Obtaining Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can be a time-consuming and stressful experience. Two out of every three applicants initially are denied. But Mary LeCompte fought back. After doctors diagnosed her with supraventricular tachycardia, which produces abnormally fast heart rhythms, Ms. LeCompte was let go by her company during a lengthy recuperation period. Read how she beat the odds.
* This is a true story as told to Allsup
Hospital professional refuses to be sick and financially destitute.
Katrina Survivor Promises Help Will Arrive
Bridge City, Louisiana—Born in Baton Rouge, reared in Garyville and settled in the West Bank of New Orleans in 1968, Mary LeCompte calls Louisiana home.
Labeled “America’s Most Interesting City,” New Orleans is revered as the birthplace of jazz. The Crescent City is characterized by distinct architectural designs, such as bungalow-style homes and Creole townhouses.
In 2005, the region stole world headlines when Hurricane Katrina engulfed the city, devastating the land and countless lives. The tragedy that once threatened the city’s very survival still lingers, although restoration efforts display glimmers of hope.
Although Mary LeCompte, 60, doesn’t discuss how Katrina affected her life, she has emerged as a survivor. Through sheer strength and determination, Ms. LeCompte has begun to rebuild her life, in the aftermath of her own personal storms.
Soft-spoken with a southern drawl, hints of past struggles are now nearly imperceptible.
“My job involved handling the collecting and billing for a hospital,” Ms. LeCompte explained. “I enjoyed the work, but it was very stressful. I had to make sure the billing went out correctly and, well,” she laughed, “that never seemed to happen!”
She handled up to 2,000 claims at a time. “It was a lot to handle,” Ms. LeCompte said. “It was a lot to have to research, and I had to keep up the quota my company demanded.”
When health problems struck, panic set in. “One day I was sitting at my desk,” Ms. LeCompte explained, “and all the sudden, my heart rate went up real, real high.”
Doctors diagnosed her with supraventricular tachycardia, which produces abnormally fast heart rhythms. The disorder can accelerate the heartbeat up to as many as 300 beats per minute.
“It got really bad, real quick,” Ms. LeCompte recalled. “My heartbeat would range from very fast to very slow. My blood pressure would vary, just the same.”
In December 2007, symptoms had progressively worsened, landing her in the hospital. “I took a sick leave from work,” Ms. LeCompte said. “I went in to the hospital on Dec. 18, and that’s where I spent my holidays. I was released Jan. 5.”
Then it got worse. Just 10 days later, she was rushed back into the hospital for emergency surgery. “My colon had ruptured,” she recalled. “I had been on blood-thinning medication for my heart condition, and any time you have surgery, you’re supposed to go off blood-thinners for 10 days prior. Doctors were worried,” she said. “They didn’t even know if I was going to make it. They thought I might bleed to death.”
She required five months to recover when a surgical incision refused to heal properly. Additionally, heart problems persisted. In the meanwhile, she was unable to work.
“I knew immediately that was it,” Ms. LeCompte said. “I couldn’t continue working with all the stress. There was just no way I could do it anymore.”
During a 12-week sickness leave, she lost her job. “A lot of people didn’t think my company gave me a fair shake,” she said. “But I think they were pretty fair, considering everything that had happened.”
Chest pains and breathing difficulties plagued her, and two subsequent heart attacks followed. Physically weakened she now faced a sudden loss of income.
“It was one thing to be sick,” she said, “but to be sick and financially destitute…,” she trailed off. “It was nearly impossible for me to get by. My daughter paid my car off, but I still had medical bills to pay.”
Ms. LeCompte learned about Allsup from her insurance company. Founded in 1984, Allsup has helped more than 120,000 people with disabilities receive more than $10.3 billion in SSDI and Medicare benefits.
Based in Illinois near St. Louis, Allsup is a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare services. Recipient of the Better Business Bureau’s prestigious Torch Award for excellence in customer service, Allsup boasts a 98 percent success rate for those who remain in the application process with Allsup until a final decision is determined.
After receiving her case in November 2008, Allsup professionals prepared Ms. LeCompte for the potentially lengthy process. She learned that the Social Security Administration denies two-thirds of initial SSDI applications.
“I’d been told it would probably take a while,” she recalled. “I’d heard horror stories from people who’d waited five years. But when I spoke with Allsup, the information they shared with me was right on target. What they told me to expect was just the way it happened. I just knew I couldn’t fight the system on my own.”
After two denials, Ms. LeCompte remained hopeful as her case was elevated to Allsup senior claimant representative Stacie Stoehner. Ms. Stoehner prepared Ms. LeCompte for a hearing before an administrative law judge, who would determine the outcome of her case.
“The way she guided me through the hearing was awesome.” Ms. LeCompte said. “She had all my information and medical records ready to present to the judge. She prepared me for what to expect. It ended up being much easier than I’d expected it to be.”
To her relief, in May 2009, the judge granted her a fully favorable decision. The news brought tears to her eyes. “It was very emotional,” she said. “I started crying.”
Ms. LeCompte said she strongly recommends Allsup to others facing the same challenges of filing for disability benefits.
“I’d advise others to just be patient and understand that it may take a long time. I’d also tell people that help is out there—Allsup can take care of them the way they took care of me. “I can promise you that.”