The head of Pond Lehocky Giordano short- and long-term disability practice, Michael J. Parker, was published on Healthline for sharing his expertise on disability benefits and rheumatoid arthritis.
“In every disability case, whether it’s with the Social Security Administration (SSA) or an insurance carrier in the long-term disability realm, the adjudicator will determine the applicant’s ability to function,” Parker shared. “Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic condition, attacking multiple systems of the body,” he adds. “That’s why it’s important when describing your condition to indicate how all parts of your body are affected.”
As Parker explains in the article, due to the variability in symptoms and progression, RA could require unexpected, extended periods away from work. Fortunately, disability insurance from the SSA can replace some of your income, if you can demonstrate that you’re unable to perform any type of work on a consistent basis because of your condition.
“You may want to take pictures of your joints to show flares, to give a better idea of what you go through as a result of the disease,” Parker advised. Also, let your doctors, colleagues, and family know you’ll be going through the application process as the SSA gathers input from healthcare providers, the applicant, and sometimes from family members and co-workers to determine if you qualify as disabled based on SSA criteria.
The entire article can be read here.
Parker has focused his practice on advocating for the disabled for almost fifteen years. He is a board-certified Social Security Disability Advocate by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification, an American Bar Association accredited organization. In January of 2018, Parker spearheaded the formation of our Pond Lehocky Long-Term Disability Department. Parker has taken his passion for representing disabled individual and applied to helping disabled individuals who are wrongfully denied insurance benefits. He is very involved in the legal community and is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Lackawanna County Bar Association, the Pike County Bar Association, and the National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives. He earned his undergraduate degree in history from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2001 and went on to receive his J.D. from The Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University in 2004.