New Proposed Burn Pit Legislation 2021
As of 2021, there are several major bills currently pending in Congress, that deal with the toxic exposure caused by burn pits. These bills include:
- Conceding Our Veterans Exposure Now and Necessitating Training Act
- Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2021
- Veterans Burn Pit Exposure Recognition Act
- Toxic Exposure in the American Military Act
If passed, any of these bills would offer much-needed relief to veterans suffering the toxic effects of burn pit exposure.
Does Treatment Change With Disability
Disability from PsA does not change the need for treatment. The goal of treating PsAwith or without disabilityis to help manage difficult symptoms. Medicationsincluding traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs , such as methotrexate, and biologic DMARDs, such as Humira can treat pain and swelling and work towards preventing further joint damage.
Your healthcare provider may also recommend lifestyle changessuch as healthy eating, weight loss, and quitting smokingas well as physical and occupational therapy, surgery, or other treatments. Your practitioner will likely select a number of aggressive therapies in an effort to get you as close to remission as possible because even at this point, remission is still a possibility.
With severe PsA and disability, it is a good idea to not overdo certain tasks, such as lifting, pushing, and twisting, as these types of activities can cause further joint damage. Make sure you are pacing yourself, resting, and being safe when carrying out daily tasks.
Applying For Social Security Disability
The social security disability application process can be done on the phone, in person, or on the internet. However, if you are going to apply for these benefits, it is highly recommended you first obtain help from an experienced disability attorney. While you may believe your disability is obvious, there is a multitude of regulations and exceptions to the rules. Having the assistance of an experienced attorney will help guide you through the application process more quickly and smoothly. For example, did you know you are able to work part-time while applying for disability benefits? Or, did you know it is important to obtain statements from your treating doctors about your conditions and limitations? Its likely you didnt know the answers to either question, which is why it is recommended you obtain assistance from an experienced disability attorney.
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Talk To A Disability Lawyer
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Causes Of Psoriatic Arthritis
Almost 1 in 3 people with psoriasis also have psoriatic arthritis.
It tends to develop 5 to 10 years after psoriasis is diagnosed, although some people may have problems with their joints before they notice any skin-related symptoms.
Like psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis is thought to happen as a result of the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy tissue.
But it’s not clear why some people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis and others do not.
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Petition Psoriasis To Be Classed As A Disability
Psoriasis and its debilitating psychological, emotional, physical, social effects should be considered as a disability as this illness causes tremendous physical impairment: not only its difficult for individuals with chronic psoriasis to work and take part in any social event/gathering as self-esteem is severely affected, but also the bleeding, cracking and painful skin does not make it easy for individuals to be considered ‘equal’ and be able to carry out roles of high calibre easily. Please consider it as a disability and invest more money in finding potential causes and a cure. In the meantime, support the sufferers that eventuallky are hit with crippling psoriatic arthritis also. Thank you for joining me in this campaign to raise awareness and more support.
This petition is closedThis petition ran for 6 months
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When To Get Medical Advice
See a GP if you have persistent pain, swelling or stiffness in your joints even if you have not been diagnosed with psoriasis.
If you’ve been diagnosed with psoriasis, you should have check-ups at least once a year to monitor your condition. Make sure you let the doctor know if you’re experiencing any problems with your joints.
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Compensation And Pension Exams For Psoriasis
Once a claim has been filed, VA may request a Compensation and Pension exam, or C& P exam. This exam will usually be performed by a VA physician or VA contracted physician who may physically examine the veteran, as well as ask questions regarding the veterans military service, their psoriasis, or symptoms of their psoriasis.
To schedule a C& P exam, VA will usually call the veteran or send them a letter. As such, it is crucial to ensure that VA has the veterans most up-to-date contact information. If VA does not have the current contact information, the veteran might miss a C& P request. Failure to attend an exam, or to reschedule a missed exam, could result in the denial of a veterans claim.
Prior to the exam, the examiner should review the veterans c-file. The c-file will usually contain any documentation that has previously been submitted to VA, as well as the veterans medical and military service records.
The veteran may also use a DBQ, or Disability Benefits Questionnaire, to bolster their claim. A Disability Benefits Questionnaire is a form created by VA so that the veteran may address important aspects of their condition, such as symptoms, severity, possible causes, and relation to other disabilities. The veteran may also have their private doctor fill out a DBQ for them. In the case of psoriasis, a dermatologist who regularly treats the veteran for their psoriasis may fill out a DBQ for the veteran to provide insight to VA.
