Spring 2008   It looks like spring has finally sprung. I hope that you are getting out there and enjoying the nice weather that we are having, at least in Chicago.        Social Security's Quick Disability Determination Process   Social Security currently receives more than 2.5 million new Social Security disability cases and more than 2.3 million Supplemental Security Income cases each year.  That is a lot of claims!  Unfortunately, because there are so many claims, and not enough judges and staff to process them expeditiously, Social Security has fallen badly behind and there currently is a big backlog of cases awaiting hearing before Administrative Law Judges.   To their credit, the Social Security Administration is attempting to cut down on the long delays that disability claimants are encountering.  One of the new processes that has been created is called the "Quick Disability Determination Process."  In this process, Social Security uses a predictive model to determine claims "...where there is a high potential that the claimant is disabled and where evidence of the person's allegations can be quickly and easily obtained."    Although this is helping, most of the claims do not qualify under this process and many claimants suffer considerable hardship awaiting adjudication of their claims.  We help our clients by aggressively pursuing their rights with the goal of obtaining a favorable decision as soon as possible.    If you have any questions about our services or any general questions about Social Security Law or the disability process, please call me at 773.989.9899 or email me at Rich@USADisabilityLaw.com.   I look forward to hearing from you.   Sincerely,   Richard Feingold     _______________________     We Can Help   We have many years of experience in helping disabled individuals succeed in their disability claims.  Having good representation can make the difference between winning and losing and often can lessen the time it takes to receive benefits.   Some of the things we do to vigorously representing our clients include:     1) Aggressively working with SSA to obtain the medical records so that SSA has the evidence it needs to establish disability;   2) Writing to treating doctors to obtain their opinions regarding their patients' impairments and disabilities.    3) Communicating with SSA decision-makers to zealously advocate on behalf of our clients; and   4) Providing effective and compassionate legal services to our clients during this often difficult time.    These are just some of the things that we can do to help speed the process along toward a desired favorable conclusion.      Free In-Service Regarding Social Security Disability Issues   We provide a free in-service to your staff regarding Social Security disability issues.  In this in-service, we cover the basics of Social Security disability law to help you identify and better serve those who may be eligible to receive these important monthly cash and health insurance benefits.  Please call me if you have questions about this or if you would like to schedule an in-service.      Share this Newsletter   If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving this newsletter, please forward it to them and have them contact us.   Online Resources   Be sure to visit our Web site at www.USADisabilityLaw.com where we are constantly striving to provide more information for disabled individuals and those who provide services to them.   Also, please visit the following page: richfeingold.htm   There, you can find a link to an article concerning the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the year 2007 and an interesting Social Security Ruling regarding medical opinions in disability claims.     In addition, the following is a link to a January 29, 2007 Special Guest Chat on MSWorld.org:      richfeingold_Jan2907.htm.   Stay Tuned   We'll be back with another newsletter to keep you informed regarding recent developments in Social Security disability law and related issues.

Law Offices Richard I. Feingold & Associates, P.C. 5153 N. Broadway Street Chicago, Illinois  60640 Tel. (773) 989-9899 · Fax: (773) 907-9609 Web: www.USADisabilityLaw.com ● Email: Rich@USADisabilityLaw.com