I Really Can't Take Much More Of This

kittkatt

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I just got a letter from my disability advocates who are fighting my case for me, informing me that I need to send a check for $300.00 to get my medical records released from my chiropractor. I tried calling both them and the chiropractor, but of course no one's open b/c of Labor Day. I really can't take this anymore..


How am I supposed to come up with that kind of money when I'm not working?? What the heck is the matter with those people?? And why do they pull this
only a week away from my court hearing? Couldn't they have let me know this a long time ago, so I'd at least have some time to maybe come up with the money? And why the heck is it so much? That's just insane!

I'm so frustrated with this whole thing right now that I feel as if I'm gonna have a nervous breakdown.


I really don't know what I'm gonna do. This is gonna mess up my entire case..
 

goldenkitty45

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No it won't. Go to the hearing with the rep. They may ask the judge for time to get records. Most times the rep will take the money out of the award money (up to a certain amount and no more) if its favorable. What does your fee agreement say regarding fees and money and records?

At least that's the way in our area with disability cases.
 

carolpetunia

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Why does it cost $300 in the first place? Because a lawyer has to make a phone call to the chiropractor? Maybe you can just go to the chiropractor's office and pay only a photocopying fee...
 

natalie_ca

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Why does it cost $300 in the first place? Because a lawyer has to make a phone call to the chiropractor? Maybe you can just go to the chiropractor's office and pay only a photocopying fee...
Yeah, exactly! I've never heard of paying that amount of money for medical records. Where I live the patient is entitled to their medical records upon request to the doctor, and the doctor HAS to give them over.
 

goldenkitty45

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In Minnesota if WE have to get the records for claimants who don't have a rep, the medical hospitals/doctors are allowed $35 and that is it for any records they send us.

Some will try to bill by the pages and its over $35. Tough luck - the company gets a flat rate of $35. If its less, the govenment saves a few bucks. IMO $300 is too much - all the rep has to do is have you sign a "permission" paper to get the records and mail it to the company with a request. It doesn't cost $300 to do that.
 

icklemiss21

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Just wait til they are open tomorrow and ask the chiropractor yourself, a legal fee that big for asking on your behalf is rediculous. There may be a copying fee but it will be much lower. Even if you got them today there is nothing you could do with them so don't worry about waiting for tomorrow.
 

ldg

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Oh Tiff, that just sounds CRAZY! They're either misrepresenting what the charge is for OR something! It does not cost money to get medical records!

that you can get this straightened out!

Laurie
 

catkiki

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I am going through the same thing with DH. He has been denied twice now, but we decided that I am going to act as his representative this time around. The social security disability guidelines needs to be revised. I am hoping that DH's doctor will not charge for the records since HE is the one who told us to apply in the first place.
 

siobhan

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I agree- $300 is ridiculous for medical records. I had a plethora of med records from surgery as a child in Boston and I was given them free! I would have had to pay for photocopying but a secretary there (since my case had been used in a journal and I met with one of my surgeon's Harvard's classes) said she could not in good faith charge me. But even photocopying would not have cost that much - $50 tops!

I sit on a government disability board in Massachusetts (I do not think I have a disability per se but I do have some probs from the issue that led to the surgery) and I have never heard of any so called advocates requesting that amt of money. I would check with the hospital myself and ask them what the fee is. Call Medical Records and ask yourself! You might be surprised at what they tell you. And also if they DO in fact charge that, if yuo explain your situation, they may even waver a fee.

Good luck!
 

-_aj_-

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didnt realise how different 2 countries could be, my mam smashed her ankle 5 years ago and has to go for similar hearings for disability and has never had to pay a thing for medical records to be released
 

calico2222

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These sound more like rep fee's than the actual fees to get the records. When my mom was sick and I had to get all her records and x-rays, bone scans, etc they didn't charge anything but those were hospital records, not individual doctor records. There could be a difference.

But, when I had to change gynos, I could have gotten my records (from 1 visit) for $10. The receptionist said it was a flat fee whether your file was 2 pages (like mine) or 20 pages.

I would call the doctor yourself tomorrow and see how much they actually charge for copies. It sounds like you are being reamed by your rep.
 
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kittkatt

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This is a copy of the paper I rec'd:




I've never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life!
The last time I talked to my chiropractor, she said that if any fee was charged for a patient's records it was only $30.00. She also told me that she told the disability advocates that I shouldn't HAVE to pay a fee since I'm not working.

