janineerrn Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 Hello,I found out something interesting today through the info in my LTD policy. If you are on SSDI you have a 9 month "trial work period" where you can go back to work and continue to receive the same benefit, no reduction, and it doesnt matter how much you make.I feel really lucky that I have been aproved for the LTD I have, I get 60% of my salary and I thank God every day!! I almost lost everything and thought about how horrid it would be to have to sell my house and use the equity to live and rent and have no place to retire to (I plan on retiring from my disability at some point, AM I RETIRED, OMG never looked at it that way, gonna cry now)My LTD requires me to apply for SSDI and what ever that amount is will be deducted from my monthly LTD check. Which made me think They dont want us to survive do they? I paid for LTD while I worked, I paid into social security. Why cant I have both? Why do I have to fight for it ? Why am i being treated like Im lazy and I sit home all day and eat bon bon's in bed all day in my pink fuzzy slippers?I would do just about anything to go back to working 60-70 hours, 12 hour night shifts in the ER. I loved my job!!Ok so I am not lazy, Im just exhausted from my illness and fighting with the doctors and medical insurance and rx and medical records and the flu. Now I have to pay a lawyer a big chunk of money I need that will be deducted from my private LTD benefit............ umm i hope my LTD company is providing me with a lawyer or am I too scared to stand up for myself and make waves because I know someone is being paid a lot of money to be scanning my life and paperwork with a fine tooth comb to look for any reason to drop me so i am forced to give up my bon bon's and move to public housing.Someone started a thread on feeling like the ground was moving underneath them.... Its the system, all of them, the medical, government, our society, they each have a hand on the end of the rug that is under our feet and they are yanking on it trying to pull it out from under our feet.Are we ever allowed to catch our breath?Peace All,Janine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lulu Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 Someone started a thread on feeling like the ground was moving underneath them.... Its the system, all of them, the medical, government, our society, they each have a hand on the end of the rug that is under our feet and they are yanking on it trying to pull it out from under our feet.Are we ever allowed to catch our breath?Amen, sister! And aren't we "easy marks?" We fall down so easily anyhow!! hey, you fight them, j-9! as dizzygirl says: "Don't take no crud!!" you are in my thoughts and prayers for all to work out OK. you shouldn't have to give up what you've worked hard for because of illness. that's the whole purpose of these "safety nets." Please keep us posted!! We are all behind you!love and light,strength and courage,Lulu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Tired Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I was on LTD... for 6 months. I was arbitrarily cut off by a doctor who I had never seen... I had to get a lawyer and it took 2 years to get SSDI. Finally the SS lawyer got the LTD company to "settle". No, I dd not even get a small percentage of what they would have owed me.... Go to court?? Would have taken years and I had already waited YEARS. I am just glad to have that door shut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunfish Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 i definitely can relate to the feeling of "one more thing". it truly does feel like it never ends at times (er...all the time). dealing with all the systems, rules, regs, etc is the pits - and that's once you've figured out what they are in the first place.i did want to clarify though in regard to the LTD policy though of subtracting requiring SSDI application & subtracting any SSDI payments. i am NOT trying to defend LTD companies in general by any means - they are not without fault and i still can't believe how rotten they can be (to gayle especially as well as others). it infuriates me. but with that said, it is their wrong-doing/choice in regard to the SSDI stipulations/regulations/subtractions. it is in fact a decision made by the employer who originally purchased/contracted for the LTD policy. having these provisions makes the policies MUCH more affordable for companies. there are LTD policies available that do not have the SSDI stipulations but most companies choose to purchase those that cost less. not saying i agree, but just saying it was a choice made by the employer long ago...not something the LTD folks are pulling out of their hat. (which isn't to say they can't pull other things out of their hat).re: the LTD company providing you an attorney, obviously you have to check with yours, but it's to their advantage that you recieve SSDI, so i'm guessing they have something in the policy to allow for attorney fee reimbursement. how mine works is that - while they could give me names - i could chose attorney and any usual & customary fees incurred (for any decent attorney, ONLY if SSDI is actually awarded) is NOT taken into account when my LTD benefit is reduced by the SSDI payments. does this make sense? i'm not explaining it well at all but the bottom line is that i don't have to pay anything for the attorney. so i would definitely ask about this...but yep, all the hurdles we must jump over to stay afloat are certainly exhausting..... melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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