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Hi Barb, And thanks for the kind words., I don't remember exactly what I had said but I may have reflected my feelings rather than the facts. It is entirely possible that a person has the right not to be medicated and go through their Social Security Exams untreated. It seems unfair to me since a person taking meds can function quite well in the early stages of PD. Most of us have gone through that honeymoon. Of course it can (and more often does) work in the reverse.. People look good during their exams and the OFF times are not considered. I have seen private insurance companies demand more aggressive treatment for patients that I was treating even though I didn't recommend it because I honestly did not feel it would help and on top of it the patient's health insurance wouldn't pay for it anyway. A real Damned if you do and damned if you don't situation for the patient and for me. It took one of my strongly worded letters to get an apology and keep the patient's benefits coming. It is a difficult question with no easy answer. Charlie Barbara Brock wrote: > Charlie, > I always look forward to your input because I see you as one of the most > knowledgible people on our list. Wish I were an attorney so that I could be > more specific because it is my definite understanding that there have been > numerous court cases surrounding the medication issue and SSI. The result was > that a patient cannot be compelled to take medication. He or she has the > right to be seen at his or her worst. Perhaps one of our five national > organizations could speak to this. > > Now, as a special educator or emotionally impaired children I can tell you > that parents cannot be compelled to medicate children no matter how difficult > it gets for a public school. > > So I'm wondering if this holds true in the private sector. What do you think, > Charlie? > > Sincerely, > Barb Brock -- ****************************************************************************************** Charles T. Meyer, M.D. Middleton (Madison), Wisconsin [log in to unmask] ******************************************************************************************