Long Term Disabiltiy

[erikainorlando]

I am sure this topic has been posted a million times but I have long term disabiltiy insurance and am really struggling to get it aproved!!

My EP hgas provided my TTT and notes and holter montior and event monitor but as my hr is normal when I go in the office on my toprol (sitting). They are saying why can't I do a senditary job (I am a computer programmer). I can't do a sedintary job as I can't be even sitting for any length of time (have to lay down)....this is true even on toprol.

Anyone have similair experience trying to get disabiltiy? Any advice?

Thanks!!!

Erika

[potsgirl]

Hi Erika,

I also had a lengthy time getting my long-term disability, but it was approved after 9 months, and then they had to give me back pay. What I did was to write up all of my symptoms and how they affected me so that I really couldn't work even a part-time job, had my doctor read it over, and then she made a couple of changes and signed it. You have to send a very detailed letter to them specifically indicating just why you cannot work, and state in that letter from the doctor that you are unable "to sustain any full or part-time work". That did it for me, and it's been a Godsend. I go to court for federal disability in 3 weeks.

Let me know if you have more questions - you can always send me a PM.

Good luck,

Jana

[janiedelite]

I also had a lengthy time getting my long-term disability, but it was approved after 9 months, and then they had to give me back pay. What I did was to write up all of my symptoms and how they affected me so that I really couldn't work even a part-time job, had my doctor read it over, and then she made a couple of changes and signed it. You have to send a very detailed letter to them specifically indicating just why you cannot work, and state in that letter from the doctor that you are unable "to sustain any full or part-time work". That did it for me, and it's been a Godsend.

Yes! I initially received long-term disability (LTD) payments due to a hip injury from a car accident, but POTS set in around the same time. Now my hip is mostly healed, but I can't work because of POTS. Every 6 months or so, they have my doctor fill out paper work describing my diagnoses and symptoms. We make a separate appointment just for this paperwork so we can sit together are detail all of my symptoms. Last time, included a letter like Jana described but I called it "A Day In My Life" and described in detail the difficulties I face showering, driving, etc. I think we just get used to living with our disabilities after a while and forget all of the extra steps we go through to accomplish simple tasks. So really try to think about what simple tasks require from you and talk about how you feel on your worst days. Be specific!!! I know we often try to appear as normal as possible, but when I talk with my LTD rep I even tell them about how talking increases my chest pain, skin pain, tachycardia, etc. so that they can feel like what it's like to walk in my shoes.

Right now, I'm still in the initial 2-year period where they have to pay me if I can't return to my original job (nursing). But they've asked me if I could do something even as sedentary as phone triage nursing and I can't and they're still paying. They have to call every 3 months to see if my condition has gotten better, but I keep saying "Nope my nerves haven't healed yet!"

Keep fighting... they delay as long as possible and when they finally payed me I got 5 months of back-pay too. Take care, Janie

[Lgamez3]

This is a topic I am not ready for but dont have much choice anymore. End of July my short term disability expires and turns into long term disability. Just dealing with the short term is maddening! I cant even imagine what the long term paperwork will be like!

Im nervous about this!

[EarthMother]

Paper work is what it is all about.

I couldn't have handled all of the red tape and requirements on my own without my husband's help.

We have copies of all of the lab notes, hospital notes, doctor records and forms ... all scanned into the computer and filed. So that it is easier to pull together for various check points when things are needed.

When I was filing out forms for long term disability whether it was private insurance from my employer or SSDI from the government, I would schedule an appointment with my physician or specialist so that we could review the forms together. I made multiple copies of the forms so that we could review them and then I'd pull out dates and lab tests so that the Doctor had all the information he needed to complete the detailed forms.

I gave my Doctor's copies of my forms that I filled out ... so they understood from the surveys what my daily life was about ... i.e. can you wash your hair, cook dinner without assistance.

My husband had kept copious notes during the last few years that I worked. So he submitted extra data about the decline in hours I was able to put in at the office. He added several paragraphs about his observations and what things he has to do for me on a daily basis.

When the forms said you could use more paper if needed .... we used more paper and supplied as much information as possible for every facet of the illness.

So often we try and put on a "good front" and try to maintain the illusion that we can do more than we are actually doing. It was really hard for me to see in black and white, what had happened to my life. But we were brutally honest ... honest, not exagerated. We didn't stretch the truth .. but we told the truth as it is. We gave examples of what I was able to do before the decline and what I am able to do now. We made sure to indicate that even though some of the tasks that I can do today, I will be unable to do the same thing tomorrow. Because there is an important issue of consistency that they need to apperceive. We just don't have the day to day reliability any more because of the Dysautonomia turns on a dime.

Good luck. Don't give up. And try to be as organized and patient as possible.

It is a roller coaster process .... try not to get caught up in the highs or the lows of the paper chase.