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Find expert insights from our knowledgeable professionals on all things disability.

Members of the media and public policy staff can depend on us for expert assistance in the areas of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), return to work, veterans disability appeals, healthcare insurance and Medicare.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis

August 29, 2023

Hidden Costs Of Arthritis Treatment Include Liver Damage, Medical Bills, And Serious Impacts Highlight Role of SSDI Benefits, Allsup Reports

Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Vice President, Social Security Disability Operations

LeighAnn Jarry Portrait

Vice President of AES

Principal Advocate

Director, Business Development

VA-Accredited Claims Agent

Director, Healthcare Insurance Services

Diane Winiarski

Director, Allsup Employment Services

Rachel Deick Portrait

Manager, Vocational Case Management, Allsup Employment Services

Bethany Cissell

Director, Business Development

Director, Initial and Reconsideration Claims

VA-accredited Claims Agent

VA-accredited Claims Agent

Director, Inside Sales

Kelly Morrison Portrait

Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Vocational Case Manager, Allsup Employment Services

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Steve Perrigo

Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Steve Perrigo, J.D., is Vice President & Head of Sales and Account Management. He joined Allsup in 2010 following 17 years with the Social Security Administration (SSA) in various roles of increasing responsibility, including Claims Representative, Technical Expert, Operations Supervisor, and Assistant District Manager.

Steve leads Allsup’s national account sales activities and provides consultative guidance to client companies by analyzing complex data sets that compare performance against historical measures, Allsup’s business results, and industry benchmarks. His consultation includes leveraging his prior experience with the SSA to identify and analyze macro-level trends with the Social Security Disability Insurance program, and providing timely insights and client updates through channels such as Allsup’s commercial blog.

Steve’s educational background includes a law degree from the Nashville School of Law, where he graduated in the top 10 of his class, and a bachelor’s degree from The State University of New York. He currently is an adjunct professor of Social Security Disability Law at the Nashville School of Law.

Regina Carlton

Vice President, Social Security Disability Operations

Regina Carlton has over 20 years of experience assisting individuals in obtaining Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. As Vice President of Social Security Disability, she manages the Allsup teams that help individuals with SSDI claims, from the initial application through the appeals process if their initial application is denied.

Ms. Carlton has a strong background in customer service and experience working directly with claimants, educating them about the SSDI application process. As a claimant representative, she serves as a liaison with the Social Security Administration (SSA) helping claimants build compelling and complete SSDI claims.

In her current position, Ms. Carlton draws on her insight into claimant needs and familiarity with SSA processes to improve the Allsup customer experience and outcomes. Her efforts are aimed at producing better results while continuing to provide quality service to all customers, including claimants and government offices.

She earned bachelor's degrees in business management and psychology from Blackburn College, and is a Certified Direct Pay Representative with SSA. Ms. Carlton is on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois and is an active supporter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, having raised $50,000 to date, for blood cancer research.

LeighAnn Jarry Portrait

LeighAnn Jarry

Vice President of AES

LeighAnn Jarry has more than 18 years of experience in the disability insurance industry as a technical expert and advocate for those seeking Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and returning to work through the federal insurance program.

In her position, LeighAnn is responsible for overseeing Allsup Employment Services (AES) sales and operations units. She leads efforts within the organization to define and launch growth opportunities, to improve outreach about the federal Ticket to Work Program, and to ensure quality services are provided to individuals who are returning to work as SSDI beneficiaries.

Allsup Employment Services, a subsidiary of Allsup, LLC, is a Social Security Administration-authorized Employment Network offering nationwide employment services and assistance. LeighAnn joined Allsup, LLC, in 2017, following prior leadership roles in sales, client relations, account management and operations for disability insurance organizations.

Most recently, LeighAnn was the Assistant Vice President of Strategic Planning where she oversaw Allsup companywide initiatives to advance innovation and strategic growth. She proactively identified, defined and championed new growth opportunities while ensuring coordination across multiple internal organizations and external partners.

