DISABILITY SURVIVAL GUIDE: NORTH ALABAMA EDITION

LATEST SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE FRAUD CALLS.  AS I WRITE THIS IN SEPTEMBER 2026, I HAVE RECEIVED 3 SCAM CALLS FROM THE SAME CALLER WITHIN 30 MINUTES.  BEWARE.  BE CAREFUL.   Be Aware!  The latest Social Security call scam is this: You get a call (from what looks like a local number--it's fake-- and a recorded female voice says that if you have Medicare you are eligible for an extra payment of $250 this month. She asks you if you have both Medicare Parts A and B?   If you answer "Yes," she says, "Thanks, that's all I need to know.  My colleague will now speak with you to get your enrollment information."    PHONY. FAKE.  SCAM.  LIE. A man with a heavy foreign accent comes on the phone. He confirms "You have both Medicare Parts A and B, correct?" You say "Yes," and he asks for your age. If you tell him your age, he will ask for more information...phishing to steal your SSN, Medicare Number, Date of Birth, Bank Informat...

You might think that you can fill out a few forms and Social Security will find you to be disabled and start your check.  After all, you've paid into Social Security through the FICA payroll deduction for years.  You feel that the benefits are "yours."  However, the Social Security Administration does not think that way. Instead of "common sense," they use the  20 Code of Federal Regulations . They make it far more complicated, time consuming and just plain difficult. That's why it's not uncommon for a disability claim to take 12 to 24 months or longer to be decided.  Why is SSDI so difficult? 1.  SSDI is very specific and covers a very limited group of claimants. The terms for receiving disability are very narrow and must be proven down to the letter.  This requires complete and thorough medical evidence from your doctors, counselors, hospitals or other providers. 2.  Just the forms are a nightmare.       There are over 450 qu...

I write this post in September of 2026.  Within the last 30 minutes I have received 3 scam calls from the same person (different phone numbers), telling me I may qualify for an extra $250 from Medicare this month.  Totally phony, 100 percent scam.  Hang up immediately if you get one of these calls (and you probably will)! These are computer generated random calls where a computer calls virtually every telephone number.   These scammers do not know your name, address, phone number of anything else until you tell them.  Don't. Here is how the scam goes :   You receive a call from what looks like a local number (It is not).   A recorded female voice says:  "You may be eligible to receive a $250 bonus from Medicare this month.  Do you have Medicare parts A and B?" If you answer, Yes, the voice says:  "That's all I need.  My colleague will now take your enrollment." Then, a male voice with a heavy foreign accent comes on the phone. ...