COLA: 3.2%Attorney User Fee: $117SSI Amounts: $943 for individuals and $1,415 for a couple/monthFICA wage base: $168,600Quarter of coverage amount: $1,730Substantial gainful activity amount (non-blind): $1,550/monthTrial work period threshold: $1,110/month
As is often the case, the Social Security Administration is lagging behind the medical community. This time the so-called “long hauler” COVID patients are getting short shrift. SSA doesn’t recognize that COVID symptoms can last for a long time after the test results are negative and, perhaps permanently. Attorney Crawforth has represented several of these…
Summer 2021 Newsletter STILL STANDING…AND PRACTICING I published the first issue of Social Security & You in Spring of 1993. Some years I’ve published more issues than others. The most recent issue was dated Spring 2019: over 2 years ago. The world was a much different place then. Especially for me. Read the full newsletter…
Spring 2019 Newsletter An Opioid Story I’ve changed his name. Let’s call him Gerald. He was a laborer. And by that I don’t mean that he just did physical work. He was a card-carrying member the Labor’s Union local. And that meant a lot to him. I represented him for Social Security disability and Michigan…
Under new rules which took effect on December 26, 2014 injured persons in Michigan having their pain medications covered by Workers’ Compensation benefits are in for a rude awakening. Unless opioid pain medications are being prescribed for treatment of cancer, Michigan Workers’ Compensation carriers no longer have to pay for opioid treatment after 90 days.
While this being described by the Director of the Workers’ Compensation Agency as measure to assure injured workers in Michigan don’t become addicted to pain killers, the truth of the matter is this is simply another way to reduce costs for insurance carriers at the expense of the disabled.
Leaving the decision on when and for how long Social Security & Workers’ Compensation recipients are on certain medications to the doctor and patient would truly be in the patient’s best interest.