STD/LTD insurance denied, but SSD approved??
 

So, as many of you already know, I have RSD/CRPS throughout most of my body, including both hands. I stopped working at the end of December 2012 and was denied short-term/long-term disability through my employers insurance carrier. This was an employer paid benefit!! I applied for Social Security Disabillity in April and was approved in about three months, on the first try.

I filed my appeal with the STD/LTD insurance carrier and just received the second denial today, 6 pages of bull. I am soooo angry!!!:mad: I just don't get it! Obviously I am in bad shape because SSD approved me right away and I am so thankful for that! My husband told me not to worry about it because it will stress me out and make me hurt worse. He is absolutely correct and we will make it with SSD. I can't help but worry about it because it is a good amount of money that I should be receiving. UGH!

I just had to vent! Thanks for "listening" :)
Nanc

Do you have an attorney?

No. I had a hard time finding one that handles this type of disability claim. Majority handle SSD and not STD/LTD. I tried to find one the during the 6 months between the first denial and the appeal. One that would take my case, charged $4,000 up front. We would have to pay the fee before he would even look at the any paperwork. Another atty charged $2,000 to just look at the case to determine if he would take it or not, if he took it then his fee was 1/3 of the 6-month benefits. Others I talked to just kept referring me to someone else.

I'm sorry Nanc...that really stinks. Why do they make it so hard to get what you are entitled to? Very frustrating. And I swear the insurance companies know how hard it is to get an attorney for this sort of case...giving them more freedom to deny deny deny. So sad.

Take care of yourself. I'm glad at least that SSD went smoothly for you.

Thanks Catra. It is amazing and frustrating how these insurance companies work! So thankful for SSD, expecting my first payment in October :)

I hope you are doing well!
Nanc

I went through the same ordeal. It boils down to deep pockets. Most law offices do not have the resources to go up against these for-profit insurance companies but in your case it is obvious that the insurance company needs their collective *** sued. Im my wife's case she did receive short term disability while only one doctor treated her, but when her short term was up and long term was to kick in, that doctor was removed, replaced with another doctor who stated that she was just fine and dandy. She was terminated from her employment because she was crippled from RSD, relieving the large corporation of any responsibility. She did receive SSDI. We went to two firms who stated that, yes they are pulling a fast one but we would need about $75,000 just for it to see the light of day. One other firm stated that my Wife's employer's attorneys would eat them alive. She worked for the largest defense contractor in the world in their Benefits department. It seems you guys have given a good effort to find a law firm. All I can say is either keep searching for a motivated firm who will sue pro bono or for stress reasons, give it up, which is understandable for sure.

Thanks for your reply and input! The odd thing is that they paid for one week of STD...one week?? And they determined this was all I was eligible to receive. I talked to firms all over the place and the only ones that would even think about taking it would charge up front. This is a problem for us because I haven't been paid since I got that check for one week of STD in January. My husband works for the Dept of Defense and has been going thru furloughs, which JUST ended. I am thankful that SSD was approved, especially because we will not have to pay the 10% penalty for taking my 401k money (we put it towards refinacing our house so we could stay here). But I will not begin receiving SSD payments until Oct and there is no backpay.
I had one atty look at my case and he said he couldn't understand their denial and said I should persue the appeal. He couldn't take the case because it is not his area he is actually a litigator on the defense side...his clients are employers and insurance carriers. He referred me to many others, who referred me to many others, and so on. This is how I got to the $4,000 up front guy.
My husband thinks, for stress reasons, we should let it go. I get so stressed out with this whole thing, and well, we know what stress does to someone suffering from RSD/CRPS. In filing another appeal, I am not sure what else could be done...I sent them all the medical records and letters from my primary dr, PM and counselor. They pulled out things from the medical records to help them, not looking at the majority of what most of the records state. I guess that is what they do....I dunno, I hate that they get away with this. And my employer, treated me like total crap at the end. Maybe I should listen to my husband and let it go and close that entire chapter.
Sorry, got to rambling there!
Nanc
:hug:

Nanc, all insurance is, is a racket, nothing more nothing less. That is why the delivery of health care can not be carried out by for-profit insurance. As a supplement perhaps. In my wife's case I truly believe her employer and the full time health Insurance executives who reside at their corporate HQ are in business together in some shape or manner. And part of their business together is ridding itself of those who are no good to them any longer. One way they do that is deny care through the insurance company. Making the patient's life miserable and above all making it so complicated in getting treatment. That was my wife's issue that it took too long for doctors to treat and diagnose her. She knew that she had RSD before any doctor would treat her for it. She only received decent treatment when she was terminated and added to my employer's insurance. My Wife's treatment was immediate after her termination. To me it was by design. It took her 3 years after to receive SSDI and did receive back pay. She also was able to use her medicare because it took over 2 years to receive the SSDI.