Symptoms Of Psoriatic Arthritis
The severity of the condition can vary considerably from person to person. Some people may have severe problems affecting many joints, whereas others may only notice mild symptoms in 1 or 2 joints.
There may be times when your symptoms improve and periods when they get worse .
Relapses can be very difficult to predict, but can often be managed with medicine when they do occur.
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Applying Specific Medical Tests To Your Case For Disability For Psoriasis
Many medical tests are required to diagnosis psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. Among these tests are blood work, x-rays, MRI or CAT scans, urinalysis, and ongoing physical observations and examinations. These tests results should be included along with your medical records for your disability application.
The SSA may order, at their expense, a medical evaluation with the doctor that they choose. This is for information only to confirm your condition and your symptoms. It is not designed to provide you with medical treatment. In some cases, a mental evaluation is also ordered to determine if you are impacted by anxiety, depression, an inability to concentrate, and loss of memory.
Your disability claim could be a lengthy process, and could involve as many as two denials, which you can appeal. The final step is a hearing before an administrative law judge, who will rule whether you are fully disabled and eligible to receive SSDI benefits.
Psoriasis And Psoriatic Arthritis
Severe psoriatic arthritis and joint pain can be quite severe and when it causes an individual to be unable to work, they can be considered for disability benefit. There is no disability listing for psoriasis but Social Security Administration will classify any disability that results from it under dermatitis. Individuals that suffer from a case of psoriasis which meets the requirements for disability benefits due to dermatitis will be approved for social security.
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What Are The Government Disability Programs
The federal government runs two programs that provide benefits to people with disabilities:
- Social Security. The disability insurance program through Social Security provides benefits to people with disabilities who worked long enough within a certain period of time. The exact requirements to qualify will depend on your age. The amount you receive is based on your lifetime average earnings.
- Supplemental Security Income . This program provides cash assistance to people with disabilities who have limited income and resources. An individual who qualifies for the program can receive up to $783 a month from the federal government. Some states also offer a supplemental amount to people who meet certain qualifications.
How To Win Disability Benefits For Psoriatic Arthritis
Proving disability in the case of psoriatic arthritis is difficult, but certainly not impossible. The key to winning disability benefits for psoriatic arthritis is to submit a comprehensive and persuasive claim. A winning insurance claim is one that includes overwhelming evidence in favour of approval.
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How Psoriasis And Arthritis Are Related And Effects On Social Security Disability
Psoriasis may at times be coupled with arthritis which is then referred to as psoriatic arthritis. If a case of psoriasis is not approved for disability benefits under dermatitis but there is a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis, the applicant may qualify for disability benefits based on the severity of the effects of arthritis.
The level of incapacitation as a result of psoriasis is caused by severe joint dysfunction. Joint pain becomes severe when the extent of the pain causes loss of function in the affected joints. In qualifying an applicant for disability benefit the examiner does not consider the cause of the joint dysfunction but it is important that they establish that the joint is deformed. In addition to the pain, it must also be established that the joint pain has been ongoing for a while and there are stiffness and diminished movement or abnormal motion. This level of severity is only possible to establish using x-ray imaging as well as nerve reflex analysis.
In the worst cases of psoriatic arthritis, it may be necessary to do reconstructive surgery on the knees, ankles or hips. The purpose of the surgery is to relieve the amount of pain that an individual goes through and this increase the joint functionality making it unnecessary to apply for disability. Reconstructive surgery does not always lead to the desired outcome especially when a mistake is done. This makes the situation worst and most applications made under these circumstances are approved.
What Makes It Mild Moderate Or Severe
In general, mild psoriasis means less than 3% of your body is affected. This typically means you have isolated patches on your limbs and on your scalp. Psoriasis is also considered mild if a skin medication controls it or if it only affects your quality of life a little bit.
Moderate psoriasis is when 3% to 10% of your body has patches. This usually means it affects your arms and legs, torso, and scalp. It’s also considered moderate if it canât be controlled using a skin medication or if it has a significant impact on your quality of life.
If more than 10% of your body is affected, or if large areas on your face, palms or soles of your feet have patches, you have severe psoriasis. It can also be deemed severe if it canât be controlled using a skin medication or it has a severe impact on your quality of life.
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The Cost Of Treating Psoriasis
According to Everyday Health, a tube of topical psoriasis medications can cost from $500 to $600. Biologics, a new treatment class for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 each year. Treatments can be expensive with health insurance because of the coinsurance and copays required.
During 2015, the costs of treating psoriasis in the United States was $135 billion and those costs were expected to increase because of medical expenses such as doctors appointments and treatments, as well as hospitalizations and medications. The average individual may pay out anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 per year treating the disease.
