From the monthly archives:

January 2004

Harris v. Barnhart, 356 F.3d 926 (8th Cir. 2004)

January 30, 2004

Nothing groundbreaking in this opinion by Circuit Judge Steven M. Colloton, affirming the ALJ’s denial of benefits. The most interesting and significant part of the opinion relates to the burden of persuasion at step 5, discussed in Footnote 2:
“Our cases are inconsistent on where the burden of persuasion lies during step five of the [...]

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Gastric Bypass Surgery May Cure Type 2 Diabetes

January 28, 2004

A new study published in the January issue of the Annals of Surgery shows that gastric bypass surgery may cure Type 2 diabetes:
The antidiabetic effect of gastric bypass surgery in obese patients was first observed in 1982, and has since been affirmed by a more recent, large-scale study published in October of this year. However, [...]

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Do Migraines Lead to Brain Damage?

January 28, 2004

Via ABCNEWS.com:   A new study out of the Netherlands, reported in today’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that people who suffer frequent migraine headaches may be at an increased risk for developing brain lesions:
The study examined 295 migraine patients, 161 of whom experienced migraines with aura. Auras are [...]

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New GAO Report on “Human Capital” Problems At DDS

January 27, 2004

If you are human capital and work at a DDS, you probably already know this. A new report from the General Accounting Office (GAO) entitled Strategic Workforce Planning Needed to Address Human Capital Challenges Facing the Disability Determination Services identifies “three key challenges” facing DDS offices:
High turnover: Over half of all DDS directors [...]

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Joint Dilemma: Glucosamine, Chondroitin and Bum Knees

January 27, 2004

Dr. Susan Whiteman describes her journey into the nether world of bad knees and the treatments that may not help in this Washington Post article:
As any of the millions of Americans tottering around on ramshackle cartilage and ruptured ligaments can attest, the knee rates as the most unsound joint in the body. Each year, surgeons [...]

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Sam Maloof in the News

January 26, 2004

It’s hard to believe Sam Maloof turned 88 on January 24th. And another exhibit of his furniture will open next Monday:
“Fifteen of Maloof’s hand-crafted pieces will be on display at University of La Verne’s Harris Art Gallery starting Monday. It is the first time the university has exhibited the Alta Loma craftsman’s work. [...]

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BICS from JOA

January 26, 2004

From a JOA post on the Connect board–a listing of Beneficiary Identification Codes and a short history of Senator Prouty:
“What you’re asking about is the “beneficiary identification code.” I’ve given a link to a list in the public POMs. Below I’ve also pasted a somewhat longer list of BICs, taken from something published in [...]

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PTSD Sufferers Store Memories In Different Part of Brain

January 25, 2004

Via Reuters:   A new study reported in the January 2004 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) store memories of the traumatic event in a completely different area of the brain:
Specifically, people with PTSD showed a high level of activity in the right back [...]

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Children’s SSI Disability Resources

January 24, 2004

Thomas Yates, staff attorney at Health & Disability Advocates (formerly the SSI Coalition for a Responsible Safety Net) has written three excellent PDF manuals for children and young adults with claims for SSI and/or disability:

2003 Childhood Disability Manual
2003 Children’s SSI Disability Guide
NOSSCR Young Adults (written with Linda Landry, staff attorney at the Disability Law Center [...]

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Philips v. Barnhart, 357 F.3d 1232 (11th Cir. 2004)

January 23, 2004

Opinion by Judge Hull:
Given that the ALJ limited Phillips’s employment at the sedentary level to jobs that do not involve multi-tasking, the ALJ must specifically determine in the first instance whether such a restriction significantly limits Phillips’s basic work skills; that is, whether there are a wide range of sedentary jobs that do not require [...]

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