Disability Benefits: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

26 Sep 2024 (2 months ago)

Challenges in Obtaining Disability Benefits

To qualify for disability benefits, applicants must demonstrate that they are disabled and that their disability prevents them from working enough to support themselves. (4m48s)
The Social Security Administration (SSA) often denies disability benefits to applicants, even when their own doctors support their claims, based on the opinions of SSA reviewers who have never examined the applicants. (5m50s)

The approval system for disability benefits varies by state, with some states having significant issues. (6m24s)
A 2019 investigation in Tennessee revealed that doctors reviewing applications were paid per case, incentivizing speed over thoroughness. (6m32s)
One doctor earned $420,000 in a year by reviewing over 9,000 applications, averaging just 12 minutes per case. (6m42s)
Even when doctors meet applicants in person, the examinations can be inadequate, as seen in the case of Valkyrie Cass, whose severe medical issues were overlooked. (7m10s)

The criteria for disability can be outdated, such as requiring children with sickle cell disease to show anemia, despite modern treatments raising hemoglobin levels. (8m27s)
Records can be reviewed by someone who has never met the applicant, and outdated data can be used to determine eligibility for benefits. (9m23s)
The agency uses an outdated job list, the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, last updated in 1977, to determine if applicants can work, leading to denials based on obsolete job roles. (9m42s)

The denial rate for initial applications is high, with less than a third of SSI applicants and less than a quarter of SSDI applicants being approved. (10m58s)
Many applicants appeal initial denials, and there are lawyers who specialize in these appeals, often advertising their services on TV. (11m11s)
Appeals can go through multiple stages, starting with an in-person hearing with an administrative law judge from the Social Security Administration. (12m5s)
The Social Security Administration and an administrative law judge denied a man's disability claim based on someone else's medical records. (12m38s)

The average monthly SSDI benefit is currently just over $1,500 and the maximum monthly SSI payment is $943 for an individual. (15m40s)
SSI recipients can have no more than $2,000 worth of assets or they could lose their benefits. (16m35s)
If a person's bank account exceeds the asset limit, they may be advised to spend down the excess, or their benefits might be suspended or canceled, and the agency might try to reclaim the money sent. (18m7s)
Many recipients had their benefits suspended due to COVID-19 stimulus checks being automatically deposited into their accounts, which were not supposed to count against asset limits. (18m33s)
Julia, who is blind and has cerebral palsy, had her Social Security disability payments frozen and was asked to repay more than double the amount she received in stimulus checks. (18m47s)

The marriage penalty in the system means that if an individual receiving SSI gets married, their household assets are capped at $3,000, risking the loss of benefits and Medicaid. (19m57s)
A woman explained that she cannot marry her partner because his income would disqualify her from receiving Medicaid, which is essential for her medical care and caregivers. (20m18s)
Many who rely on these benefits feel trapped in poverty, with a study showing that about half of all supplemental income beneficiaries have incomes below the federal poverty line even with their benefits. (21m25s)

Potential solutions include properly funding the Social Security Administration, giving more weight to assessments by people's own doctors, and updating the jobs list to the 21st century. (21m41s)
Two bills in Congress aim to raise the asset limit to $10,000 for individuals, index it to inflation, raise benefits, and increase the amount of outside income beneficiaries can earn. (22m6s)
Viewers are encouraged to call their representatives to support these changes, emphasizing the need for a system that supports disabled people and everyone else. (22m30s)