There Oughta Be a Law!

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

If you have not already read my previous blog post about my ongoing "experience" with the ineptitude known as the Social Security Administration, please visit
http://magicoftouch2.blogspot.com/2009/08/emotional-rescue.html

To update...
For the last 3 weeks, I have been leaving almost daily messages (when possible) on my case worker's voice mail at the SSI. I say "when possible" because on many occasions, her voice mail (which incidentally still indicates that she is away on vacation until Sept. 4th - note today's date. It is apparent that she is indeed getting messages as some days I am actually able to leave a message - not that I have ever gotten a response - and other days, her voice mail box indicates that it is full and that no messages can be accepted.

When I am able to leave a message, I am more than civil in my indication that I am trying to follow-up on both my medical coverage as well as the "supposed" processing of SSI benefits. Way back in March of 2009, I was informed that I would be eligible to begin receiving SSI benefits as soon as October (next month) based upon the information which was provided in my application in March.

For those who do not have a calendar readily handy - October is just a scant week away.

I repeat that I have NOT received a response phone call from my case worker even after 3 weeks of "attempted" message son her voice mail. I have even contacted the National toll-free number and also the toll-free number to the Brooklyn Center office and in each instance was informed that I must contact my case worker in order to pursue my case. Out of desperation, I have sent letters to both the director of the Brooklyn Center office as well as the grievance department at the National Social Security Administration. My next step is to write to my Congressmen and Members of the House of Representatives.

Well, on Friday morning of last week (September 18th), while I was in clinic at HCMC receiving my chemo treatment (incidentally in one of the many areas of HCMC where cell phone signals can not get through due to heavy shielding to protect sensitive instruments), I received a phone call from my SSI case worker FINALLY!!!

Here was her message, "Mr. McPherson - this is Mrs. ****** of the Social Security Administration's Brooklyn Center office. I am returning your phone call (author's note "call" singular). Please call me at (866) 931-0341.

NO OTHER MESSAGE!!!

So immediately after I left the shielded area of the clinic and listened to my voice mails, I call the SSI in Brooklyn Center, dialed her extension and guess what? I get the (all too familiar) outgoing message that says she will be out of the office until September 4th and that her voice mailbox is full and cannot take any incoming messages.

So I call the Brooklyn Center office back again and after umpteen levels of voice mail finally get through to a gentleman (who OBVIOUSLY did not have a very strong command of English) and immediately ask if I can speak to someone who was a little more versed in the English language. He assured me that he would be able to adequately communicate with me and after 3 or 4 more protestations on my part, he told me that the only way I could reach someone else would be to hang up and call back. At this point I was fearing the battery would run down on my celery phone and so I decided to attempt to establish a dialog with Mr. Hanoud (or whatever his Indian-sounding name was).

I explained my total frustration and especially my total anguish at reaching a voice mail recording left by my case worker who said that she will be out of the office until 14 days before.

He tried to explain that away as the result of a new voice messaging system the service center had recently installed and of which many of the employees had not had a chance to master. My response: "THAT IS NO FRIGGIN EXCUSE".

He simply re-iterated to me what several others at the Center had in the past - that being that since my case is an "open case", only my case worker can assist me. I asked if I could make an appointment to come in and speak with her personally since it was becoming quite evident that telephone communication was not a going to be a feasible reality in this life time. Mr. Hanoud replied..."the only way you can make an appointment for a personal interview with your case worker is to schedule it with her directly."

At this point, if I were not concerned about the potential damage to my celery phone, I would've slammed it down on his ear. Instead I decided simply NOT to thank him for his assistance (or lack of it) and try myself this week.

Monday was a pretty exhausting day for me at chemo as my body decided to rebel against a new IV drug they had begun introducing to it on Sunday. So I did not get a chance to pursue SSI on Monday. However, imagine my surprise when - in the mail - I receive a letter from the Brooklyn Center office (dated Friday, September 18th, 2009) stating that they have been trying to reach me to speak with me about my case and that I need to contact them as soon as possible. I reckon that this is the point at which I am 'sposed to be rolling around on the floor laughing to tears at the irony of the communication. But not wanting to get my clothes all dirty, I resisted the temptation.

So yesterday (Tuesday, September 22nd), I called the Brooklyn Center office jumped through the umpteen levels of input choices - and while not actually able to get through to my case worker (you guessed it - the same "I will be back in the office on September 4th" outgoing voice mail and the full voice mail box), I demanded to speak to someone who could assist me in this "emergency" in response to a mailing I had received from them. (The letter did use the word "urgent", so I figured that "emergency" was not too much of a stretch).

Imagine my surprise when I was actually connected to an English speaking lady who was actually cordial (she must've been new). She patiently waited while I went through a synopsis of my last 6 months of contact with the SSA and also explained to her that I was well versed in their policy that only my case worker could assist me. But afterall, I DID receive a letter in the mail telling me that it was "urgent" that I contact them asap.

This lady must've had some magic pixie dust at her disposal because SHE WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO PULL UP MY CASE INFORMATION AND DISCUSS IT with ME. Basically she informed me that the SSI was awaiting some information from my primary care physician along with some pending info from another national medical organization in order to make a decision on my case duh - (and why exactly does it take 6 months to let me know that you are still waiting on this info?). The unfortunate news was that since the deadline to receive the info was the 18th in order for my claim to be processed for the following month (the 18th which just happened to been last Friday - the day I received the phone call from my case worker and also the day the letter was mailed to me from SSI - what, did they think I would somehow magically get it the same day?)

So before I ended my conversation with this "kindler, gentler" persona at the SSI, I asked why she was able to discuss my case with me when a multitude of others at the center were not. Her response....it was because I had an actual letter from them which somehow puts my case in a whole different category. So then I asked her if I could communicate with her in the future to follow-up on my case since obviously my caseworker is going to be on vacation until September 4th (some September 4th anyway). She informed me that all I needed to say when I called was that I had received a letter from them (she never once said I had to say I had "just" received a letter - just that I had one). Now I am wondering if I can use the same line to get bumped up to "first class" on my next flight or into the Express Line at Cub Foods.

So now I know which pieces of information are needed from my primary care physician as well as the numbers and forms which the SSA is awaiting to process my case.

Armed with that information - and this kind lady's extension at the Brooklyn Center SSA - we will see what the week ahead holds in store. It's a good thing too as I was down to just 3 patience - actually I think my patience had run out long ago and I was running on "borrowed patience." I might not see any satisfaction before the end of THIS month, but - as they say - "October is another month." (and just a tad over a week away I might add).

We will see...and now you know...the rest of the story...