Disability

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John603
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Location: New Hampshire

Re: Disability

Postby John603 » Sat Jun 12, 2010 8:39 am

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the responses. I told my boss and HR this week that I had to go on full-time disability. The daily pain was just too much and I can't drive a car when I take the oral pain meds. I gave the paperwork to my onc. I told him it was hard to stop working. He told me that I had done more than any of his other patients and that no one was more entitled to go out on disability than I was. I don't know if that made me feel good or bad. Looking back I probably should have taken full-time disability earlier, but it is so hard to do that being the sole breadwinner.
John

Dx Stage IIIC (14 of 36 LNs +) Jan 07, age 42
Colectomy Jan 07
Folfox + Erb'x Mar 07
Recurrence in Lymph Nodes Feb 08
Folfiri + Avastin Apr 08
NED Dec 08
Recurrence in lungs & pelvic LNs May 09
Folfiri/Avastin May 09 - Nov 09
Erb'x/Irino Dec 09

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tytiff
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Re: Disability

Postby tytiff » Sat Jun 12, 2010 11:35 am

While my husband is not the only breadwinner, he does make more than me, like twice as much. He also has fought with going on disability before now, because he really does love his job, but it doesn't define him. He is also concerned about making the bills when he is on shortened pay. I told him we will make it, we just have to buckle down. The kids understand. We just want Dad with us for as long as we can get. We need his mind clear for chemo, the chemo vacation has been great (albeit, it came at the expense of another 3 tumors)! Good luck with your disability John.
Tyler: pt Tiffany: crgvr
St IV
Dx 08/09 Age 41
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John603
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Location: New Hampshire

Re: Disability

Postby John603 » Sat Jun 12, 2010 12:04 pm

Hi Tiffany,

Thanks for your message. I've been battling CC since 2007 so we've had a lot of time to prepare, but I'm very glad that I have been able to work for as long as I have. It has kept my mind off of my disease and allowed us to save some additional money. If I had gone on full-time disability back then, I'm not sure that I would still be here.
John

Dx Stage IIIC (14 of 36 LNs +) Jan 07, age 42
Colectomy Jan 07
Folfox + Erb'x Mar 07
Recurrence in Lymph Nodes Feb 08
Folfiri + Avastin Apr 08
NED Dec 08
Recurrence in lungs & pelvic LNs May 09
Folfiri/Avastin May 09 - Nov 09
Erb'x/Irino Dec 09

gep
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Location: Chicago, IL

Re: Disability

Postby gep » Sat Jun 12, 2010 1:41 pm

Remember, at Social Security they will ask you what date you're alleging as the onset of your disability. Put the earliest date you can - maybe when you stopped working full-time. Tell them you've tried to keep up a full work schedule and then a part time one and you couldn't do it. The earlier they find that you were disabled, the more back benefits you can get (although it can never be more than 12 months of benefits) and the sooner you reach the 24 months which gives you medicare eligibility. There's also something called a trial work period with SSDI where you can try working again for up to 9 months and still remain eligible so even though you're opting to apply for SSDI now, if things get better they won't penalize you for trying work again. Also, you can work part-time and get SSDI as long as what you make doesn't go over their limits. Ask about this, too, when you go to apply.
caregiver to Eli
dx 8/07 3B
7/09 - liver & celiac lym node
1/10 Liver Res & Lym nodes out
7/10 Back - Liver & other lym nodes
12/12 hit chemo wall
1/12 Clin Trial - MEK & AKT inhibitors
3/12 Trial failed/ spheres 4/12
7/30/13 Eli died.

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fourT's
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Re: Disability

Postby fourT's » Sat Jun 12, 2010 5:42 pm

Guest T wrote:John,

SSI takes along time to come though. Go ahead and apply now. The LTD company will make you anyway.Remember the LTD has to be paid back most people think that it's free money. When you get SSI you will get a big check retroactive that will have to be paid for whatever amount the LTD Co paid you. Go ahead and get an attorney and apply there is no reason to go for LTD if you know you will eventually get SSI.


This post bothers me. My husband is just about out of short-term disability and LTD will start on 6/28. His employers carried the LTD but are you saying that it has to be paid back? It just doesn't sound right. Anyone else out have to pay it back?

Tracy
Husband dx 4/08 @ 38
Stage IV
colon resect 4/08/liver resect 10/08
11/09 NED-3/10 colo-pleural fistula/ileo
6/10 ileo rev
3/13 mets to peritoneum/HIPEC
Chemo since 9/14
wife/18 yr dau/14 yr son-Loves God!

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Kathleen808
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Re: Disability

Postby Kathleen808 » Sat Jun 12, 2010 10:28 pm

Hi,
What I have found out is Disability insurance really varies. My husband does not pay his back. He is on LTD and can stay on it till he retires. It is 50%. But, we believe he can file for SSD and get both. We are very grateful and can thank his union for this coverage. I think the last thing we should all have to worry about is money at this time. It is just not right.
Best to everyone.

Aloha,
Kathleen
Kathleen
DH 1/09 3c 51yr rsct
Folfx 3/09
1 l nd 9/09 Flfri Avstn
PET clr 6/10
Folfri Avstn 7/10
ND 10/10
1/11 lng mets Flfri Avastn
ND 2/12
9/12 Flfri Avastn
10/12 grwth lng mts Erbtx Avstn Irintcn
1/13 stabl
9/13 grwth
8/16/14 passed into eternal peace

Surroundedbylove
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Re: Disability

Postby Surroundedbylove » Sun Jun 13, 2010 7:55 pm

fourT's wrote:
Guest T wrote:John,

SSI takes along time to come though. Go ahead and apply now. The LTD company will make you anyway.Remember the LTD has to be paid back most people think that it's free money. When you get SSI you will get a big check retroactive that will have to be paid for whatever amount the LTD Co paid you. Go ahead and get an attorney and apply there is no reason to go for LTD if you know you will eventually get SSI.


