Questions for introspection

[Freelander]

Pavel

Also once you hit retirement age you are no longer considered Disabled you considered Retired.

 

[Freelander]

Something else to consider

Employers are required to consider ‘Reasonable Accommodations’, like adding a handicap parking space, or allowing an employee to use the back door instead of the front door. Reasonable Accommodations is to allow the ‘disabled’ employee the ability to do their job, without placing an undo burden on the Employer. This are simple things that the Employer can do to help the employee.

My wife was a nurse with the VA, we went through all the channels to find out what we could do.

She went to the SS office and asked them about it.

They asked her ‘when was the last day she WAS able to work’, she told them she was still working and that went she was no longer able to work, to come back and apply for disability. She went to HR at the VA and was told unless she received a letter from SS that she had applied for disability, there was nothing that HR could do. She was not a Vet and had to work through OPM for any assistants. Just because you apply for disability, doesn’t mean you will get it. It just means you have applied.

We looked at any Reasonable Accommodations that the VA could provide and didn’t find any. She had to quit working and apply for SSDI. She was told very clearly that Disability is not permanent, and every so often she would receive a letter from SS asking about her ‘employment status’, and if she ignored the letters, that she could be cut off form any benefits she received. And that at retirement age she would be converted to retired and not considered disabled.

It took 27 months waiting for a hearing before she received any rating from SS about her status, and we were told again that disability is not permanent. And her status could be reevaluated from time to time.

There was NO Doctor present at the hearing, just some ‘Vocational Expert’, that told the Judge my wife was unable to work any sedentary job. She was basing off of the Dr reports. It could have gone different, but the fact the wife was using her walker to the hearing probably helped.

 

[jacqueg]

At least some people in this discussion appear to be conflating SSDI and SSI. they are different. One of them (and I forget which one) does require periodic reviews to make sure the recipient still meets the criteria.

https://www.disabilitybenefitscenter.org/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-ssdi-and-ssi

I have a brother with a developmental disability. He managed to work for a number of years, but usually at temp jobs. He got fired a lot because people just found his behavior too odd. Getting SS disability for him was very complicated, and like most people who try, he needed an attorney.

BtW - my brother is a hero in my eyes. No one ever tried harder or more persistently to get and keep a job. But - his brain just doesn't work "right".

 

[Freelander]

We went through an Attorney as well.

 

[LERCA]

SSI is welfare as a case worker told me (who got in big trouble for saying that) It’s for people without SSDI or who don’t have enough quarters to get SS when they retire. In California all disabilities require periodic reviews. SSDI is for people who are working and contributing to SS.

Unless I can get more quarters in I will only get STRS not SS. Mine is teacher retirement. They screwed up big time and denied me disability and by the time I found out it was too late to fix. So I got SSI which anyone can get whether they have paid into SS or not (I did before I became a teacher.)

If you work ten yours in any pension plan you are eligible for Medicare. I worked 36 years total before my injury then cancer so I get Medicare. My situation is a weird one and always requires a supervisor.

My brother who is disabled since birth gets Medi-cal and disability but neither SSI or SSDI. It’s far from simple in California and confusing and the case workers act like they are giving out their own money. Even he gets periodic reviews. We are doing one now.

 

[bullfrog]

A lot of teacher retirement systems don’t or haven’t participated in the social security program. I cashed out my teaching retirement and became a county employee which gave me credit for my teaching time. Our system also allowed me to buy my military time as well. All of this allowed me to retire at 53 years old and allowed me to receive regular social security when I reached my age requirement. Many school superintendents are secretaries for the school board as well as being a superintendent which is a county position which contributes to social security and allows them to gain enough quarters to get social security. Teaching Retirement can be a real nightmare to deal with as is any system that doesn’t or has the option of participating in social security. Teachers be aware!

 

[Freelander]

Dealing with Medicare is an example of 'Government at its Finest'. It took 6 months to get her a Hospital Bed, finally I called the store where I was to get the bed and asked them what I needed to do, he handed me the paperwork and I hand carried it to her Dr, and she did all the paperwork.

She needed a new Wheelchair, I was told Wheelchairs lasts 5 years. You try sitting your butt in a wheelchair for 5 years and see what happens!! After about 3 years they fall apart, it's quicker to just order one yourself.

