Waiting 5mo for SSD ?!?

[pvale]

I'm most of the way through this process, but it's been a long stressful road. I was lucky, the multi-national company I worked for had STD(Short Term Disability) and LTD(Long Term Disability). I worked my last day on July 31st, and hung up the towel on my doctor's suggestion after 35 years as a Electrical Engineer. The STD was the company continuing to pay me my salary for 3 months, which was the waiting period for the LTD. At the end of 3 months the LTD co. (AIG) started paying me 60% of my salary at the time I quit working. Now I'm waiting for my first SSDI payment(~Feb 17th). At that point the LTD company will just pay the difference between what SSDI pays and the 60% point. I have already gotten a payment from AIG, so I know they are going to pay.....They'd better, considering all the bail-money they got. Medicare starts 1/1/10, so I'm busy trying to get parts C and D set up.

I had several life insurance policies through work, some they paid for and some I paid for. I've got most of them now on a premium waiver so I don't have to pay for them myself. Got one more policy that I've been paying on for years for my wife, that I've got to call about premium waiver. It'll be important now that I'm only making 60% of what I used to. And the fact that the wife in on dialysis with end stage renal failure, she couldn't get life insurance now in any form economically.

I also have tapped my 401k, once you have a absolute diagnosis, and have at least applied for SSDI, here in Missouri I could get my whole 401k without penalty.

I feel your pain, having been through almost 5 months of it, but there is and end-game, where all the details are worked out and everything is happening as it should. I feel blessed that the company here had STD and LTD. Otherwise, I'd be essentially in the same boat you are in. You might contact Stu Millheiser on here, he is ALS's guardian angel, is a big man, devoting mostly his own money to help those folks affected by ALS, and in the direst need. Someone may have already reported you to him, but I'd say you are in dire need. God bless you Stu if you read this, and sorry if I misspelled your last name.

God Bless you in your hour of need, and I hope you won't have to up[root and move, even temporarily all the way across the US.

Perry

 

[sadiemae]

I should say I am not an expert at the end of every post. Deb you probably are right, if that is what they told you. My husband would love to be able to work, not even for the money, just for something to do, but he is too weak. Lori(I AM NOT AN EXPERT)

 

[chefdeborah]

Lori, I didn't mean to come across as an expert....just thought I would let yall know they (ss) put things in the codes that don't make sense...and they write it so that you cannot understand it. That is why I decided to wait for 2 1/2 hours to let someone explain it to me. I couldn't believe that they had waited since 2003 till now to decide if I was going to keep my SSD! I asked the lady why, she said they were that far behind! I think the fact that I couldn't talk was a deciding factor in her writing up the pages of stuff she did do. I am sorry if I hurt your feelings...didn't mean to. Just wanted yall to know they dance all around the subject and don't let you understand the rules!

deborah (not an expert either)

 

[sadiemae]

Deborah, No no no, you didnt hurt my feelings at all, I just wanted every one to know that I was only going on my experience, the last thing I would want to do is give out wrong advice. Take care Lori(I am not an expert)