Mark: delayed response. I had attorneys for both medicare/ssi and disability
(former employer ERISA plan). I did not have to pay either upfront...theoir
fees came out of winning their cases. I believe I never would have made it thru
the system successfully without them. Sounds like you need medicare/SSI first.
I recommend attorney Frederick Craw in san francisco. He has a brusk style and
was effective. As you said, you have to be denied but there is some value in
consulting his office earlier to obtain help in completing the initial forms in
the best way (and I needed help physically) And if/when you do get approved,
don't make the mistake I did: sign up immediately for a medicare coordinated
health plan (don't just go medicare alone). I don't think HMOs are a good idea
at all for CFIDS care -- I have a blue cross medicare PPO for no premium a month
that includes drug benefits. I still have some steep out of pocket costs
annually but not as bad as medicare alone. Hope this helps.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld

-----Original Message-----
From: "Mark" <markegould@...>

Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:42:34
To:CEFSFB@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CEFSFB] re: disability lawyers in the Bay Area


Hello,

I thought I would ask another question or two about disability legal
assistance, since I have
found all of this very informative and helpful.

I have heard it different ways, that you don't need an attorney until
after you've been denied
and the reverse, that you should have one early on.

I'm currently on CA SDI and have no health insurance at the moment, so
I am hoping for SSDI so
I can at least get Medicare, or Medi-Cal, or whatever it is here...
it's confusing.

I hear that the lawyers get their fees from some kind of back or
retroactive payment, and I wondered if anyone could briefly explain that.

I think I need a lawyer because the doctor I saw before I lost my
insurance would not talk to me about CFIDS/FM and although I have a
full plate of other health issues, she didn't think that I was
disabled, that I could actually work 8 hours a day. She was also the
kind of doctor that would spend about 8-10 minutes with you and then
she was out of there.

My psychiatrist/therapist are both very supportive and think I can
count on them to help. But right now I'm getting health care for free
at St. Mary's clinic in San Francisco...thank God for them! But the
doctors are mostly residents and I have mentioned chronic fatigue to
the doctor there and also got little response. I don't think this
clinic is going to be of much help to me, and I was called by one of
the nurses at my former doctor and told that she would not fill out
any other forms for me, that I should ask the clinic. But somehow it
would seem that I or SSA could compel her to make some statement. I've
already gotten my medical records from her office. That's partially
why I think I need an attorney, even though I can't afford one.

thanks,

Mark




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