Nanc, I wonder if there are any class action suits?

I think you are correct...it is a racket. I really think that they contacted my employer for more than just my job description. I say this because when I worked there, I was the one who took care of this type of thing. I filed all the WC and disability claims, the adjusters contacted me and asked me questions with every claim. As everyone suffering with RSD knows, people don't get the condition at all. My employer said to me, "you'll be fine after a month off relaxing, you'll be ready to com back to work" They thought I was fine! That whole situation is a long story that I will not get into right now. I went on my husband's insurance about 2 yrs before I stopped working. A better plan to allow me to go to more drs and cover more with less co-pays.
I am sorry that your wife went through what she did, it is awful! Thankfully she has you and she is receiving SSDI (with backpay) and Medicare. The support that you obviously give her is wonderful and it makes all the difference in the world! My husband is like that too :)

I will check into the class action suits...good idea!

Thanks again,
Nanc
:hug:

So sorry you're going through this frustrating mess! I'm sure you paid into having the benefit of STD/LTD so it's not like it welfare! Did you go through the FMLA process through HR.....STD etc.?
I'm going through something similar but thankfully I got my STD and it transitioned into LTD but they hound me every week or two to check on my application process (they require) for S.S.D. It's still only a fraction of my regular pay but It helps.
Depending on how much money you could get the $4000 up front atty. may be well worth it in the end.
It's hard for me to write long replies because my RSD/CRPS is in my hand and I can only use one finger for a short time on that side. So sorry for lack of more details right now. :hug:

Thanks for replying, sorry you are having trouble with your hands and typing :( I understand the difficulty, I have RSD in both hands.
The STD & LTD benefits were 100% employer paid, so no, I did not pay into them. We didn't qualify for FMLA because we were under 50 employees. I was the HR Manager (Financial & HR Manager to be exact). I was a one person department. I was the benefit administrator too. I filled out the disability paperwork and my boss signed it. After that, she was the employer contact on my claim. I made sure everything was covered, all waiting periods met, etc. The benefit was for 60% of my salary. What I will receive from SSD is about 35%. They approved one week of STD? Why only one week, where is the rationale behind that??
We would have paid the $4000 if the atty sounded more promising. My husband asked him the odds in beating the insurance company...he said eh, 50/50...$4000 is an expensive gamble.
Glad you got your STD and it transitioned to LTD. I read our plan documents and our carrier required the applying for SSD as soon as LTD begins. I got SSD right away, so that would cut down the LTD payments and they still deny me.
I started searching online this afternoon about Lincoln Financial Group's disability claims...it appears the denials are the way they do business! So frustrating!
Nanc
:hug:

Hey Nanc,

Do you know what diagnosis codes your doctor is using? Did you keep a copy of all of your work release letters from your treating physicians from the time you initially went out on STD? When you left your job was it because a new injury caused spread/increase in pain or was it possibly work related repetition that made things suddenly unbearable? ... bare with me on my gazillion questions... just reaching here. Did they give you any reason for the approval and then denial after the initial week? Are you saying that your STD/LTD claims manager is your employer or do you have an actual claims manager outside of your employer?

When I initially applied for STD/LTD I was assigned a claims manager and it was that person alone with whom I had direct contact with. I made sure to gather copies of all of my records and constantly flooded the claims manager with emails and faxes with chart notes, work release letters & additional diagnosis. They also requested formal records about every 12 weeks and before extending benefits again (usually in 3-4 month intervals). When we were approaching the 2 year mark the LTD rules have different guidelines in that you must be unable to do "any" job, not just the job you were currently doing. I believe that is fairly standard language in most LTD contracts but, you would have to read your through to be certain. I was then required to fill out many more forms asking about my limitations etc., as well as provide information on current medications, physicians list etc., It was right about that time that I had undergone a complex hip surgery and this resulted in nerve damage that caused the CRPS II and I immediately phoned my rep and then followed up with a copy of Dr. Hooshmands article on The spread of CRPS. One week later - I received a letter extending my LTD until the age of 65 instead of the normal 3-4 month intervals, I was shocked and relieved. I'm not sharing this with you to make you feel bad because of the way my case was handled but, wondering if your claims manager doesn't understand CRPS? I wonder if your diagnosis codes are accurate? Did you get a return to work request from your employer for your physician to fill out? If so did they properly list your limitations or excuse you from duties?
In your shoes, I would certainly appeal.. something is just not right. I know it is exhausting and stressful but, it seems from what you have shared that something is missing. I would fight!

