Social Security Application

[krisjohn53223]

Julie....I have been talking to someone about once a week from my local office. I have been calling her almost weekly to update her on new apppointments, hospitalizations, surgeries, etc. I talked to her last about 1 1/2 weeks ago and at that time I had to look what was going on. All she could tell me was that my case is still "open" which means they are still deciding. Beth's office also contacted me to see if I have heard anything and I told them what I just told you. I got an e-mail yesterday from Beth's office saying they are going to try to contact social security to find out what is taking so long. I know the worst thing would be to return to work, but I am beyond broke! We don't qualify for SSI, My husband makes less than I did, I have lost my insurance, this is just a mess! I jsut want an answer either way! How long do the appeals usually take?

 

[julie]

Kris, being that you are no longer employed, have you applied for state medial coverage? There is no easy answer to how long appeals take. I've had ones take 2 weeks, or 27 months...

 

[julie]

Kris, being that you are no longer employed, have you applied for state medial coverage? There is no easy answer to how long appeals take. I've had ones take 2 weeks, or 27 months...

 

[julie]

Kris, being that you are no longer employed, have you applied for state medial coverage? There is no easy answer to how long appeals take. I've had ones take 2 weeks, or 27 months...
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[JennifersHope]

Also, did you tell Beth how broke you are, That is when she was able to apply for an expedited financial crisis decision? I hear you. I could not have done anything without my parents supporting me while I waited. It took about a year.

One thing I did do which was very helpful for me was I contacted my Congress Men. They kept in touch with me weekly and also followed up with SSDI on a regular basis. You can find out your states Congress mens email by looking for it on the internet.

Best of Luck.

 

[JennifersHope]

Also, did you tell Beth how broke you are, That is when she was able to apply for an expedited financial crisis decision? I hear you. I could not have done anything without my parents supporting me while I waited. It took about a year.

One thing I did do which was very helpful for me was I contacted my Congress Men. They kept in touch with me weekly and also followed up with SSDI on a regular basis. You can find out your states Congress mens email by looking for it on the internet.

Best of Luck.

 

[JennifersHope]

Also, did you tell Beth how broke you are, That is when she was able to apply for an expedited financial crisis decision? I hear you. I could not have done anything without my parents supporting me while I waited. It took about a year.
<br />
<br />One thing I did do which was very helpful for me was I contacted my Congress Men. They kept in touch with me weekly and also followed up with SSDI on a regular basis. You can find out your states Congress mens email by looking for it on the internet.
<br />
<br />Best of Luck.

 

[JennifersHope]

I also wanted to say that I worked while I was waiting for my SSDI to be approved, I am a nurse, but I could not make over 1000.00 a month. So I worked one day a week. If you work more then that no matter how much money you make under 1000.00 it will look like you can work full time. When I found out I was finally approved it was the day after I was taken off of life support that was helping me to breathe!! I literally had to stop working and just now started back to work about 30 hours a month or less.

 

[JennifersHope]

I also wanted to say that I worked while I was waiting for my SSDI to be approved, I am a nurse, but I could not make over 1000.00 a month. So I worked one day a week. If you work more then that no matter how much money you make under 1000.00 it will look like you can work full time. When I found out I was finally approved it was the day after I was taken off of life support that was helping me to breathe!! I literally had to stop working and just now started back to work about 30 hours a month or less.

 

[JennifersHope]

I also wanted to say that I worked while I was waiting for my SSDI to be approved, I am a nurse, but I could not make over 1000.00 a month. So I worked one day a week. If you work more then that no matter how much money you make under 1000.00 it will look like you can work full time. When I found out I was finally approved it was the day after I was taken off of life support that was helping me to breathe!! I literally had to stop working and just now started back to work about 30 hours a month or less.

 

[krisjohn53223]

JennifersHope: I am also a nurse! I went on LOA (leave of abscense) on January 6th and applied for SSDI on January 11th. I am still getting long-term disability from my work. This will not count against me because it is not considered earned income. So, as of now, I am getting paid more this way then if I return to work 8 hours a week. Because my short-term disability ran out and now I am getting long-term disability, I lost my insurance. I couldn't have signed up for COBRA but the cost is insane! Since I did lose my insurance, my husband was able to pick up through his work, but now I have to meet all of my out of pocket deductibles all over again for this year! As far as any state help, in the state of WI, I do not qualify for anything because I have over $2,000.00 in a 401K. I can not cash it out until I officially leave my employer. I can't leave for two reasons: 1. pay will stop 2. I would then have to pay a huge penatly for cashing 401K out, but if I wait until I am disabled, then no penalty! The other thing that sucks about all of this, is that if I do get approved, I have to pay back the long-term disability since social security will back pay me. I totally understand this, but I just hope I get my back pay before I have to pay back the long-term!! AGhhhh what a mess! I will be looking into the Congress Men idea! Thank you!