LeighAnn holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts and EDPNA Certification from the Social Security Administration.

T.J. Geist

Principal Advocate

T.J. Geist, Principal Advocate, Allsup, has more than 21 years of experience with Allsup and its subsidiaries. He currently oversees the Hearing Operations of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program.

The team he oversees has extensive experience representing claimants before administrative law judges and at the Appeals Council. Throughout his career at Allsup, T.J. has represented claimants at all levels of the process, including at the Hearing and Appeals Council levels where he represented claimants before administrative law judges with written briefs and during in-person hearings.

T.J.’s experience also includes serving as Director of Operations for Allsup Employment Services (AES), a national, SSA-authorized Employment Network (EN), where he helped SSDI recipients return to work using the Ticket to Work Program.

T.J. holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and is a Certified Direct Pay Representative with the Social Security Administration.

David Weiler

Director, Business Development

David Weiler has more than 20 years of experience in private and public employment benefits. He puts his proven insights to work for hundreds of corporate clients as they advance their benefits programs. He helps self-insured large employers, mid-size companies and other employers to explore new opportunities as they navigate complex healthcare alternatives and coordinate their private benefits programs with federal programs such as Medicare and the Health Insurance Marketplace.

He covers the Eastern region of the U.S. and serves employers in states such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, throughout New England, and cities including Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Chicago. His consultative and strategic approach helps employers realize their immediate and long-term objectives by developing custom approaches that reduce costs, simplify employer programs and enhance overall value. The company’s healthcare insurance services include Allsup Benefits Coordination, Allsup Medicare Advisor and Medicare Coordination Service. Related services include the Disability Life Planning Service and Allsup Life Planning Service.

David provides expert knowledge and recommends program modifications and implementation strategies. He also assists with the benefits transition process as employers make healthcare insurance program changes affecting their full- and part-time employees and other groups, including retirees, individuals with disabilities and those using COBRA.

He is a 20-year veteran of the company, working in the areas of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) representation, Medicare benefits coordination and Medicare plan selection services, among others. His previous sales positions included Lanier Worldwide Inc., a document management solutions company.

Brett Buchanan

VA-Accredited Claims Agent

Brett Buchanan is a VA-accredited Claims Agent and is responsible for guiding people through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ disability appeals process. He provides expertise to veterans from the first appeal at their local Regional Benefits Office to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) in Washington, D.C.

Brett attended Truman State University, Kirksville, Mo., and participated in the Army ROTC program. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the U.S. Army as a field artillery officer and achieved the rank of captain. He was stationed in Germany and deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he supervised the security of U.S. Department of Defense officials visiting Baghdad, Iraq, and earned a Bronze Star for combat operations.

After the Army, he earned his law degree from St. Louis University. As a student, he worked part-time helping veterans with their claims before the VA, and after leaving the university entered private practice specializing in VA compensation benefits. He joined the company in 2012 and became a VA-accredited Claims Agent.

“VA disability benefits are an important issue,” he said. “We still have vets from Vietnam applying for the benefits they earned 40 years ago. Now there are a number of vets applying for VA disability who were in the most recent three major conflicts-the first Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Mike Stein

Senior Analyst

Mike Stein, senior analyst, has 25 years of experience helping people with disabilities through his work with the company. He oversees the claims operations for both Social Security Disability Insurance representation and the Veterans Disability Appeal Service for veterans. During this time, he has become an authority on the SSDI application process, as well as Social Security Administration (SSA) programs and initiatives.

He joined the company in 1992 and has served in a variety of roles related to SSDI, veterans disability appeal and Medicare services, always focusing on process improvement and quality service for customers. Mike is a recognized authority on the sequential evaluation of SSDI claims and the experience for claimants at all levels of the SSDI application and denial process (levels 1 to 4).