Va Individual Unemployability And Psoriatic Arthritis
If your service-connected arthritis leads to the inability to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, then you may be eligible to receive total disability based on individual unemployability benefits. If granted TDIU, you will receive payment at the 100 percent maximum rate. You can apply for TDIU on its own, or you can raise it within an appeal for an increased rating.
There are two forms of TDIU, which are outlined below:
- 38 CFR § 4.16a For this form of TDIU, the veteran must have:
- One condition rated at minimum 60 percent OR
- two conditions that can be combined to reach 70 percent, where one condition is at minimum 40 percent
- 38 CFR § 4.16b This form of TDIU is for veterans who may not be able to achieve the ratings necessary for schedular TDIU but are still unable to obtain substantially gainful employment on account of their conditions.
- In this instance, the veteran must prove that their condition uniquely hinders their ability to obtain substantially gainful employment and therefore should not be rated on the standard disability rating criteria.
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Getting Through Lifes Disability
Cristeta Estrada, a 53-year-old high school teacher with psoriatic arthritis, cannot help but get frustrated every time she lines up in grocery stores or fast food chains for hours, and notice people ahead of her looking pretty healthy, normal and stronger than Hercules.
I can no longer stand for an hour since my leg disability. I just wish the store manager would religiously follow what the lane is for senior citizens and persons with disability . Do not wait for something to happen to us. Our lane should serve only people like us, she lamented in one of her Facebook posts.
In the Philippines, disability is one of the social issues affecting a portion of the Philippines situation. The Philippine Statistics Authority recorded a total of 1.443 million PWDs as of 2010.
Apparently, only 60 percent of local government units have a Persons with Disability Office according to a study by the University of the Philippines-Center for Local and Regional Governance on PWD inclusion in the Philippines.
The presence of PDAOs in LGUs lowers the chance of PWDs having limited access to various services such as health, employment, rehabilitation, assistive devices, social welfare, disaster management, and education. But the low compliance with this requirement has severely impaired the implementation of the law assuring the delivery of services to PWDs.
Who qualifies for PWD
Psoriasis
Hope for psoriasis
He really works in my life, said Estrada, who is set to retire next year.
How Do I Know If It’s Time To Apply
Applying for disability can be a confusing process. There are a number of criteria you have to meet to be considered disabled by the Social Security Administration, so its not as simple as filling out a form. That said, our patients grow old with us they have this condition for life, so we do see patients who eventually cant work anymore, says Laura Manning, R.N., a nurse coordinator at Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. Read on for answers to your questions about disability benefits.
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Treatment For Psoriatic Arthritis
Treatment for psoriatic arthritis aims to:
- relieve symptoms
- slow the condition’s progression
- improve quality of life
This usually involves trying a number of different medicines, some of which can also treat the psoriasis. If possible, you should take 1 medicine to treat both your psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
The main medicines used to treat psoriatic arthritis are:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- biological therapies
Military Burn Pit Exposure And Psoriatic Arthritis
Military burn pits are large areas of land in which the military and its contractors incinerated all waste generated by military bases, including plastics, medical waste, rubber, human waste, and more.
The U.S. Military used burn pits as part of their waste disposal protocol in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan in the post-9/11 era. While the practice was effective in reducing large quantities of waste, burn pits emitted plumes of toxic smoke. This was especially problematic in places such as the Middle East, as the desert wind carried the smoke for miles.
Many U.S. Military veterans have suffered health consequences from burn pit exposure. Most of the negative effects involve temporary ailments of the respiratory system, though limited evidence suggests a link between burn pit exposure and the long-term deterioration of lung health.
These burn pits were used extensively throughout the Middle East and have affected veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn.
Research continues to be done to link burn pit exposure to a variety of different conditions, such as cancers and respiratory conditions. In order to fully understand the harm caused by military burn pits, further research will need to be done. However, research has indicated that one of the known chemical compounds released by burn pits includes the dioxin
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What Counts As Extensive Skin Lesions
The SSA has given some guidelines on how extensive skin lesions need to be in order to meet the criteria in the dermatitis listing. The lesions have to involve more than one area of the body or else involve one body area that is critical to functioning, and the lesions have to result in a very serious limitation. Some examples of locations of skin lesions that would be approved for benefits are:
- lesions that make it difficult to move your joints and that limit the use of more than one extremity
- lesions on both palms that limit your ability to use your hands,
- lesions on the soles of both feet that limit your ability to walk, and
- lesions on the perineum and/or both sides of the groin .