 

[krisjohn53223]

JennifersHope: I am also a nurse! I went on LOA (leave of abscense) on January 6th and applied for SSDI on January 11th. I am still getting long-term disability from my work. This will not count against me because it is not considered earned income. So, as of now, I am getting paid more this way then if I return to work 8 hours a week. Because my short-term disability ran out and now I am getting long-term disability, I lost my insurance. I couldn't have signed up for COBRA but the cost is insane! Since I did lose my insurance, my husband was able to pick up through his work, but now I have to meet all of my out of pocket deductibles all over again for this year! As far as any state help, in the state of WI, I do not qualify for anything because I have over $2,000.00 in a 401K. I can not cash it out until I officially leave my employer. I can't leave for two reasons: 1. pay will stop 2. I would then have to pay a huge penatly for cashing 401K out, but if I wait until I am disabled, then no penalty! The other thing that sucks about all of this, is that if I do get approved, I have to pay back the long-term disability since social security will back pay me. I totally understand this, but I just hope I get my back pay before I have to pay back the long-term!! AGhhhh what a mess! I will be looking into the Congress Men idea! Thank you!

 

[krisjohn53223]

JennifersHope: I am also a nurse! I went on LOA (leave of abscense) on January 6th and applied for SSDI on January 11th. I am still getting long-term disability from my work. This will not count against me because it is not considered earned income. So, as of now, I am getting paid more this way then if I return to work 8 hours a week. Because my short-term disability ran out and now I am getting long-term disability, I lost my insurance. I couldn't have signed up for COBRA but the cost is insane! Since I did lose my insurance, my husband was able to pick up through his work, but now I have to meet all of my out of pocket deductibles all over again for this year! As far as any state help, in the state of WI, I do not qualify for anything because I have over $2,000.00 in a 401K. I can not cash it out until I officially leave my employer. I can't leave for two reasons: 1. pay will stop 2. I would then have to pay a huge penatly for cashing 401K out, but if I wait until I am disabled, then no penalty! The other thing that sucks about all of this, is that if I do get approved, I have to pay back the long-term disability since social security will back pay me. I totally understand this, but I just hope I get my back pay before I have to pay back the long-term!! AGhhhh what a mess! I will be looking into the Congress Men idea! Thank you!

 

[julie]

I swear to god I posted a response like 5hrs ago, WTH??? Ok, first off, did you apply for WI benefits and get denied, or did you just read that you can't have over 2k in resources? In WA, 401K's and IRA's don't count because you can't "touch" them until a certain age

Also, do you pay for any portion of your long term disability benefits?

 

[julie]

I swear to god I posted a response like 5hrs ago, WTH??? Ok, first off, did you apply for WI benefits and get denied, or did you just read that you can't have over 2k in resources? In WA, 401K's and IRA's don't count because you can't "touch" them until a certain age

Also, do you pay for any portion of your long term disability benefits?

 

[julie]

I swear to god I posted a response like 5hrs ago, WTH??? Ok, first off, did you apply for WI benefits and get denied, or did you just read that you can't have over 2k in resources? In WA, 401K's and IRA's don't count because you can't "touch" them until a certain age
<br />
<br />Also, do you pay for any portion of your long term disability benefits?

 

[JennifersHope]

The first time I went on on disability, I was in the same boat, I collected more on their long term disability program and I made almost equal to what I was making while I was working. It was amazing, and my old job from NJ paid for my health benefits as a gift to me, so I had no problem, I decided I wanted to go back to work but I went to a cleaner hospital, at this new hospital, you could not collect long term disability for a pre existing condition until you were there for a year, I ended up on life support two weeks before that year mark and I couldn't make it, SO I could not get paid for long term disability... I basically was incomeles, except for what my parents gave me.

You for sure are better off keeping your long term disability from work, I am not sure if you will still qualify for medicaid or not. I am on something called the working disabled so I am allowed to make much more money each month, and still get medicaid, My income monthly is almost allowed to be triple what someone who doesn't work is.

I am currently just on Medicaid, I am waiting for my Medicare to kick in, Having medicaid is very humiliating for me, I am not always treated with respect, until of course I am "justified" in the doctors eyes by being on medicaid and they don't think I am some slacker.. It is horrible, I need to see a gyno, and I won't go until I have medicare but either way, it is insurance,

This time around I was very, very fortunate to fall under Obama's new law that employers had to pay most of the cobra payment so for the first 16 months, I only had to pay 100 dollars for my cobra

As far as meeting deductibles, I hate to say this, but what I would always do is get a test done that was expensive that I knew the hospital would bill me for, that way I met my deductible and the rest of the essential stuff was paid for. I just made little payments on the hospital bill. It was a test I needed like a bone density or something like that.