I really don't understand what the heck is going on, but this is outrageous!
They know I'm not working, so how the heck do they think I'm supposed to come up with that amount of money?!
They're supposed to get a certain percentage of any back pay due, and that I agreed to: what choice do you have, really? But they're supposed to get it AFTER the case is won. If it isn't, they can't collect. That's the terms of the agreement signed..


Something isn't right here..
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by KittKatt

Something isn't right here..
you just hit the nail on the head. i agree w/everyone else - call the chiro in the morning & ask for your records to be copied. then bring the copies to the advocate.
 
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kittkatt

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

- all the rep has to do is have you sign a "permission" paper to get the records and mail it to the company with a request. It doesn't cost $300 to do that.
I signed so many "permission forms" that I was beginning to get writer's cramps..


If they already have all that, PLUS the records from my doc here AND my records from the chiropractor I had in Wisconsin - not to mention my records from my back surgeon - just WHY are they asking for all that money NOW in order to get my current chiropractor's records? Something just isn't right..
 

siobhan

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Something is definitely rotten in Denmark - as the saying goes!!! Do not spay that fee and call the chiro yourself. Explain your situation to her or him and I am sure she or he will help. That;s just a money grab and all I can say is how dare they call themselves "ADVOCATES!"
 

tierre0

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Yeah, exactly! I've never heard of paying that amount of money for medical records. Where I live the patient is entitled to their medical records upon request to the doctor, and the doctor HAS to give them over.
Exactly the most I have ever had to pay for the release of Medical Records was a $10 transfer fee from one office to another and it was paid by my provincial health insurance.

I know that things are different in the states but medical records are considered as your property and to have to pay that much for them seems awfully high...I would definitely look into it..
 

mrblanche

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Originally Posted by Catkiki

I am going through the same thing with DH. He has been denied twice now, but we decided that I am going to act as his representative this time around. The social security disability guidelines needs to be revised. I am hoping that DH's doctor will not charge for the records since HE is the one who told us to apply in the first place.
For a bit of encouragement, my mother was turned down twice and was going to give up. When she told me they told her how to appeal, I told her to go ahead; if they didn't expect appeals, they wouldn't tell people how to do it.

On the third time, she won. The reason? Her award letter said that everything had been handled correctly up to that point, but at the 3rd appeal level, the rules were different and allowed them to make more lenient decisions. Same way with my brother.
 
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kittkatt

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Originally Posted by Siobhan

That;s just a money grab and all I can say is how dare they call themselves "ADVOCATES!"


It really irks me that they're pulling this stunt NOW, one week before the court hearing date is scheduled.
It makes me wonder if this is some kind of crappy game that they play or something..


I wonder if at this stage if I could "fire" them, and hire someone else. I sure as heck don't want to take any chances of possibly postponing the court hearing - not after waiting so long to finally get it. I sure don't want for this to drag out any longer than it already has, but if those bozos insist on me coming up with that kind of money - especially this late in the game - what good are they??


I don't know much about these things, or how they work..
If I fire them, do I owe them any money?
They're not supposed to get their fee, unless they win my case.
 

carolpetunia

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Hon, you might also investigate a bit and make really sure these "advocates" are legitimate. There are people who prey on the disabled, claiming to be able to get them benefits while actually just squeezing them for "expenses." I'm really really hoping that's not what's going on here.
Good luck!
 
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kittkatt

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Hon, you might also investigate a bit and make really sure these "advocates" are legitimate. There are people who prey on the disabled, claiming to be able to get them benefits while actually just squeezing them for "expenses." I'm really really hoping that's not what's going on here.
Good luck!


They're supposed to be the top SSD advocates in the country. I don't think they aren't legitimate. But it sure make you wonder..


I got ahold of my chiropractor this morning, and they explained to me what it is that's going on. The SSD advocates want a complete evaluation from my chiropractor to "prove" my case (evaluation isn't the word they used, but it's close enough. I can't remember the exact word they used..
). Anyway, the cost of doing the evaluation is $300.00. I explained to my chiropractor that I obviously don't have that kind of money laying around, and she's willing to let me pay as much as I can when I can.
Bless her heart!
That's one of the reason I go to her - b/c she DOES have a heart, and isn't in it just for the money. She works with her patients b/c she knows how it is. So she's letting me come in tomorrow to do the evaluation (after hours! Again, bless her heart!
) b/c time is running short and I need those papers by next Wednesday. She knows my case could get messed up if I don't have the evaluation, so she's willing to do what she can to make things run smoothly. Did I say BLESS HER HEART!!


I still don't understand why it is that the SSD advocates want for me to send THEM the check, made out to my chiropractor. That doesn't even make any sense to me..
 
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