Posted on 09/14/2010 1:55:38 PM PDT by goldendays
Disability numbers on the rise by Jared Hunt Daily Mail Capitol Reporter Advertiser
CHARLESTON, W.Va.--The percentage of West Virginians receiving Social Security Disability benefits ranks highest in the nation, according to data from the Social Security Administration.
In an August report, the agency said 91,273 people - 5.02 percent of the state's population - are considered disabled workers.
Following West Virginia in the rankings were Arkansas, at 4.44 percent; Kentucky, 4.41 percent; Alabama, 4.34 percent; and Mississippi, 4.11 percent.
Another 14,835 West Virginians were listed as dependent spouses or children of those on disability, bringing total beneficiaries to 106,108.
The number of disabled workers in the state has increased sharply over the past few years, in keeping with a national trend.
The figure has risen by more than 34 percent since 2002, when it stood at 67,905.
More than $108.5 million in disability payments were made to state residents last year, with the average monthly amount $1,128.
State Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, who worked as a surgeon for 28 years, said the state's high ranking can be attributed to poor health habits.
"We have an unhealthy population," Foster said. "We have the highest percentage of people with chronic disabilities, whether that's disabilities that are incurred in the workplace or related to chronic diseases that have occurred because of unhealthy habits of one sort or another."
Foster said the state's high rates of obesity and smoking are key contributing factors to non-work-related disabilities.
"Those few things there add up to a lot of issues related to complications of diabetes, chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure and cancer, so it would be shocking if we weren't at the top of the list based on those other recognized problems."
While there are state-specific issues keeping disability claims high, West Virginia's rise in claims also is part of a much larger national trend.
Disability program expenditures increased seven-fold from an inflation-adjusted $18 billion to $124 billion between 1970 and 2009.
A July report by the Congressional Budget Office says the disability program is "not financially sustainable." Its study found that should current trends continue, the Disability Insurance Trust Fund, which is financed through a 1.8 percent payroll tax, will be exhausted by 2018.
The study found the lack of jobs is a key contributor to rising rates of disability applications.
"When opportunities for employment are plentiful, some people who could qualify for DI benefits find working more attractive," the report said. "Conversely, when employment opportunities are scarce, some of those people participate in the DI program instead."
Researchers found that applications increased immediately following the onset of the recessions of the early 1990s and 2001. It also found that beneficiaries remained on disability even after the economy improved.
"Many people who have been out of the labor force for extended periods find it difficult to return to work, and new beneficiaries rarely leave the DI program to return to work simply because the economy has improved," the budget office said.Tuesday September 7, 2010 Disability numbers on the rise by Jared Hunt Daily Mail Capitol Reporter Page 2 of 2 Advertiser
The trend is predicted to continue.
"CBO projects that as a result of the most recent recession, the number of DI beneficiaries will continue to rise over the next few years by more than otherwise would have occurred, contributing to the long-term trend of rising enrollment already underway."
The report also cited changes in federal policy, including a 1984 Disability Benefits Reform Act, which expanded ways individuals could qualify for the program, as well a reduction in funding for disability reviews, which determine if a person's medical state has changed to a point where they no longer qualify.
Decreased funding resulted in a 65 percent decline in disability reviews between 2003 and 2008. An estimated 1.5 million reviews are on backlog.
The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General estimates disability outlays will be between $556 million and $1.1 billion higher nationwide as a result of the review backlog.
The budget office's study found that people's lack of private health insurance was a contributing factor toward their decision to apply for disability, since disabled dependents are covered by Medicare after a 24-month waiting period.
The report said it is unclear if recently enacted national heath care reform will result in a drop in beneficiaries. The changes are to make it easier for disability applicants to obtain subsidized, lower-cost insurance while they are in the 24-month waiting period for Medicare.
Regardless of the national issues, Foster said there are actions the state could take to reduce West Virginia's high number of disabled residents.
"The solution is, of course, to try to do what we can to make people healthier and to try to improve the economy so that there are more jobs," he said.
"If people had more opportunities for future employment, that would help, but getting a healthier population has so many benefits for the state.
"While people argue that it comes down to personal responsibility, there are things we can do to make it easier for someone to be personally responsible. It's a collaboration, in my view."
Foster said the state could provide better education about nutrition and exercise and more access to recreational activities. Improving the state's networks of trails and sidewalks could encourage better behaviors, he added.
He believes increasing the cigarette tax could be effective in limiting smoking-related chronic illness.
"Just increasing the cigarette tax a measurable amount, there'd be benefits you could account for," he said.
"And having an aggressive initiative to make people become more active and eat better - changing behaviors is not easy, but there are communities around the county that have done a better job than we have.
"We're paying the price."
I have MS and I probably couldn’t work a job outside my home, well, I could but working from home is much easier due to mobility issues. So I work a 40 hour week, but from the comfort of my home office. I tell my employer I’m their most reliable employee, LOL, because I never take a sick day. Since I’m at home, even if I feel bad, I can just grab my laptop and sit in my recliner while doing my work.
I think you are wrong. Ask any FP how many people we see on disability is really disabled. I could tell horror stories. My whole group does not lift one finger to “help” people get disability. How is your back feeling today???