Hang in there,
Tessa

Hey Tessa,
Sorry but this is a very long reply, but I wanted to address all your questions.
I do not know of any diagnosis codes my dr used. I do not have any work release letters as I was never released to go back to work. My RSD spread and pain got to where I just couldn’t keep up in my job. In other words, I could not bear the pain any longer. The SCS’s were implanted in June 2011 (revision in Nov 2011) and they enabled me to continue working for another year and a half. The RSD kept progressing and the SCS’s effectiveness was wearing off. I was not sleeping because of the pain, doing my job was taking longer because of my hand and arm pain, I was having these additional pain attacks in my head, side and foot that effected everything (including driving). With RSD in my leg and feet, it was hard to sit in one position very long. I had difficulty walking to the copier and workroom at work. I was finding mistakes that I was making in my job, which was not good when you handle all the finances and hr for the organization. The more I used my hands, the more they hurt! I could not take pain meds when I was working. The insurance carrier did not give any reason for covering one week of STD. They sent a check for that period and that is all. The denial letters just stated that I was not approved for benefits beyond that period -?? My claim’s manager was not my employer; my boss was the employer contact on my claim. I was not exactly assigned a “claims manager”. Our claims were processed as follows: the employee completed form, employer completed form and the physician’s statement (form) all sent in with a copy of my outdated job description. On the drs statement, he put “unknown” as the date expected to return to work. I think the thing that did me most harm is that my dr had me do the functional capacity evaluation (FCE) which stated I could do sedentary work. My job was pretty much classified as sedentary. This FCE did not test real working environment, it tested how much weight I could push, pull and lift. Where is that relevant in my type of job?? The girl who did the FCE made mistakes on it. I tried to contact her and she would not return any of my calls. My dr said he could not say I was totally disabled because the FCE said I could do sedentary level. He said he couldn’t make that determination, even when I showed him the letter my PCP wrote stating I was totally disabled and she advised me to apply for disability (she did for the last two years). HE screwed me over on this whole thing, which is why I am looking for a new PM dr. I wanted to have a new FCE done and checked around, all of them are done the same way…they do not test on the computer, etc.
I was initially contacted by a claims analyst. She never returned any of my calls. They received my initial claim 12/6/12 and my last day was 12/28/12. I had to train a temp to do my job since no one else there knew how to do anything I did. They denied my claim 1/18/13. I had to get a claims supervisor involved because the mishandling of my claim. They only requested records from my PM dr for two months…that is two visits! He changed practices 10/1/12, anything prior was at the old practice and I offered over and over to get these records and send them. They didn’t want them. They denied the initial claim based on the FCE and two months of records. Wasn’t surprised there! So in the appeal, I sent all medical records – from all visits to this PM and others I have seen, PCP, foot dr, neurologists, allergist, dermatologist, everything!! ALL of my medical records note RSD/CRPS of upper & lower extremities, trunk and head. Also sent the letter from my PCP and letter my PM wrote. PM would not say I was totally disabled, but he did say that the FCE did not test real working environment, that my RSD is progressing, that I am in the later stages of RSD and we have eliminated all treatment options, etc., it was a decent letter. When I received my SSD award letter, I forwarded it to them. To get SSD, you have to be unable to do any job. In my STD/LTD plan documents, I have to be unable to do any of the duties in my current job.
There was no return to work request from my employer. When I left 12/28/12, they said they would hold my position a max of 90 days. My RSD was progressing and I was getting worse even after the last day worked. I was denied STD and not getting paid. I could not get my 401k until my employment was terminated and needed it in order to keep our house. They would not release me so I resigned effective 3/4/13 due to my medical condition (I did receive confirmation that this would not interfere with my disability claim appeal as they go by disability date).
I do not know what more could be supplied to them in the next appeal to make them overturn their decision ??
Thanks for your reply and help! What a stressful mess this is!
Nanc
:hug:

"Hey" to you Nanc,

So, first thing I would do is gather all the records from your doctors and also request copies of all documentation provided to your STD/LTD claims department from your physicians. I would also make a written request either through eMail or certified letter for specific reasoning for your denial. I would also look over what you sent to SSD and compare that with what was submitted to LTD to see if there are any obvious discrepancies.