This post bothers me. My husband is just about out of short-term disability and LTD will start on 6/28. His employers carried the LTD but are you saying that it has to be paid back? It just doesn't sound right. Anyone else out have to pay it back?

Tracy

I think what is meant is that if you receive group policy LTD benefits, the policy benefits are usually reduced by what you receive from social security disability benefits . So, when you receive the SSDI initial check, people receiving Group LTD benefits pay the amount if SSDI income to the Group policy insurer. Bottom line us to read the actual group policy - not just a summary - to understand how your group policy works.
Surroundedbylove

Rectal Cancer @ 43, '08
Clinical: T3,N2a,MX (IIIB)
6 wks XELOX & radiation
LAR, colonic j-pouch, & temp ileo '09
Surgical: ypT3,ypN0,ypMX (0 of 20 nodes)
FOLFOX; XELOX
Ileo Takedown ‘09
LARS for 10 years before learning it is finally being studied
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Candyys03
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Re: Disability

Postby Candyys03 » Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:36 pm

I believe the amount you get from LTD depends on how much you made working each month.
You get the SSD (whatever you qualify for) and then the difference in the LTD. It adds up to what you made each month on your paycheck.
I have never heard of paying the LTD back.
Maybe it depends on what kind of LTD insurance coverage you have.

Candy
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Bev G
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Re: Disability

Postby Bev G » Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:26 am

Hi:

I wanted to add a couple of things. My experience was like many others; the stage 4 diagnosis sort of automatically gets one SSDI. You also don't have to fill out that really long part of the application on line, just the initial short part then call them and they will do the rest over the phone. My rep was wonderful. A couple of people have said that they will only go back a year, but I don't think that's true. My rep was working on my application w/three different diagnoses; the cancer, my herniated disc for which the failed surgery was 5 years ago, and depression. She worked very hard to get it to go back 5 years for the disc (which shocked me they would even consider it) and the only reason SS didn't do it is I hadn't complained enough about the sciatica to my PCP over the years. My CRC was diagnosed in 12/09. They went back to 1/9 as the start of my disability because I happened to be seeing someone for depression at the time. SS said my PCP notes about my depression would not have been sufficient, but because I actually saw a therapist for a couple of months around that time they could make the SSDI retroactive to then. So John, I would try making your claim for the first date the cancer interfered with your usual work. I found it really hard emotionally to file for disability after working since I was 16, including throughout college. It made me feel kind of defeated, but then several people said to me sort of what your doc said--you've worked forever, and you've paid very dearly into the system. This is a time to take good care of yourself.

Wishing you the best, Bev
58 yo Type1 DM 48 years
12/09 Stage IV 2/22 nodes + liver met, colon resec
3 tx FOLFIRI, liver resec 4/10
9/10 6 mos off chemo, Neg PET&CTC CEA nl
2/11 finished total 10 rounds chemo

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Terry
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Re: Disability

Postby Terry » Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:37 am

John, I'm sorry somehow I missed your post earlier. Make sure when you apply for social security you tell them your terminal. As soon as I told my caseworker that she said there is a "compassionate care" law for those terminal and mine went through immediately. There is a 6 month waiting period which they make retroactive with your original diagnosis. It really doesn't take long at all when your in our shoes. I would call the S.S. office and ask them if you should do it now or after your LTD runs out.
DX 7/3/07
Chemo, radiation, 20 mo. chemo, IMRT, cyberknife, 6/11 lobectomy.
1/16 resection perm. colostomy intraop. rad.
PET 2/12 nose, thyroid, liver, lngs
Folfox 3/12
Lord I know You'll keep me here until
you know I cannot suffer any longer!

Surroundedbylove
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Re: Disability

Postby Surroundedbylove » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:24 am

Candyys03 wrote:I believe the amount you get from LTD depends on how much you made working each month.
You get the SSD (whatever you qualify for) and then the difference in the LTD. It adds up to what you made each month on your paycheck.
I have never heard of paying the LTD back.
Maybe it depends on what kind of LTD insurance coverage you have.

Candy



Yes - usually group LTD (and individually owned LTD) policies are designed to give you benefits equal to a percentage of your earnings (averaged over a certain time period - sometimes the prior year). It does not always add up to what you made on your paycheck - the benefits are frequently 67% of your earning, capped at a certain dollar amount per month BUT each policy is different - some pay less and some people have a low cap (that was my case). If you pay the premium on the policy or you pay tax on the amount of the premium an employer paid, then I think that the 67% is a benefit not subject to income tax (because you've already paid the tax) - if that's not the case, then you have to plan to pay the tax. This is the way it was all described to me. The social security part is deducted once you're receiving social security - in most cases - Candy is correct about that part (the difference is paid from the group/individual policy). Because the first SSDI check is usually for "back pay" benefits (up to that date, and usually you get LTD pay before you get the SSDI, that's why you frequently have to pay that first SSDI check back to the LTD company.

It is confusing but I think if everyone reads in detail their own LTD policies (or group policies) and look at pay stubs to see if you pay tax on the premium being paid, then you'll have a much better understanding of your benefits.

SBL
Surroundedbylove

Rectal Cancer @ 43, '08
Clinical: T3,N2a,MX (IIIB)
6 wks XELOX & radiation
LAR, colonic j-pouch, & temp ileo '09
Surgical: ypT3,ypN0,ypMX (0 of 20 nodes)
FOLFOX; XELOX
Ileo Takedown ‘09
LARS for 10 years before learning it is finally being studied
InterStim Sacral Nerve Neuromodulator 2019


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