Mike is responsible for ensuring that the company provides high-quality, efficient service to individuals, clients and government offices, including SSA and state Disability Determination Services offices. He remains involved in companywide efforts to leverage technology and provide customers with expanded service options. He also monitors and evaluates SSA programs and initiatives that affect our customers, such as efforts to address the SSDI backlog and the SSA’s Electronic Records Express program, as well as developments with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ VA disability compensation program.

“We take our relationships with our customers seriously,” he said. “We are continuously improving our processes, our communications and our efforts on behalf of our customers and with the federal agencies providing these programs.

“Every step we take must be good for our customers, and I work to make sure we keep getting better all the time.”

Tricia Blazier

Director, Healthcare Insurance Services

Tricia Blazier, J.D., applies her expertise and knowledge of healthcare issues and personal finances to assist employers and individuals as they navigate complex government programs. In her role, she oversees numerous services offered to the company’s customers and client organizations including healthcare insurance services. These include Allsup Benefits Coordination, Allsup Medicare Advisor, Medicare Coordination Service, Disability Life Planning Service and the Allsup Life Planning Service.

Her knowledge covers a range of healthcare issues such as coordinating group health plans with public healthcare benefits through the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare or Medicaid programs. She also provides expertise on a range of financial issues that affect people with disabilities, including mortgage and debt problems, planning and budgeting, economic and health-related assistance programs, and sources of income and support.

She joined the company in 2007 as an appeals analyst, where she assisted claimants at the hearing level in securing their Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. A licensed attorney, she also practiced family law and mediation. She has a bachelor’s degree from St. Louis University and she earned her Juris Doctor from the St. Louis University School of Law.

Diane Winiarski

Director, Allsup Employment Services

Diane Winiarski has 30 years of experience in medical management, vocational rehabilitation and placement services through a variety of roles in managed care, disability and insurance organizations.

She serves as Director of Allsup Employment Services (AES), a national SSA-authorized Employment Network (EN) and oversees AES experts providing specialized help to people with disabilities who are returning to work through the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work (TTW) program. Prior to taking the role, she was Director of Vocational Rehabilitation Services for AES, whose services include career planning, benefits counseling, ongoing employment support and employment retention services.

Prior to AES, Winiarski worked at Symetra Life Insurance Company, The Hartford Insurance Company and Aetna Life Insurance Company in vocational case management positions. Her certifications include Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS), Certified Case Manager (CCM), and Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist (CEAS).

She holds a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation and a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Health Sciences in psychiatric rehabilitation/general counseling from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Rachel Deick Portrait

Rachel Deick

Manager, Vocational Case Management, Allsup Employment Services

Rachel Deick has 12 years of experience in vocational rehabilitation, case management, Medicaid waiver services, and disability services in higher education. She serves as Manager, Vocational Case Management, at Allsup Employment Services (AES), which is a national Social Security Administration-authorized Employment Network. She oversees the AES team of vocational case managers who assist people with disabilities in returning to work through the SSA’s Ticket to Work Program.

Prior to AES, Rachel held the position of Director of Employment Services at a Texas-based nonprofit, where she led the team in providing individualized employment opportunities to adults with disabilities. She helped to grow the department with new partnerships in the community, and supported her team with new and innovative strategies to support the individuals they serve and the barriers they face.

Rachel’s case management experience includes assisting individuals with the Medicaid waiver, developing and coordinating individualized service plans, monitoring progress on housing, medical, social and vocational supports, and providing advocacy to clients and their families.

Rachel is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and holds a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Texas Tech University. Rachel lives in Texas where she enjoys running, hiking and spending time with family.

Bethany Cissell

Director, Business Development

Bethany Cissell, a healthcare benefits expert, has been with Allsup for about 10 years, and has experience in federal disability and health insurance programs, such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Medicare. This includes knowledge of Medicare plan selection and Medicare benefits coordination with private health insurance plans.

