News

Countering The SSDI Stigma of Chronic Pain

By
Jason P. Smith, Esq. Lead Attorney Western Region

In June 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a report at the request of the Department of Health and Human Services that details the need for overhaul in the treatment of chronic pain in America.[¹] Chronic pain costs the U.S. up to $635 billion each year in medical treatment and lost productivity.  The report describes how our nation’s medical community and the culture at large suffer from “major gaps in knowledge about pain.”  This is perhaps nowhere more evident than at every level of the Social Security Disability Insurance process.

Federal regulations direct The Social Security Administration to evaluate a person’s subjective complaints whenever they relate to allegedly disabling conditions.  20 CFR  §404.1529 specifically instructs adjudicators on how to assess severity of all symptoms, including pain, referencing as relevant the claimant’s descriptive statements, those of third parties acquainted with the claimant, as well as treating and examining doctors.  Additionally relevant in the analysis is the extent to which these statements, along with other medical evidence, reveal a diminished ability to perform so called “activities of daily living.”

To read the entire article, click the following link: Countering The SSDI Stigma of Chronic Pain

Group Unveils Change in Corporate Structure

Social Security Advocates for the Disabled® takes the lead in the SSLG family of companies

After proudly serving the long-term disability insurance industry for 15 years, Attorneys Ann Marie Beaudoin and Victor Arruda, Managing Partners of The Social Security Law Group (SSLG) are pleased to announce that, effective January 1, 2011, SSLG became the captive affiliate of Social Security Advocates for the Disabled®, LLC (SSAD).

The change will allow the organization to expand its reach and give more flexibility in its non-legal business operations including Benefit Integration Management Services® (BIMS), which became a stand-alone subsidiary of SSAD.

To read the entire article, click the following link: Change in SSLG Corporate Structure

SSLG in the News

On December 1, 2010 Ann Marie Beaudoin, Managing Partner of Social Security Law Group, was featured in The Patriot Ledger, the major newspaper on Boston’s South Shore. Following is the article that included an interview with Ann Marie about her important role in founding the company, and managing our day-to-day operations.

To read the entire article, click the following link: SSLG IN THE NEWS