UPDATE ON DISAILIBTY /CC
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I was not aware either of the work of the Foundation in helping our patient population gain their SS disability benefits. Thank you CC Foundation for the work you do in our behalf.
Julie T.
marions wrote:Congratulations, dear deadlift, your persistence paid off.A little tidbit: Prior to 2006 cholangiocarcinoma patients had to fight for benefits. This prompted a Texas attorney to challenge the Social Security Administration and with the help of the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation the rulings changed resulting in the automatic granting of Social Security benefits for our patient population.
Hugs,
MarionWell good work for the foundation. I actually noticed benefits and check date on the web site before they sent confirmation which i found odd. I
Thanks!Congratulations, dear deadlift, your persistence paid off.
A little tidbit: Prior to 2006 cholangiocarcinoma patients had to fight for benefits. This prompted a Texas attorney to challenge the Social Security Administration and with the help of the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation the rulings changed resulting in the automatic granting of Social Security benefits for our patient population.
Hugs,
MarionI think she didn’t want to acknowledge the cancer nor the ability to get disability. she doesn’t think it’s even worth the money i think, given the short conversations we’ve had on it. I saw where someone had a response in 2 weeks. always something to wait for i guess
Yes, it was 60 days pretty much to hear back from SS about the acceptance they said, but it’s pretty much a formality once they see the medical work….a guaranteed acceptance, since the cancer diagnosis for CC is on their list of special diseases that don’t require the usualwaiting period. I think mine came through a little faster than the 60 days….but then you still have to wait for the first check to be distributed. So glad I did it.
I understand about your wife not wanting to go to an appointment and sit. At the time I went, I was two months past surgery and just before starting chemo and the blood clots. I wouldn’t have wanted to go sit at an appointment after that either.
Iowagirl wrote:deadlift,I actually made an appointment with a SS representative locally and spoke with him in person. It was far simpler. All I had to do is give him the name of my doctors and their contact info, my cancer diagnosis as well as any other major illnesses I think, and then he had a lot of basic question answer stuff. I signed something giving them permission to talk with my doctors, so I didn’t have to personally arrange for anything.
I can’t imagine that they need ALL medical records….but that’s where it was really handier to do this in person than on the website. There is probably some phone number you can call, or a place on the website with an email contact to ask this kind of question, but I can see it dragging out. Mine was started late May and approved in July, but I personally didn’t have to do anything after meeting with the guy in the office in May.
I guess Since you started on the web, you might try calling or emailing SS to ask just what they mean exactly by medical records….just what specifically they want. I am pretty sure they’d want anything having to do with The CC…..when symptoms showed up…..because they do use that as part of the waiting time before getting payments started. The guy I spoke to wanted to know ANYthing that looked like it might be symptoms….but as you know, there aren’t usually any untill things get really serious and you get diagnosed, so in our cancer/disease, that isn’t super helpful, but in my case, I didn’t apply for disability until 3 months after surgery (and thus 4 months after the tumor was found .
Julie
Julie
Thanks! I think we have it sorted out. The biggest hurdle really was it didn’t seem like my wife had much interest in pursuing it, or the paper work. I filled everything online first, with all the information I had, doctors, treatments etc etc. First diagnosis was after easter so that ought to cover the waiting time I think. We used the medical records from her hospital discharge that had everything on it.
I agree that going in person would have been more insightful but my wife wanted nothing to do with appointments or waiting in line etc. I’ve got all the papers mailed out as of last week so we will see. It should be pretty straight forward at this point. Though they said it can take 60 days to process to a decision.
Thanks again!
deadlift,
I actually made an appointment with a SS representative locally and spoke with him in person. It was far simpler. All I had to do is give him the name of my doctors and their contact info, my cancer diagnosis as well as any other major illnesses I think, and then he had a lot of basic question answer stuff. I signed something giving them permission to talk with my doctors, so I didn’t have to personally arrange for anything.
I can’t imagine that they need ALL medical records….but that’s where it was really handier to do this in person than on the website. There is probably some phone number you can call, or a place on the website with an email contact to ask this kind of question, but I can see it dragging out. Mine was started late May and approved in July, but I personally didn’t have to do anything after meeting with the guy in the office in May.
I guess Since you started on the web, you might try calling or emailing SS to ask just what they mean exactly by medical records….just what specifically they want. I am pretty sure they’d want anything having to do with The CC…..when symptoms showed up…..because they do use that as part of the waiting time before getting payments started. The guy I spoke to wanted to know ANYthing that looked like it might be symptoms….but as you know, there aren’t usually any untill things get really serious and you get diagnosed, so in our cancer/disease, that isn’t super helpful, but in my case, I didn’t apply for disability until 3 months after surgery (and thus 4 months after the tumor was found .
