Dr. Grumpy: "Your memory test was fine."
Mr. Bogus: "But I didn't have a memory test!"
Dr. Grumpy: "You did, last week. I have the results here. You did fine."
Mr. Bogus: "That's impossible. I couldn't answer half the questions! And the girl who did the exam was confusing me!"
Dr. Grumpy: "So... you do remember the test?"
Mr. Bogus: "Yes! I mean no! I have terrible memory problems! I can't remember anything! What are we talking about?"
Dr. Grumpy: "Never mind. Hey, when is your disability paperwork due?"
Mr. Bogus: "Next Wednesday, before 5:00 east coast time. The fax number is 867-5309. Do you need the address? I have it in my wallet."
Dr. Grumpy: "How did you remember that?"
Mr. Bogus: "How did I remember what?"
Doesn't surprise me. I read a book "Assessment of Malingered Neuropsychological Deficits" by Larabee, and I've heard this sort of thing is sadly common. The book has the most entertaining case studies of any "medical" book I've read.
ReplyDeleteBut being one of the 14% of disability applicants who expose their malingering by getting significantly worse than chance scores on tests - isn't that itself evidence of an intellectual disability? :)
And this is why most people wait 2-3 yrs to get into the SSDI program, having to weed out the scammers.
ReplyDeleteCan't we just kill them and be done?
When I was a third-year medical student at the VA, we had a (legitimate) guy come in for memory problems. Between exams he would go downstairs to smoke, forget why he went down there and get lost. We'd find him wandering around the building somewhere, take him back to his room. Then the call light would come on again and he'd ask to go down to smoke.
ReplyDeleteWow...that's sad
ReplyDeleteCan you take recommend that the DMV take away his driver's license? I would hate to think that someone that "impaired" is on the road with the rest of us. I'll bet his planned vacation on disability wouldn't look so rosy if he couldn't go anywhere.
ReplyDeleteHey Grumpy don't forget to get the papers in on time.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the desperation of the times has people signing up in droves, mostly boomers over the age of 55.
yeah. i see how this guy was scamming. remember, though, not everyone is. there are some legitimate claims out there. anyway, that's why so few people get approved the first go-around.
ReplyDeletehow very, very annoying..
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly endorse the suggestion of Anonymous at 1:30! He doesn't sound like someone I'd want to be on the road with! In any case, if a person has such severe memory problems that he needs disability, then wouldn't that create a big enough concern to require you to report him to the DMV?
ReplyDeleteI also am upset at those liars who make it harder for legitimately disabled people. I've been told that even chronic, as opposed to occasional, migraine is not listed by social security as a disability, so most migraineurs have to resort to filing under depression caused by being in pain all the time. Stupid, isn't it?