-family...

>

>As of yesterday, I've been turned down yet another time in my efforts to
be

>declared eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

>

<fontfamily><param>Times New Roman</param><bigger>

This is a mail about social security and is only half  PD .

I do feel it is a tricky subject because people  reading  it might feel
it has the  provocative atmosphere, that in Dutch idiom is called :"bei
uns ist alles besser" ( German for: in our country everything is better )

But I rather run that risk than making the subject a taboo.


Hi all readers,


First a literally reaction on the question. It seems  the eximinators in
answering this question negatively misinterpret nervous damage as if it
means damage of the peripheral part of the nervous system, but with PWP's
the damage, as you all know,  is  in the central part. But I don't know
the ins and outs of the US red tape, so can't tell  whether it is usefull
to put this forward as an argument. The fact  that the statement is such
a platitude shows the absurdity of the misinterpretation. Acccording to
this line of  reasoning even a person with Alzheimer would be fit to
work.


Stories like this give me the impression of living in another world.
After first reading this list it struck me how many of the PWP's in the
US are still working.


I did quit my job immediately, not being able to sit motionless and not
being able to concentrate. I had no choice.

That was thirteen years ago, and I still have a  gross  income thet is
70% of my  salary, adjusted for inflation, the difference in my net
income is smaller. I'll have this income until  retirement pay starts
when I am 65. This retirement pay will be only a bit smaller than it had
been if I had not stopped working. I have once being examined to be
officially unfit for work . Some years ago, the law in which this is
settled has been under pressure. The law was misused by  employers to get
rid of  an employee, because just firing somebody is only possible  when
an employer is bankrupt, if not it can only be done with a "golden
handshake". But  nobody who consistently said he was unfit for work was
denied this payment. It is difficult to prove somebody feels well. The
rules of the examination are more strict now, but  PWP's are always
without any trouble recognised as being disabled.


The costs of health care are in a rather complex  system insured for
everyone who lives legally here. I do never get a bill and don't know the
prices of my meds. People who have a  medium or lower income, pay for the
health insurance for him/herself and all the dependent children, a price
that is dependent on their income. A too high "medical  consumption"  is
prevented by the system of the "huisarts" , which is a general
practitioner. Having a health problem, one has first to consult the
"huisarts" and  only after consultation with him one can be refered to a
specialist.


I don't have numbers but it is said that the total costs of healthcare
per caput are smaller here than in the US. Maybe that is caused by the
opposition against "medicalizing" things too easy.  I read in the paper
some weeks ago that in Brazil a very great part of all deliveries are
done by a caesarian. For me this seems a horror story. In Holland  about
half of the deliveries are done at home with the help of a midwife.  I
know that for much people this seems to be a horrorstory. I guess Denmark
is the only other developed country with homedeliveries. Am I right
Sonia?


Yet another law is helpfull for the disabled. When I got troubles with
the stairs in my house, I could call somebody of the local authority and
an empiloyee visited us. In our house two "stairlifts" were build so I
now can go up and down sitting. These lifts are rather expensive, but did
not cost us one cent.

The financial rules for nursing homes are changing. It has been
completely without payment by the patients. Now plans exist  to let
people pay an income dependent (property is not included so an own house
is not lost) price.


</bigger></fontfamily>Kind regards,


Ida Kamphuis, Holland



--------------------------------------------------------------

Vriendelijke Groeten / Kind regards,


Ida Kamphuis                            mailto: [log in to unmask]