According to a May 28 CNNMoney.com piece, “Democrats [in the House] spent much of the week trying to round up votes to extend the jobless benefits deadline,” and the “House voted Friday to extend the deadline to file for federal unemployment benefits, but not before the Senate recessed for a week-long Memorial Day break. So jobless Americans will start running out of benefits after June 2.”

“As a result,” says a May 29 BusinessWeek article, “19,000 Americans will see their jobless benefits interrupted by June 5, with that number projected to grow to more than 320,000 by the end of the second week of June, according to the Labor Department.”

Apparently, the Memorial Day break was not enough respite. One headline, from the June 10 edition of The Miami Herald, tells the tale: “Congress takes long weekend, lets jobless benefits hang.”

From that article: “Meanwhile, the National Employment Law Project estimated that 325,000 people won’t be able to collect benefits. This is the third time that Congress has missed on a deadline for extending the benefits; it’s expected that they’ll get paid retroactively.

“In addition, people laid off after June 1 won’t be eligible for government help with their health insurance, and the government’s program to fund summer jobs – which had been expected to provide an estimated 330,000 jobs for at-risk youths – remains unfunded and thus stalled.”

Also up in the air is what happens to needed legislation for Medicaid.

According to the May 28 CNNMoney.com piece, “The final version, approved by a 215-204 vote, extended the deadline to file for unemployment benefits through November, but jettisoned sending $24 billion in Medicaid assistance to the states and extending the 65% federal subsidy for COBRA health insurance premiums.”

The May 29 BusinessWeek article reports: “Lawmakers also left without Senate action on forestalling a long-scheduled 21 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors, set to take effect at the end of this month. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it will delay paying physicians’ claims to give Congress more to time to act.

“ ‘This is complete mismanagement of a health-care program that America’s seniors and disabled rely on,’ said American Medical Association President J. James Rohack in a statement.”

Now–two holiday breaks later–says an MLive.com piece posted today, the  Senate “measure does not provide state aid for Medicaid and welfare nor does it include any of the revenue-generating tax increases in the Democratic bill.”

And various states are plenty concerned. Here’s some snippets from a roundup at today’s Kaiser Health News:

From The Boston Globe: ” ‘The Massachusetts delegation sent letters yesterday to House and Senate leaders urging them to support an extension of Medicaid funding that officials in Massachusetts and other states say is vital to prevent drastic cuts in services and increases in layoffs.’ Newly elected Republican Sen. Scott Brown did not sign the letter because the proposal would add to the federal deficit. But the 11 Democrats in the delegation were adamant that the extension be approved. ‘Governor Deval Patrick and state lawmakers have been counting on the extension to fund about $800 million of next year’s budget.’ “

From the Charlotte Observer: “Legislators are at odds about what to do regarding ‘a $500 million hole that may appear in that budget if Congress doesn’t act on a Medicaid extension. Both the state Senate and the House have adopted versions of the budget that include the Medicaid money. … Now lawmakers are nervously waiting to hear whether Congress will approve the Medicaid extension bill that at least 30 states are counting on to help avoid teacher layoffs and other cuts’ “

From The Denver Post: “If Congress chooses not to approve a six-month extension of Medicaid help to the states, Colorado could face a $211 million budget hole and the prospect of another cut to K-12 education or other programs. Medicaid, a state and federally funded program that provides health care for the poor, now covers about 500,000 Coloradans. During the recession, the federal government has increased its share of Medicaid funding to the states, which have seen tax revenues plunge as Medicaid enrollment rose.”

]]> http://www.socialsecurityhome.com/disabilityblog/2010/06/11/capitol-hill-attention-to-benefits-medicaid-stalled-as-congress-takes-another-break/feed/ 0 http://www.socialsecurityhome.com/disabilityblog/2009/11/24/polymyalgia-rheumatica-and-receiving-social-security-disability/ http://www.socialsecurityhome.com/disabilityblog/2009/11/24/polymyalgia-rheumatica-and-receiving-social-security-disability/#comments Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:30:19 +0000 Disability Advocate http://www.socialsecurityhome.com/disabilityblog/?p=631 Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory disease of your large arteries. It is a poorly understood pain syndrome that is characterized by stiffness and pain in your hip and shoulder girdles, upper arms, thighs and neck.