Regarding the return to work letter - this is usually given to the employee and then asking the employee to have the treating physician to fill out whether or not you are ready to return to work or not, it usually asks for specific limitations or restriction and then also includes an area for those that aren't able to return yet (which you would fall under).

Was your initial disability claim filed after your pain increased enough to seek care and treatment that resulted in the SCS? Or did you wait until after this to file your claim? I totally get not being able to tolerate the pain and it affecting performance etc., what I was trying to get at is if anything specifically that you recall caused this increase or was it just a gradual thing. See sometimes work habits (repetitive tasks and such) can cause a "work related injury" even though you had underlying RSD if something you were doing at work provoked the new injury or spread then this would fall under a work comp claim and thus be denied by STD/LTD. If it was just a gradual progression then the timing of filing could still play a roll in the approval or denial but, since I am still not clear on what if anything physically caused the increase in RSD spread/pain/symptoms I cannot comment much more than that right now.

Who initiated the FCE? It is not necessary to be required to have an FCE in order to receive STD or the first 24 months of LTD unless the records are unclear (which is my suspicion). I know you have a PM doctor but, do you also have either a PCP or Internal Medicine doctor, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist etc., treating you regularly? Did your PM place the SCS or was this another doctor, and were those records also included in your claim process?

Do your records reflect all the above limitations that you describe? Not just in that you state you 'can't walk to from the copier' or 'sit for very long' but, also your physician noting this as his/her "impression" also? Usually insurance carriers heavily weigh the "objective findings" and "impression" when looking over doctors chart notes or opinions and overlook much of what the patient verbally states unless those things are "classic hallmark symptoms" etc... sad but true. There should be notes from your doctor regarding medications & cognitive side effects, difficulty with driving etc., these are important in situations such as yours.

You most certainly need to find another PM who is well versed in RSD/CRPS as well as an internal medicine doctor for sure. I personally would also seek out a Physiatrist as they look at the whole body and consider all factors that contribute to physical limitations and often work very well with PM's and PT's for your care. Personally in your shoes I would treat my Physiatrist like a PCP and make sure all records from each physician are copied strait away to the other doctors in your care - including Chiro's, PT and massage therapist. Heck even my Chiro gets copies of every single medical chart note and lab result done in my care. Getting all your records and finding out what your diagnosis codes are is KEY and should be done ASAP before your appeal time runs out.

I would also print out the pertinent highly regarded medical journals regarding CRPS/RSD and it's long term effects and be sure your claims manager gets it and then be sure to include it with your appeal.

Did you ever have written work release notes from your physician that you provided to your employer? I was actually required to keep my employer informed every 2 weeks as part of my duty and requirements during STD/LTD status. I had every treating doctor write one every two weeks for over 2 years :/ a pain yes.. but necessary.

Your employment status does not affect your disability benefits unless you were injured/illness struck after your termination which obviously isn't the case for you. That is why I keep wondering about when and exactly what the original claim form stated as to why you needed the benefits and the timing of it.

You know how horrible I feel for your situation and others who have gone through this but, please don't give up yet.. I think there are enough red flags to consider yet another appeal.

Be strong,
Tessa:hug:

See my comments below:

"Hey" to you Nanc,

So, first thing I would do is gather all the records from your doctors and also request copies of all documentation provided to your STD/LTD claims department from your physicians. I would also make a written request either through eMail or certified letter for specific reasoning for your denial. I would also look over what you sent to SSD and compare that with what was submitted to LTD to see if there are any obvious discrepancies.

I have all records and they were all submitted to the STD/LTD carrier with my appeal. The reason for denial is listed in the denial letter, they said the records did not support the fact that I could not do the sedentary job. I provided SSD the same records that STD received, also the same letters from my drs.

Regarding the return to work letter - this is usually given to the employee and then asking the employee to have the treating physician to fill out whether or not you are ready to return to work or not, it usually asks for specific limitations or restriction and then also includes an area for those that aren't able to return yet (which you would fall under).

there was no return to work letter, there probably would have been had I been approved.

