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Diabetes patients can take heart from the latest government research on diabetes-related amputations. The latest Centers for Disease Control (CDC) research shows an impressive drop in the number of limbs lost by diabetic Americans.
This most recent report, released in January 2012, shows a more than 50% drop since the mid-1990s. The CDC reports that, among older diabetics, the rate has fallen from 11 to about four amputations for every 1000 people. Declines were also reported in blindness and kidney failure.
This is indeed good news in a nation with a growing diabetic population, in which obesity-related Type 2 diabetes cases are growing most quickly.
Diabetes and its related blood sugar build-up can cause many sufferers poor circulation and even nerve damage in the legs. As a result, sores and infections become difficult to heal and can lead to such serious complications that amputation becomes the only option.
CDC researchers looked at hospital discharge records for one decade, from 1998 to 2008. They identified diabetic patients who were 40 years of age or older who had undergone amputation of a foot, toe or leg. What they found was startling: Even though the number of diabetic patients tripled during that decade, the number of amputations fell beginning at the end of 1996.
While there is no fully documented study of the reasons for this decline, experts offer the following possibilities:
Kevin V. Leday, 46, has entered a guilty plea in a Western District of Louisiana federal court. Leday faces up to a ten-year jail sentence for stealing over $40,000 from the government-run Social Security Administration disability program.
The story began in December 2011 when Leday was charged for theft of government funds. The charges stem from his application for Social Security disability insurance benefits in April of 2002. He claimed that he was unable to work due to an injury.
Stephanie A Finley, the U.S. attorney, said, “As a part of the claim, he signed a form certifying that he would notify SSA if his medical condition improved and he was able to return to work.” She said that Leday was approved for benefits and collected them for himself and his dependent children from July of 2002 through September of 2010.
Finley also said that “The defendant returned to work in July of 2006, but failed to notify SSA and continued to receive payments. . . . Leday admitted at the plea hearing that he was aware he had a duty to truthfully and timely report his work activity but failed to do so.”
The total amount Leday illegally received from the SSA was $41,805.60. Sentencing has not been set, but the defendant faces up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
The Massachusetts disability lawyers at Keefe Disability Law applaud the efforts of Special Agent Mark Barnes of the Social Security Administration in the investigation of this case, which will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph T. Mickel.
According to a recent Norwegian research study, middle-aged women with sleep problems are around five times more likely to develop fibromyalgia. About five million people in the United States suffer from this debilitating condition, and between 80 and 90 percent of them are women.
Paul J. Mork, PhD, was the study’s main investigator. He stated that, “no previous studies have investigated whether sleep problems among healthy women increase the risk of future development of fibromyalgia. Our findings are important because they indicate that sleep problems can be an important factor in the development of fibromyalgia.”
He added that taking sleep problems seriously and treating them early can possibly “decrease the risk of fibromyalgia as well as other chronic diseases.” Mork’s remarks were published online in Arthritis & Rheumatism. 12,500 women over the age of 20 participated in the study, which followed them for ten years.
At the end of this time period, 327 women, or 2%, developed fibromyalgia. The findings are based on the fact that women over the age of 45 who reported existing sleep problems developed fibromyalgia five times more often than those with normal sleep patterns. Women with sleep problems between the ages of 20 and 44 were three times as likely to develop the condition.
As fibromyalgia research continues, it is hoped that the condition can be prevented and treated more successfully than it is now.
If you suffer from fibromyalgia and are unable to work, you may qualify for Massachusetts SSA disability benefits. Give Keefe Disability Law a call toll free today at 888-904-6847 to learn more from your New England disability specialists.
A Las Vegas man was sentenced to two years in federal prison on January 12, 2012. 58-year-old Nelson Vazquez was convicted of bilking the Social Security Administration’s disability program for over $525,000 in illegally gotten benefits.
Vazquez received the benefits in spite of the fact that he was running an accounting firm. It is quite possible that Vazquez’s profession as an accountant helped him find ways to cheat the government.
The theft of benefits occurred over two time periods. The first happened between the years 1976 and 2000. The second, from February 2003 to September 2010, netted the Las Vegas man over a half million dollars of government money.
U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden, who prosecuted the case, reported that Vazquez, who pleaded guilty to theft of government funds in October 2011, was sentenced to two years and ordered to pay restitution to the government and to serve three years of supervised release after his prison time is served.
The U.S. District Judge in the case, Larry Hicks, rendered the decision. Vazquez will be required to begin serving his prison sentence by March 12 for his crimes.
A comment by a reader, Robert Walker, sums up what so many feel when people commit disability fraud: “Social Security works really well for the criminals. But those of us who are honest . . . are starving to death. More than half a million in seven years? Good work if you can get it.”
The Massachusetts disability attorneys at Keefe Disability Law applaud the decision in Las Vegas and caution you not to be discouraged by stories like these. Too many undeserving fraudsters take money from the hands of truly deserving disabled Americans.
In a December 2011 news story, The Huffington Post reported that many Americans are turning to the Social Security Administration’s disability program to combat their lack of employment.
Times are tough and once their unemployment insurance runs out, people turn to another source of money to get their bills paid. Unfortunately, they are often successful in receiving SSA disability benefits, which they may not deserve. This leads to a great burden on the federal program that helps so many truly disabled citizens.
According to a Wall Street Journal article, the number of SSA disability recipients has grown by 47% since 2002. This whopping increase threatens the ability of the SSA to meet its financial obligations, putting the entire program in financial trouble.
Once a person has qualified for disability, he or she will most likely continue to receive benefits until retirement age is reached and Social Security Retirement kicks in. In one 2006 study, economists David Autor and Mark Duggan found that an average disability recipient will collect a total of over $240,000.