She serves as Healthcare Insurance Services Account Manager and oversees the operations team assisting Allsup customers, including employees, former employees and retirees. She is regularly involved in the successful implementation and delivery of services to more than 250 organizations nationwide, including a large selection of Fortune 1000 employers.

Prior to joining the company in 2010, she worked as a manager in medical uniform sales. She was responsible for obtaining new clients as well as retaining existing clients, and also worked with customers. Bethany has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from McKendree University in Maryville, Illinois. She also holds a Health Producers license in the state of Illinois.

Amanda Schmidt

Director, Initial and Reconsideration Claims

Amanda Schmidt began her Allsup career in the claims department. In her 14 years with the organization, she has supported our customers as a claims specialist and represented them as a claims consultant. Amanda had held various leadership roles in finance and operations, accounts receivable, customer service, and with Allsup Employment Services, a subsidiary of Allsup, LLC.

In her current role, Amanda leads and manages the staff of both the Allsup claims consultant and administrative support teams overseeing their functions and results. She is also focused on elevating the quality and expertise of Allsup’s disability benefits representation nationwide. Amanda earned her bachelor of arts in psychology from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. She resides in Waterloo, IL with her husband and two sons. Amanda is active in her community as a member of the Peterstown Heritage Society and Helping Strays of Monroe County.

Anna Klucker

VA-accredited Claims Agent

Anna Klucker has been with Allsup for over 15 years. In that time, she has supported our customers’ Social Security Disability Insurance cases as a disability claims representative, appeals analyst and claims consultant. In 2018, Anna joined Allsup Veterans Disability Appeal Services® and earned her accreditation through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2021.

Anna is responsible for the preparation, presentation and prosecution of claims for veterans’ benefits before the VA. Anna reviews service and medical records, as well as VA laws and regulations to advise veterans on their best appeal options. In addition, she represents veterans at hearings before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Anna earned her bachelors of business administration in management from McKendree College.

Joe McBroom

VA-accredited Claims Agent

Joe McBroom joined Allsup in 2007 and served in several roles including disability consultant specialist and associate claimant representative in the area of SSDI. He transitioned to Allsup Veterans Disability Appeal Services® in 2013 and earned his accreditation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2016.

Joe reviews, develops and argues cases for veterans and surviving spouses seeking VA compensation benefits. He travels to in-person hearings and attends video hearings for Board of Veterans’ Appeals cases. Joe holds a bachelors of arts degree in English from University of Missouri-Columbia.

Victory Howard

Director, Inside Sales

Navy veteran Victory Howard has been with Allsup for more than a decade. She began her career in claims and has held a variety of roles, including educating customers on their disability benefits and the importance of representation. She leveraged that experience and knowledge to train and lead others on her teams.

In her current position, Victory is focused on supporting Allsup’s Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) business and Allsup Veterans Disability Appeal Services^® (AVDAS), and improving the results of her teams in both the disability resource center and customer service.

Victory earned her bachelor of science degree in English, secondary education from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. She also holds an Illinois teacher certification in secondary English language arts.

Kelly Morrison Portrait

Kelly Morrison

Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Vocational Case Manager, Allsup Employment Services

Kelly Morrison is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Vocational Case Manager for Allsup Employment Services. In her current role, Kelly informs Social Security Disability Insurance beneﬁciaries about the Ticket to Work Program and assists them throughout their employment journey with guidance and support. She oﬀers vocational counseling to beneﬁciaries, addressing career exploration, implementing eﬀective job search strategies, and helping them understand how to request reasonable accommodations from their employer.

Kelly has experience in both academic and government settings. Her prior positions include Case Manager at the Office of Disability Services for Nova Southeastern University where she oversaw a caseload of more than 500 students with disabilities. She also worked as Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at the Florida Department of Education, where she served as the Inclusive Postsecondary Education Liaison.

Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in clinical rehabilitation counseling from Florida Atlantic University. She lives in Florida, where she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, gardening and travel.