Was your initial disability claim filed after your pain increased enough to seek care and treatment that resulted in the SCS? Or did you wait until after this to file your claim? I totally get not being able to tolerate the pain and it affecting performance etc., what I was trying to get at is if anything specifically that you recall caused this increase or was it just a gradual thing. See sometimes work habits (repetitive tasks and such) can cause a "work related injury" even though you had underlying RSD if something you were doing at work provoked the new injury or spread then this would fall under a work comp claim and thus be denied by STD/LTD. If it was just a gradual progression then the timing of filing could still play a roll in the approval or denial but, since I am still not clear on what if anything physically caused the increase in RSD spread/pain/symptoms I cannot comment much more than that right now.

My disability claim was filed 12/6/12 stating that I was going out on STD on 12/31/12 (last day to work 12/28/12). The SCS's were implanted in 2011, but the effectiveness wore off. I gradually got worse and worse. The constant use of my hands made me worse. I injured my hand in 2009 outside of work, this is how I developed RSD in my hand. It spread to my other hand. I got to the point where i could barely use my hands so i got the SCS's. It wasn't a work related injury, but work definitely didn't help it.

Who initiated the FCE? It is not necessary to be required to have an FCE in order to receive STD or the first 24 months of LTD unless the records are unclear (which is my suspicion). I know you have a PM doctor but, do you also have either a PCP or Internal Medicine doctor, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist etc., treating you regularly? Did your PM place the SCS or was this another doctor, and were those records also included in your claim process?

my stupid PM sent me for the FCE, said he couldn't fill out the disability paperwork without it...it was HIS requirement. I do have a PCP as I mentioned in my previous post. She is an internist and manages all of my medications. My PM is a physical pain & rehabilitation dr. He implanted the SCS's. Those records were included in the claim appeal.

Do your records reflect all the above limitations that you describe? Not just in that you state you 'can't walk to from the copier' or 'sit for very long' but, also your physician noting this as his/her "impression" also? Usually insurance carriers heavily weigh the "objective findings" and "impression" when looking over doctors chart notes or opinions and overlook much of what the patient verbally states unless those things are "classic hallmark symptoms" etc... sad but true. There should be notes from your doctor regarding medications & cognitive side effects, difficulty with driving etc., these are important in situations such as yours.

I think this is where my problem lies. There is some "she says" in my records and the different areas that they review or note are bs. Neurological - memory intact, or range of motion good, or gait/balance fine, or no edema....none is correct. If they didn't examine these areas, then it was notated as ok. I would be sitting when they'd come in the room and didn't see me walk - I walked slow, shuffled my feet and limped. Medications - I was allergic to everything, which was noted in my charts. Never knew how to treat because I could not tolerate anything.

You most certainly need to find another PM who is well versed in RSD/CRPS as well as an internal medicine doctor for sure. I personally would also seek out a Physiatrist as they look at the whole body and consider all factors that contribute to physical limitations and often work very well with PM's and PT's for your care. Personally in your shoes I would treat my Physiatrist like a PCP and make sure all records from each physician are copied strait away to the other doctors in your care - including Chiro's, PT and massage therapist. Heck even my Chiro gets copies of every single medical chart note and lab result done in my care. Getting all your records and finding out what your diagnosis codes are is KEY and should be done ASAP before your appeal time runs out.

i am having difficulty finding a new PM, mine is well versed in RSD/CRPS, but he has completely changed since he went to his new practice. He was the 6th one I went to. All others in this area have terrible ratings. What do the diagnosis codes mean to me and how would they help my appeal?

I would also print out the pertinent highly regarded medical journals regarding CRPS/RSD and it's long term effects and be sure your claims manager gets it and then be sure to include it with your appeal.

Did you ever have written work release notes from your physician that you provided to your employer? I was actually required to keep my employer informed every 2 weeks as part of my duty and requirements during STD/LTD status. I had every treating doctor write one every two weeks for over 2 years :/ a pain yes.. but necessary.

there were no work release notes as I was never released to return to work. He wrote "unknown" as the date expected to return to work. My boss visited me twice and we talked about things. I told him I wouldn't be able to return.

Your employment status does not affect your disability benefits unless you were injured/illness struck after your termination which obviously isn't the case for you. That is why I keep wondering about when and exactly what the original claim form stated as to why you needed the benefits and the timing of it.

You know how horrible I feel for your situation and others who have gone through this but, please don't give up yet.. I think there are enough red flags to consider yet another appeal.

Be strong,
Tessa:hug:

AHHHH! This This just #@!^% me off! This is ridiculous!! And precisely what I am sure the insurance company knew would happen when they sold you the policy. What a rip off! Playing on people about what their future needs will be, get the premiums, and then bail when it’s needed. It’s your money and benefit and you should have it! Would it be possible to file a small claims case?

