About Defend The Disabled

Sean Smith

I’m a medically disabled adult living in Memphis, Tennessee. I’ve been classified as a disabled my entire adult life, but struggled with my health throughout adolescence as well. In 2014 my health issues forced me to give up college, hobbies, and personal interests. In order to find answers I had to spend years engaged in extensive research and study of educational materials published by highly specialized and educated academic researchers and clinicians. Around 2016-2018 my doctors and my research allowed me to understand that my lifetime of disability was primarily caused by my underdeveloped facial anatomy compromising my airway, causing me to develop Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a Temporomandibular Disorder, and a list of other health conditions. Instead of my work enabling me to get care I found health insurance plans that engage in misconduct to prevent disabled adults from getting proper diagnosis and treatment of jaw disorders, sleep disorders, and other disabling health conditions. An insurance adjuster I met in a jaw disorder support group told me my health plans were breaking the law. She told me what laws I should start reading. I read those laws, and others, until finally I understood that what I was being subjected to wasn’t just ‘wrong’ it was highly illegal. I tried to get help and found that the people whose duty and/or job it is to help disabled adults, are not. I have been trying to do what I can on my own, but being disabled there is only so much I am ‘able’ to do. I’m just not enough. I’d like to get rehabilitative care for the health conditions causing my disabilities, but whether or not I get that care isn’t up to me. It’s decided by whether or not others will Defend The Disabled from the neglect, abuse, and exploitation of private and medicaid health insurance plans.