Julie
Julie
curious what all did you have to send in for social security? i filled the web form out and it said to mail in medical records. like all of them?!
One more note about Medicare. If you are going to go on Medicare during a year, and you want to have a Health Savings Account, you will only be able to put in $$ for the proportion of the year that you are NOT on Medicare. The bank/credit union/etc that sets up your HSA will know what the formula is to determine the amount you can deposit into the account.
In my case, I set up the account back in Jan or FEb, before I knew that I was going to be on Medicare as of July 1. So, I will need to contact the credit union and ask if I need to do anything or if since I did it before finding out that I was going to be on Medicare in July, I can leave the amount alone. I have been not using the account for now…until I get questions asked and get it straightened out.
More to come as I get info.
Julie T.
My ducks “were” in a row, back in 2014, but now things have changed regarding insurance and SS and disability.
When my husband retired, he effectively changed my insurance status with the company (a retiree’s policy ) and with SS.
Sincre I was no longer on an active working person’s group policy, I no longer could opt out of medicare until 65 while on disability. So, recently, I received a letter from SS saying that as of July 1, I will be on Medicare, whether I like it or not. If my husband had continued to work…..and stayed on the active employee insurance plan, then we could have gone forward with the original plan. But, …… that one change messed up the best laid plans.
At first, I was miffed, but figured that I’d just get the really good supplement like my husband has and so be it. However, today, when I called to sign up for one, I found out that there is NO supplement available for me in our area since I’ m on disability. Nobody is selling it. I am forced to take a Medicare Advantage PPO type policy instead. It will only be until next April 1, when I turn 65 and then can convert to a supplemental type insurance and drop the Medicare Advantage, but it still is a problem because no cancer center in town or anywhere remotely close is in network. And….I go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester for my oncology appts and scans…and they are not in network, nor are the hospitals. I can still go there, but every thing will be 40 % of the cost for my out of pocket. I did find out that there is a deductible amount at least…..$7500 for out of network doctors/hospitals/services per year so once I have reached that, I will no longer have to pay, even in out of network facilities. It will be a big pain …..as I will have to pay any bills personally and then apply for reimbursement. And.. . .I’ve already been on my retiree policy for half a year and almost met that out of pocket max of almost $5K. It would be “nice” if the out of pocket amount we’ve already paid with the retiree policy could transfer to the Medicare Advantage policy, but I don’t think that would be the case. If I find out any different, I will post about it.
As I said… ..at least it is only until next April 1 …..but we had worked so hard two years ago to make sure that everything was set up . But, at that time, I did sa y that an ything can change…and that especially goes for the government. Sooooo, …….. as you can see, everybody’s situation can be different…and it certainly can change. I was very upset earlier today, but eventually calmed down when I found out the max amounts I would have to pay. And….I don’t care for the idea that there are so few places that take Medicare Advantage . But, I need to keep my fingers crossed that nothing major comes up the rest of this year and next year until April 1.
H ope this might help somebody else..
Julie T.
Last born,
I was age 62 when I applied for SS and also applied for disability at the same time and was eventually approved for disability. When I reach full retirement age, then my disability amount stays the same and converts to the same amount under social security.
I was first on SS for two months and now will be bumped up for my next check this month to disability amount (about $200 + more per month). After 24 months, on disability, I am eligible for Medicare early at age 64+ However, I don’t have to take it until I reach age 65 if I don’t want to (we have an excellent medical plan that I may want to hang onto as long as possible even though it will cost some more out of pocket).
It seems to me that there is a glitch in the system….that disabled is disabled……no matter when. In my mind….it would seem that the SS payment should go up to the disability amount no matter when you are disabled. Gah…..trying to understand the government!!!!
One caveat to disability is if you are already are receiving Medicare, you are not eligible for disability. I verified this with SS. Even though you work beyond 65, once on Medicare you are not eligible. If anyone has had other experience, would like to know.
Duke…two weeks and you are approved for disability? I wonder whether you came across so well informed that rather then having to encounter you again the SS case worker sped up the approval process? So glad you achieved your goal so quickly. Wonder who will answer the phone discussing your next quest?
Hugs,
MarionAfter some initial bumps in the road with SS, I did a phone interview and flooded the person with info. I didn’t hear anything for a month and called back to find out that I had been fast-tracked and approved for disability in two weeks. The best part of the phone interview was that I was put into a call back queue and did not have to wait, listening to messages and music for over an hour.
After all the horror stories I had heard about SS I was blown away by the cooperation I got. Of course, they were supposed to convert me from retirement to disability July 1 but that did not happen. Time for another call.
Duke
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