I worked for an attorney who did disability. It isn’t as easy as some people think. Also, my husband is on disability now because of a horrible head-on collision where cops were chasing a guy and the guy hit my husband head-on doing about 85 mph. He’s in a wheelchair though he can use a walker on a limited basis. He is in constant, severe pain and always will be. He was denied the first time but approved the second. I hope those who think everyone is “gaming the system” never find themselves in the situation of needing disability.
If you paid into the SS system and become disabled then you can get SSD (Social Security Disability) and your children can get a benefit check too. It’s hard to get SSD and most are turned down the first time. It takes months and sometimes over a year to have an appeal heard. If the benefit is approved then they can get a lump sum amount in addition to their monthly benefit check. If a person never paid into the system (i.e. never worked) they can apply for SSI (Social Security Insurance). The benefit is about $670 per month and the children of the beneficiary are not entitled to receive a check. SSI is handed out like Mardi Gras beads. Just my observation in my line of work.
I’m glad you have accommodating employers.
It CAN be quite difficult to have an employer work with you as far as telecommuting, so thankfully yours does!
You prove my point, however. I have clients who have MS, RA, spinal injuries, amputations, etc...and except for the most severe cases (usually ones that don’t ever actually come in the bank because they’re in such bad shape) they do work of SOME type, and often make more money than disability would pay them anyway.
It’s the slews of youngish people (generally who would fit in well on the website peopleofwalmart.com) with no identifiable illness that I question.
OK - it’s SSI that most of the people I refer to are on.
Many moons ago I had just graduated college and worked as an SSI claims rep for a year. Talk about disheartening and disgusting. Perfectly healthy people filing for disability 18 yrs. coming in and saying, “my back hurts” or “I got bad nerves”...
If I could disqualify them on any income or any other technicality besides their medical condition I would. Once the claim went to the Dept. of Determinations in our state it was out of our hands.
And if a boyfriend/husband got it you could bet the house payment the girlfriend/wife would be in there within six months with the same aliments, just like clockwork.
Some twenty years ago the district I worked in distributed nearly $7 million dollars each 1st of the month, that was five counties. The district manager and region managers at the time decided that we were not getting enough people in the office filing for benefits so they began an advertising campaign which just floored me. I gave notice and decided I was going back to graduate school, I wasn’t doing this for the rest of my life.
The current county I like in according to the last census has approx. 30,000 people, of which 10,000 are on some form of disability, a third of the county disabled! Unreal...
If you think that I, who haven't been able to hold down a job in 20 years while trying to work - simply because of desire or laziness you are sadly mistaken.
Especially since for the first 15 years of my disability I didn't even have Social Security. I only got it relatively recently due to a worsening of my condition and I only accept it because it is insurance that I paid for and not a hand out.
Human health is a very, very complicated thing my FRiend. You may wish to re-examine your comments before you make such broad, ignorant and entirely insulting statements.
A scam artist or someone who has "borrowed" a vehicle with handicapped plates/placards to take advantage of the parking. When I see that kind of behavior, my assumption is the handicap is mental, not physical.
The new “white woman’s welfare” is to claim a child is “within the autism spectrum”; not real autism, mind you, but “within the autism spectrum”. I’ve seen children “within the autism spectrum”, and 2 things immediately came to mind: they were either 1) only children, and/or 2) never spanked. There was absolutely nothing wrong with these children, but it was a way for their (white) parents to collect some kind of social security benefit for them and for their school district to collect even more because of a “special needs” child. Shameful...
I know someone missing a hand who gets that tag; while he walks fine, when you think about it, if he has to carry anything to/from his car, it could be difficult.
Sounds like my dyed-in-the-wool liberal BIL, whose income is down because of health issues (and his habits), but lies about and hides his ample assets. He looks down on me because of my politics!
Not everyone games the system, but enough do to create a lot of ill will towards it. I know a real dead beat, myself. What I don't know is whether he's 1 in 100, 1 in 10, or 1 in 2. My sincere best wishes for your husbands comfort and improvement.
I also have MS, but continue to work. Relapsing remitting, so I have good periods and have maintained a work history, been stable for ten years- with never a thought of going the disability route unless it becomes absolutely necessary. Heck, I even get up and give a seat on the subway to the elderly or those in need.
With the confirmed MS diagnosis ticket, it would be easy, (actually maybe a lot of work and doctors and lawyers) to cash in to the disability gravy train, but working is a source of pride, and I plan to go on as long as possible, just hope the source doesn’t run dry if I really need it one day.
bump
What is the racial disbursement of SSDI receivers?
Sadly, those TRULY having a REAL problem deserve the support.
However, why is it that nearly ALL of us know at least one individual gaming the system (if not more), and there is so much beuracracy over-seeing the system (i.e., government jobs/SEIU members) who don't give a damn when it comes to taxpayer money being re-distributed?
I appreciate the few here who have SERIOUS problems and deserve the benefits, but there are so many gaming the system who are TOTALLY dependent on others for their "livelihood" for life (and they have OTHER family members pulling the same scam).
The system of handouts is TOTALLY out of control, as is the employment of worthless slugs doing nothing but recieving income from the taxpayer.
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