Anyway, best of luck to you, once you do get approved for disability and you go off your long term disability if you have to, you can still work, keep your nursing license and keep your disability, which is really great. That is what I am doing right now

Best of luck to you

 

[JennifersHope]

The first time I went on on disability, I was in the same boat, I collected more on their long term disability program and I made almost equal to what I was making while I was working. It was amazing, and my old job from NJ paid for my health benefits as a gift to me, so I had no problem, I decided I wanted to go back to work but I went to a cleaner hospital, at this new hospital, you could not collect long term disability for a pre existing condition until you were there for a year, I ended up on life support two weeks before that year mark and I couldn't make it, SO I could not get paid for long term disability... I basically was incomeles, except for what my parents gave me.

You for sure are better off keeping your long term disability from work, I am not sure if you will still qualify for medicaid or not. I am on something called the working disabled so I am allowed to make much more money each month, and still get medicaid, My income monthly is almost allowed to be triple what someone who doesn't work is.

I am currently just on Medicaid, I am waiting for my Medicare to kick in, Having medicaid is very humiliating for me, I am not always treated with respect, until of course I am "justified" in the doctors eyes by being on medicaid and they don't think I am some slacker.. It is horrible, I need to see a gyno, and I won't go until I have medicare but either way, it is insurance,

This time around I was very, very fortunate to fall under Obama's new law that employers had to pay most of the cobra payment so for the first 16 months, I only had to pay 100 dollars for my cobra

As far as meeting deductibles, I hate to say this, but what I would always do is get a test done that was expensive that I knew the hospital would bill me for, that way I met my deductible and the rest of the essential stuff was paid for. I just made little payments on the hospital bill. It was a test I needed like a bone density or something like that.

Anyway, best of luck to you, once you do get approved for disability and you go off your long term disability if you have to, you can still work, keep your nursing license and keep your disability, which is really great. That is what I am doing right now

Best of luck to you

 

[JennifersHope]

The first time I went on on disability, I was in the same boat, I collected more on their long term disability program and I made almost equal to what I was making while I was working. It was amazing, and my old job from NJ paid for my health benefits as a gift to me, so I had no problem, I decided I wanted to go back to work but I went to a cleaner hospital, at this new hospital, you could not collect long term disability for a pre existing condition until you were there for a year, I ended up on life support two weeks before that year mark and I couldn't make it, SO I could not get paid for long term disability... I basically was incomeles, except for what my parents gave me.
<br />
<br />You for sure are better off keeping your long term disability from work, I am not sure if you will still qualify for medicaid or not. I am on something called the working disabled so I am allowed to make much more money each month, and still get medicaid, My income monthly is almost allowed to be triple what someone who doesn't work is.
<br />
<br />I am currently just on Medicaid, I am waiting for my Medicare to kick in, Having medicaid is very humiliating for me, I am not always treated with respect, until of course I am "justified" in the doctors eyes by being on medicaid and they don't think I am some slacker.. It is horrible, I need to see a gyno, and I won't go until I have medicare but either way, it is insurance,
<br />
<br />This time around I was very, very fortunate to fall under Obama's new law that employers had to pay most of the cobra payment so for the first 16 months, I only had to pay 100 dollars for my cobra
<br />
<br />As far as meeting deductibles, I hate to say this, but what I would always do is get a test done that was expensive that I knew the hospital would bill me for, that way I met my deductible and the rest of the essential stuff was paid for. I just made little payments on the hospital bill. It was a test I needed like a bone density or something like that.
<br />
<br />Anyway, best of luck to you, once you do get approved for disability and you go off your long term disability if you have to, you can still work, keep your nursing license and keep your disability, which is really great. That is what I am doing right now
<br />
<br />Best of luck to you

 

[julie]

Medicaid humiliating? I'm sorry Jennifer, but what relevance does that have here? It's a benefit you PAID FOR when you were working, so you could use it when you "needed" it. Many people on this site, actually I'd say a HUGE majority are either on it, or have their family members on it. I don't personally insult very easily, but I'm pretty sure you just insulted a handful of people on here. And if you think it's "smart" to wait until you have medicare, you are very very misguided. Medicare is NOT good benefits, you pay a crapload out of pocket. So personally I'd suck it up, swallow your misplaced pride and take yourself to the gyno.

Kris, still waiting to hear back as to whether or not you actually applied for medical benefits in WI and were denied, or if you just read that you cannot have over 2K in resources and assumed that would include your 401k. If it was the first, I'd be very interested in seeing your denial letter. I'm more than certain I could get you qualified!