Back Pain Community

Hi ~~

damn~~sorry about everything you're going thru - stress can add to pain. Just take it easy, if you can.

regarding disability - I don't know what state you live in but disability can be hard to apply for. here's what I went thru showing timing.

In Dec 07' I knew I was going to have back surgery and at this time I was working contract work so I did not have insurance from an employer/employee situation. I was covered under my husbands' insurance. In Jan 08' I decided to apply for partial disability to help while I recovered. in Feb 08 I had my surgery and started the long process of recovery. In July 08 I rec'd notification I was denied and hired an attorney. my case was re-submitted thru them. Every month I emailed the attorney for updates and sent any required info (doc's, hospitals, meds, etc) to them. We finally rec'd notification in March 09' that my case was rec'd by the hearing officer and would be notified when my case would be heard before the Judge. I also sent info relating to how I was doing, which at this time I was going in reverse as far as recovery as my pains were worse than before. I was getting frustrated - we lost our house~~found another house which my hubby's father purchased in his name and we make the payments. my attorney informed me that I could type a letter to the Judge stating it was a DIRE NEED outlining all we had gone thru, my recovery going in reverse and losing our house etc. I was also sending updates via email to my attorney every 2 weeks letting them know everything that was going on (new meds, PT, new docs, new reports, new treatments etc.). It appeared that my attorney was sending all this info to the hearing officer and by Nov 09' my attorney called saying they rec'd letter from the hearing officer stating they were going to approve me for SSDI without seeing the Judge, however at any time I could be called to appear. My disability date was set for Jan 08. My Medicare would become effective 6/1/2010 (6 month waiting period). So I rec'd my disability payments going back to Jan 08' (including all increases etc.).

I live in MO and when I applied for SSDI I was informed that MO was 2-3 yrs behind on processing/reviewing disability cases. I heard other states were behind longer and some processed them immediately.

Be sure you have a disability only attorney and let them apply for you (they do get a fee and there is a cap of what they can get). Be sure you have ALL you physicians that you have seen, dates seen, treatments, medications etc., this needs to include PT, pain management, hospitals. you also need to have dates of all tests (MRI, CT Scan, Myelograms etc).

the more info you have upfront will make applying easier.

Hope this helps - let me know if you have any questions. I'm sure you have researched coverage for you family.

Hi, Tim.

I fully understand. My career was in Information Technology and the last five years I was an IT Auditor for a large local bank. I loved my job but just could no longer do it. I had gotten to the point where I could not even sit upright for more than about 30 minutes. Walking and standing were just about impossible.

Joy has given you excellent advice as usual. I was very blessed in that I contracted an SSD attorney in June 2008 and was approved in August 2008 - just two months later. The attorney did all the work and since I did not wait long there were no lump-sum back benefits. The attorney did charge a $500.00 fee for the work they did but it was well worth it to us.

Does your company offer short term and long term disability benefits? That is what I had and was collecting on the long term disability in addition to the SSD until they offered me a lump sum settlement last year. I turned 55 this past March and am now collection a small pension from a different company I had been with for 14 years.

There are many ways to get the financial benefits but the health care for your family may be a challenge.

I will continue to pray for your situation. Please keep us informed.

Thanks guys. I have a private disaability plan and have already been approved for SSDI once. I know the routine and with 12 fused vertabrae the and discs that are curshed into each other SSDI is not a big challange for me. If I get turned down I stil get my private policy which is 70% of my pay, but tax free.

I'm wondering aboout 2014 for the family as that's when Obomacare is supposed to fully kick in. That's when no one can be denied forr pre-existing conditions etc.

I get full salary continuince for the short term and then switch over to the long term policy. Financially I'd probably be in better shape.

Additional. SSDI is just less money they pay me so it's really about the SSDI dependant benefit money.

I've been with the same company for 26 years.

That is, I'm guarenteed 70% of my salary by insurance company X. If SSDI pays 30% insrance company then pats 40%.

Insurance portian is tax free. SSDI is taxable income.

I'm looking at January to start the long winding road to disability. My brain loves the challenges of work, but my body is looking for a hole to fall in.

To add insult to injury my boss is making my job difficult and exposing the myself and the company to unecesary liabilities. Living with dibiliitating back pain is hard enough. Fighting to do whats right and being denied a voice when I have evreyone from OSHA, NFPA, State and County officials saying I'm right my boss just ignores the facts. The problem is this puts me in harms way. My boss can claim ignorance (tough road with all of the communications we've had, but in the end he is ignorant!) Since I am the license holder to perform our work I will be the target of legal prosecution.
I've been battleing this delima for awhile and as Einstein said, "insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." Perhaps in a prophetic way, Albert E. has told me why I need to make a change?

Hi, Tim.

Sound like you have a good plan and that this is all happening at the right time.