In November, the average length of time an American spends jobless hit a high of 40.9 weeks, a new national record. So, when the unemployment insurance runs out, these people turn to the SSA disability program to pay their bills.
The answer lies with the U.S. Congress, who recently extended unemployment benefits for two months, which some say is too little too late. There is currently a push to extend unemployment insurance to one year. If this happens, it is hoped that the strain will be less for the SSA disability program.
The Boston disability lawyers at Keefe Disability Law represent clients throughout New England. Give us a call today if you need to apply for Social Security disability benefits.
When the Social Security Administration disability program is ripped off, fraud charges are leveled. One of the most common methods of disability fraud is illegally receiving checks for people who have died.
Such is the case of Cheryl Sue Young, 59, of Birmingham, Alabama. A federal grand jury indicted Young on November 1, 2011 for stealing government property. She allegedly took more than $33,000 in monthly benefit checks over a period of time from December 2006 to February 2011.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, represented by Guy P. Fallen, investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Joyce Fallen has reported, "My office will continue to prosecute people who steal Social Security disability benefits so that those funds will be available for those who really need them."
If found guilty, Young could spend up to ten years in prison and pay a $250,000 fine.
The Massachusetts firm Keefe Disability Law urges anyone who suspects someone of disability fraud to report it to the SSA. And if you or a loved one is disabled and unable to work, please call us toll free at 888-904-6847 to apply for SSA disability benefits. We would love to guide you through the confusing process.
A California man, Stanley Thornton, spends his free time living like a baby. He sleeps in a crib, drinks from a bottle, and recently was featured on Taboo, a National Geographic television show.
This television appearance led Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn to call for an investigation into Thornton's eligibility for his Social Security disability benefit of $860 per month.
Thornton, who maintains a website, reported on his site that he has been cleared by Social Security and other agencies and will continue to receive benefits for his disabilities which include post traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, spinal problems and depression.
Thornton, outraged at the way he was attacked by Coburn, wants an apology. Instead, Coburn's office said in an email to Fox News, "Coburn believes Congress should apologize to the American people for failing to provide adequate oversight over our disability programs."
While your problems may not be as strange as Thornton's, you, too, have the right to collect SSA disability benefits if you are disabled and unable to work. Call Keefe Disability law toll free today at 888-904-6847 and begin the disability application process.
A Nashua, New Hampshire man admitted to ripping off Social Security by collecting disability benefits while being paid to direct the Spartan Drum & Bugle Corps.
Peter LaFlamme, 56, appeared in Concord U.S. District Court on October 25, 2011. He is charged with hiding his employment with the Drum and Bugle Corps from the Social Security Administration so he could continue receiving disability benefits.
LaFlamme was indicted and arrested in June after an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. According to U.S. Attorney Paul Kacavas, he illegally collected over $376,000 in benefits from January 1992 until April 2008.
The Spartan Drum & Bugle Corps is a national award-winning musical group that, under LaFlamme's direction, marched in the 2005 inaugural parade. He retired in 2008.
LaFlamme has been released on bail and faces sentencing in January 2012. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or up to two times the amount he illegally received.
When so many of our citizens make legitimate disability claims, cases like this anger many. New England's Keefe Disability Law firm knows just how important SSA disability is to many of our residents.
If you or a loved one needs help getting disability benefits approved, call us today for a free case evaluation at our toll free number, 888-904-6847. We represent clients in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island.
The news is good for Massachusetts Social Security Administration (SSA) disability recipients. For the first time since 2009, payments will increase. The SSA announced a 3.6 percent cost of living increase to begin in January 2012.
The change will affect the more than 55 million Social Security recipients and the eight million Americans who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). With all the bad news about Social Security in the press lately, this increase has been praised by just about everyone.
Brett Albren, President of The Advocator Group, reported in The Wall Street Journal’s “Market Watch” that, “We are thrilled for our recipients and applaud the efforts of the SSA in facilitating the increase. This is very positive news during these trying economic times.” Albren added that recipients who rely on SSA benefits as their only source of income will benefit most from the change.
Since 1975 Social Security has used the Consumer Price Index to figure annual benefit raises. Because there was no typical increase in consumer prices, the last change was in 2009.
If you or a family member is disabled and cannot work, Keefe Disability Law in Massachusetts can handle your SSA disability benefits needs. If you have already applied and are waiting for a response, you may have some questions. We are easy to reach at our toll free number, 888-904-6847. Or, fill out the confidential form on this page for a free case review.
Last month’s shocking news that four mentally disabled victims were being held captive in a smelly Philadelphia basement boiler room in order to steal their disability benefits shows just how far some people will go to rob the Social Security disability system.
Linda Ann Weston, 51, was charged in October 2011, after the discovery of mentally disabled victims locked in her basement. She is accused of keeping them locked up in squalid conditions in order to cash in on their monthly disability checks.
Three additional suspects have been named in the case: Jean McIntosh, 32, Weston’s daughter; Gregory Thomas, 47, Weston’s boyfriend; and Eddie Wright, 50. All are charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and more.
Since the initial arrests, new charges were filed involving a 19-year-old woman who was allegedly locked in a bathroom closet for at least two weeks. The investigation continues to serve up new information. The four defendants in this case will appear in court December 19.
Robert Sanabria, 29, the younger brother of Edwin Sanabria, one of the victims, saw his brother’s name in the news. An Army sergeant, he traveled from Ft. Bragg to Philadelphia to his brother’s rescue. Sanabria says Edwin has begun to describe the horrific conditions in the basement. He plans for Edwin to come and live with him.
While abuses of the Social Security disability system like the Philadelphia basement case are rare, they illustrate the vulnerability of many disability recipients.
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