Although your husband might be right that it may only cause more pain and suffering. So sorry to hear about this. I am glad that you got SDD though. I am going to try to fight that fight this fall. Because I have been self-employed for so long and the way my taxes were filed, my claim will be complicated. I pray the SDD Gods will have mercy on me.

Hi Nanc,

I should not write a comment because the word "insurance" creates a bad taste in my mouth, stress, etc. The amount of money spent on "insurance", life insurance, health insurance, homeowner's insurance, flood insurance, and on and on...... well, if I had pocketed and saved that money over my lifetime, I would have more than enough money to pay for anything that would be claims. They are in business to collect premiums, NOT pay off claim benefits. I am so sorry about your situation. And they have so many cards stacked in their favor with their corporate lawyers. When you NEED your benefits, they also know you do not have the financial resources to fight them. This applies to ALL types of insurance. Wish I could offer you some advice. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. What makes it even worse is they continually get away with it.

Hi Vrae! Hope you are having a better day today. I would have to file another appeal (or reconsideration), then if it is subject to ERISA I may have some other options like mediation. Then the last thing I could do is file suit against them. It is completely ridiculous!

I wish you much luck with your SSD claim!
Thanks,
Nanc
:hug:

I think you are exactly right!! They are in the business to collect premiums and not pay any claims. I wish I had the money to really fight them...in court...but I don't.

Funny thing is that I found online that this insurance company (Lincoln Financial) is awful. There are complaints all over the web about how they deny claims over and over again.

Thanks!
Nanc
:hug:

Small claims? :) More like grand larceny.

Have you considered filing a different kind of complaint with your state insurance commissioner and or contact your congressman in which ours helped us considerably, although not on the crooked insurance end of it.

I was actually looking into filing a complaint with the bureau of insurance. Didn't think about our congressman, not sure how he could help with a STD insurance claim??

Not sure either, but his or her's staff can guide you I'll bet, unless they're a worthless bunch. Our Congressman's staff helped my wife with her SSDI claim in which they could not sway SS one way or the other but they kept bugging them to move on it. They also helped us to keep that filthy bank Wells Fargo off our cans by telling them to back off. --in a much more professional manner I'm sure. Anyway, that is what your representative is for, to help their constituents in serous situations.

Nanc, I noticed you live in VA? So do I, my congressman's name is Gerald Connolly.

I looked online and my congressman is Eric Cantor...not sure how much help they will be, but anything is worth a try right? Glad yours was able to help you. I spoke to my PCP this morning (I sent her a copy of the denial), she said she has seen it many times, they pick out the few positives in a few of the visit notes and use them for the denial. I am just not sure what more I could send in the next appeal since they already have everything. I sure as heck will point out the "negatives" they decided to ignore in the dr notes. I will try Cantor's office and see what help they can offer. Thanks for the tip!

The good thing is that I am to start receiving SSD next month and my husband is through with the gov't furloughs. I used my 401k money to refinance our house to make it affordable and my husband sold his truck and my car is paid for. I am not able to drive anyway. We will be fine once the SSD starts and as long as he keeps his job :) But, as I said earlier, SSD is about 35% of my pay, where STD/LTD would have been 60%!

Thanks again!
:hug:

So true! There's just no justice anymore! And if you do get any, it's because you could afford to buy it.

I actually do work for Cantor's party. My fear would be is that the insurance company is his constituent. But, don't let that stop you from contacting his staff. It would be interesting to see what effort and or guidance they will give you. We were able to save our house from my wife's SSDI settlement and medicare. Still our bills amounted to many thousands of dollars. We just sold our home of 15 years last June, walking away with nearly a quarter million and walking away from a major battle that lasted nearly 8 years. All debts are paid. Stress has been reduced substantially. Nanc, one thing I've noticed in ourselves is that one can get used to being stressed constantly, and when it is reduced, it takes time for the feeling of stress to leave the home. Try not to get too worked up! :D

Cantor's website. You'll notice a tab for "constituent services"
http://cantor.house.gov/

Thanks so much for the info! I will check it out and let you know what happens.

I know exactly what you mean about the stress! I was in a very stressful job and fighting thru the pain at work added to the stress! it took a while for that stress to go away, especially when they didn't treat me very well at the end. Now with this STD mess, the stress is here. My husband says the same thing you do..."try not to get too worked up about it" But I am naturally a worrier, I can't help but to stress and get angry at this situation!!

Glad you and your wife are at a point where stress is reduced :)