I was paying out of my pocket for a lady to come in once a day and check on her and feed for lunch, Medicare doesn't cover that. We went through a long line of worthless Aids, most of them just stopped showing up at all, no notice, just quit. And we had at least one of them that was stealing from us.

And a Wheelchair Van!!! Forget about that. I borrowed against my retirement to buy her one, I had to give $12,000 for a 10 year old Van with 100,000 miles on it, it had a book value of $6,000. When you add the lift, it doubles the price, and the bank won't loan on it.

Not to mention all of the Adult Diapers, and other items I had to buy.

And did I mention Home Health, we got turned in twice because some self righteous nurse didn't like the way I was taking care of her. I was working fulltime, and wasn't home to care for her all day. Yet they NEVER offered services unless I payed for them. And most of those were over priced.

Plus when she went to the Nursing Home, if I could have gotten her on one of those 'programs', I would have to sign away the House, her Life Insurance, and her 401k. Plus I could not have more than $2000 in the Bank, and have more than $150,000 in MY 401k.

I was in that grey area where I didn't make enough to pay for the Nursing Home, but I made to much to have the State help me, her care was costing $6000 a month.

Yes my opinion of SS and Medicare is very low.

 

[jacqueg]

the last thing anyone should have to worry about when someone you love is ill is whether you're gonna run out of money.

Yet - here we are.

So much pain in these posts...

 

[Freelander]

Yes you can't afford to get sick, luckily her parents helped out with some of this. They don't have a lot of money but they helped when they could.

 

[Freelander]

The only bright side was her Health Insurance, when she went on SSDI, she was forced into Medicare, and with her BlueCross from the Government it covered most everything. FedBlue is GOOD insurance.

Her trips to the Hospital were payed for, her Dr visits were payed for, the rides in the Ambulance were payed. One of her medications was $15,000 a month!! The Insurance payed for it, the last one she was on, cost $5,000 a month.

She was in and out of the Hospital 5 or 6 times last year, at well over $15,000 a trip.

I still own about $18,000 for her Nursing Home bill, but I have that covered.

She passes away Nov 22nd.

 

[Tam O'Bedlam]

I don't post very often, but I have been coming to CRVL for about 10 years now. I was looking at living nomadic and came across the blog, which was full of useful information for me. Eventually I decided that a van rather than an RV was the best choice for me. It took nearly 2 years to find my van, and then another 18 months to convert it myself, evenings and weekends in-between working full time.

From reading the forum here I learned that a mistake in building isn't forever. You can try again, sometimes many times. I learned what *I* need in a living space is different than what someone else needs in a living space, and that's fine.

I was never much for letting other people's opinions boss how I live my life, but now? Now I NEVER let someone else decide what is best for me, what's important for me.

I am starting into my 3rd year FT in my van. I learned that simple is enough. I learned that those sunrises and sunsets I so rarely got to enjoy in a S&B are just as enthralling and satisfying in year 3 as they were in year 1.

 

[NctryBen]

Reading people’s responses tell me either I’m not crazy or we all are. Haha! I’m in a s&b just to finish it as a cabin for my kids. When it gets cold as it’s going to be the next few days I camp out in it. Otherwise I like my little camper build. I got it in the firehall right now so I can putter on it. Putting in a diesel heater right now. But I can live just as well in my truck itself... take out everything but the drivers seat and my dog and I are quite comfortable. I’m very impressed with the women out there living the nomadic lifestyle. Sure makes sense to me when I hear what people are paying to rent anything to just live in whatever you got or can get. The way they charge property tax now is crazy... you buy anything with a s&b your more enslaved then free. So, I’m handing over the keys to the cabin here to my kids and if they want to sell? Good. If not and can keep it up, good! But for me... the road is my friend. For years my road was the waterways of northern Ontario and Manitoba. Traveling by canoe back where nobody goes was what I enjoyed. You’d come on a lake with an outpost cabin and once in a while a boat would speed over and ask how you got there. When I told them I paddled and portaged there they were like, “you can do that?” It probable took a float plane to bring them in an hour. Me to get there? Couple weeks maybe.... haha! Bottom line, to me the simple life is so much better then what 99% of people live. Maybe we’re the 1% people think are so rich. Hahaha!