I have been out of work since I developed my first symptom- acute radiculopathy - extreme intense right sided back pain that made it difficult to walk since May. Apparently this is a first symptom in 86% of European neuroborreliosis.
I am the nurse manager of a psychiatric unit and they would not let me work even in a sedentary capacity. I exhausted my sick time, short term disability (8/17) and have been denied long term disability.
I am single, have no other source of income; Now have to pay COBRA at $440/month. I am almost completely out of savings at this point. My only hope is to apply for social security.
Has anyone else applied for disability? Do you have any input/advice? If all of my tremors, speech, eyesight, movement problems, extreme fatigue, horrible insomnia etc etc were not enough I am now financially depleted.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- You might inquire about applying for your state Medicaid health coverage and, if that is possible, once it would be working, then drop Cobra.
First step.
You will get more replies and this can work out, somehow. So many of us have asked the same questions as you. One breath at a time. -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
Includes detail on how to apply for SSA disability coverage -- and the kinds of "proof" in symptoms to back that up.
Remember, you've paid into this kind of insurance coverage for such a situation. Hold your head high, even if a tall chair is behind your neck. -
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
I think you will need to work with a Social Security disability attorney.
Posted by MADDOG (Member # 18) on :
Age has a lot to do with getting disability. The younger you are the harder it is to get.
Robin is correct you need a top notch attorney.
Call your senators? ask for help. (Write a letter to them a form letter you will get back).
And yes you need to go for Medicaid . I qualified, didn't know it, and lost an opertunity to get a bunch of things fixed while I had 0 income and the time to be laid up.
I could have had my back,both shoulders,fixed. To late now, I will live to my death with back and terrible shoulder pain.No way can i afford the co payments. MADDOG
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
One of the requirements to get Social Security Disability is that your condition is expected to last at least one year.
With lyme, I doubt you are going to be able to get a doctor to say that your condition will DEFINITELY last more than a year. So, this is going to be a problem.
This problem will disappear in May 2017 when you have been out of work for a year.
You see, Social Security Disability was not meant for short-term disabilities. So, anyone who MAY recover within a year will not be approved.
Also, you do not get Social Security Disability benefits until you serve a waiting period. That waiting period is 5 months. So, no payments until you have been out of work for that length of time.
I got put on SSDI when I was young. It's based on what you're capable of doing and your earning potential. Exact diagnosis and age isn't the sole determining factor.
Doctors letters help with SSDI, but the main thing SSDI needs is something called a Functional Capacity Questionnaire filled out by a doctor. It describes what you can't do.
This can put the courts in your favor.
If I had it to do over, I'd hire a good SSDI attorney ASAP.
I wasted 4-5 years trying to do it myself.
I finally hired an attorney and he saw where the holes were in my file. He got the situation turned to my favor fast.
The attorney won't charge you anything up front either.
Good luck!
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
Oh, and apply for disability ASAP (check on that year waiting period, not sure how that applies).
When you get awarded, they back pay to the date of your application.
It's typical to get denied, just keep appealing (this is why an attorney is so helpful, to speed all this up).
You might also qualify for SSI or unemployment in the meantime.
Apply for everything you can and talk to an attorney. Consults and everything should be free with an attorney for SSDI, till you get awarded.
Also, there are disability attorneys too that get your work benefits for you. I don't know how their work fee wise.