Polymyalgia rheumatica was probably first reported over 100 years ago with the name “senile rheumatic gout.” Other names were used until 1957.

There is a relationship between polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis. They each seem to have the same disease process with slightly different signs and symptoms. However, you can have one without having the other.

Polymyalgia rheumatica usually affects people who are over 50 years of age. Women are affected more than twice as much as women. It is a relatively common problem in the United States and Europe.

Polymyalgia rheumatica results when your immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of your joints with white blood cells. However, no one knows what causes your immune system to make this mistake. Researchers believe both environmental and genetic factors are probably involved. There may also be a connection between this disease and certain viruses that cause respiratory infections.

The signs and symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica often appear suddenly, without warning. They can literally begin overnight. Some of the signs and symptoms that you may experience are:

• Weakness or malaise (not feeling well)
• Anemia (low red blood cell count)
• Unintended weight loss
• Fatigue
• A slight fever at various times
• Moderate to severe stiffness, pain and aching in the muscles of your hips, shoulders, thighs, upper arms and neck.

Stiffness and pain may start on one side of your body. As the disease progresses, you will probably be affected on both sides of your body. The pain and stiffness is usually more severe after you have been lying or sitting down for a long time or in the morning. It may be bad enough to awaken you from sleep.

You or a loved one may be suffering from polymyalgia rheumatica. This disease may be why you or your loved one is disabled and not able to work.

As a result, you may need assistance. You or your loved one may need financial aid.

Where will it come from? Who can you turn to? Who can and will help you?

Do you or your loved one intend to apply for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by polymyalgia rheumatica and/or other conditions along with this disease? Did you already do this, and you or your loved one was turned down by the Social Security Administration?

If you or your loved one appeals the denial by the Social Security Administration, always remember this. People who are represented by a disability attorney like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than those people without a lawyer.

Please do not hesitate. Contact the disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease which means it can affect several organs and tissue or your whole body. As a result, rheumatoid arthritis often affects extra-articular tissues throughout your body including your heart, lungs, skin, blood vessels and muscles.

About 1% or 2.1 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis. It is the second most common type of arthritis behind osteoarthritis.

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still unknown, but has long been believed to be infectious. Food allergies, external organisms and heredity may also play a part in being susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis. There is no evidence that emotional and physical effects, improper diet or stress play a role in this disease.

There are certain factors that may increase your risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis. Some of these are:

• Age – This disease happens usually between the ages of 40 and 60.
• Sex- Women are more likely to get rheumatoid arthritis than men.
• Family history – If anyone in your family has this disease, you have an increased risk for getting it.
• Smoking – Smoking cigarettes increases your risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis.

The effects caused by rheumatoid arthritis come and go depending on how much your tissue is inflamed. When your body tissues are inflamed, rheumatoid arthritis is active. When the inflammation goes away the disease is in remission.

When rheumatoid arthritis is active, there are several signs and symptoms that you may experience. These include:

• Lack of appetite
• Fatigue
• Low-grade fever
• Muscle and joint aches
• Stiffness.

Muscle and joint stiffness happen most notably after periods of inactivity and in the morning. Your joints frequently become swollen, red, tender and painful.

Rheumatoid arthritis can be both painful and debilitating. It may be why you or a loved one is not able to work. It may be the cause of your disability.

As a result, you or your loved one may need help. You may need financial assistance.

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by rheumatoid arthritis? Were you are your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may decide to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, always remember.

You or your loved one will need the representation of a disability lawyer like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com in the appeals process. The reason this is true is because people who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who are not represented by a lawyer.

Do not hesitate. Contact the disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.