It's still seems remarkable that 60 Minutes did not try to contact anyone with an opposing view, as Binder further confirms in his post. I suppose I remember the 60 Minutes of old, where a sensational sound byte wasn't as important than getting the story right. Pity.
Of course, Binder is in it for the money. So am I - that's how we make a living and are able to support our families and employees. That doesn't make him, or any other disability advocate, any less a "crusader for the disabled."
Whatver one might think about Binder and Binder, a "monster" which at least to some extent SSA is responsible for creating, he makes solid points about the poor quality journalism reflected by the 60 Minutes piece.
I'm not fan on the firm, but this is a very well reasoned response to the problem. The problem being that foes of the disability program have decided to concentrate on "non-objective" medical conditions (including mental illness as well as fibromyalgia) as evidence that the program is rife with fraud. The truth is that every medical problem is to some degree subjective as to the condition's impairment on work activity. Symptoms always vary from one patient to another, irrespective of medical diagnosis. Symptoms are subjective.
We could go to a system of listings only, but that would defeat the entire purpose of the program, which is supposed to measure impairment, not diagnosis.
I am waiting for medicare style caps and cost controls applied to all legal costs and fees. A government controlled system to guarantee legal services that are financially available to all. So what if the lawyer wants to charge $250 an hour and has this funny system of billable hours that can cram 2 hours of billable time into 1 hour of real time. So what if payments to lawyers are a fraction of what they think they should be paid. This new system will expand legal services to all and disability lawyers can share the joys of the doctors who help the sick and injured and have the government tell them what they are really worth.
It's still seems remarkable that 60 Minutes did not try to contact anyone with an opposing view, as Binder further confirms in his post. I suppose I remember the 60 Minutes of old, where a sensational sound byte wasn't as important than getting the story right. Pity.
ReplyDeleteBinder is so noble, a crusader for the disabled, yet, so in it for the money. Follow the money. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Binder is in it for the money. So am I - that's how we make a living and are able to support our families and employees. That doesn't make him, or any other disability advocate, any less a "crusader for the disabled."
ReplyDeleteWhatver one might think about Binder and Binder, a "monster" which at least to some extent SSA is responsible for creating, he makes solid points about the poor quality journalism reflected by the 60 Minutes piece.
ReplyDeleteI'm not fan on the firm, but this is a very well reasoned response to the problem. The problem being that foes of the disability program have decided to concentrate on "non-objective" medical conditions (including mental illness as well as fibromyalgia) as evidence that the program is rife with fraud.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is that every medical problem is to some degree subjective as to the condition's impairment on work activity. Symptoms always vary from one patient to another, irrespective of medical diagnosis. Symptoms are subjective.
We could go to a system of listings only, but that would defeat the entire purpose of the program, which is supposed to measure impairment, not diagnosis.
I am waiting for medicare style caps and cost controls applied to all legal costs and fees. A government controlled system to guarantee legal services that are financially available to all. So what if the lawyer wants to charge $250 an hour and has this funny system of billable hours that can cram 2 hours of billable time into 1 hour of real time. So what if payments to lawyers are a fraction of what they think they should be paid. This new system will expand legal services to all and disability lawyers can share the joys of the doctors who help the sick and injured and have the government tell them what they are really worth.
ReplyDelete