Cumulative Trauma WC injuries are VERY common. Time to find a new doc and potentially a WC attorney. Do not assume LTD insurance is a slam dunk without the support of your doc either! As for SSDI, it would be very difficult to be approved without the support of your treating doc.

You KNOW your doc is not treating you. Get a supportive one ASAP! Perhaps a good one could actually help you improve enough to return to work even. Who do the docs in your state send their own family members to when they have major spine issues? That's where you want to go.

A hint--you might need to travel to a larger city or one at least one far enough away that your new doc won't be contradicting a local colleague.

Ok, I had a L&I lawyer before, for the first claim. He didn't think I had a case, but I guess he could be mistaken. As for LTD, I did get my claim approved. I was thinking SSDI would help, in that I would have some sort of health insurance once I separate from my work place. Even though they will deduct any funds I get from SS - I know I can't net more than the amount I get now.

The staff at first told me that don't help with long term disability - but it's the only type of disability insurance my employer offers. The surgeons nurse said it's against their policy to assist with disability claims. I think much of their spiel is to try to get people to give up & go away. I didn't, I stood firm & told him that this was the policy I had payed into for years and now it is time I need it, it should be there for me. He had an assistant fill out the paperwork & it did get approved. I am mad at him but I know that much of the grief I've gone through is not from him personally being a jerk - he's operating under the policies of the clinic that employs him. It's a huge network & and they are just very pro-business.

I've worked with many of these neurosurgeons back when they were residents, I thought I knew who all was a jerk in the business - but have found that the ones who are nice to the nurses they work with may not be so nice once you are a patient. Seattle is a decent sized town. I will stay out of the surgeon's hospital system who did my 2nd surgery - would have gone back to surgeon #1 but moved thousands of miles away.

Your LTD policy may require you to apply for SSDI within a certain period of time. Call them. They often provide an attorney or a service to help you apply at their expense. (This is an advantage IMO, because a normal applicant can only pay for such services out of backpay, ths setting up an incentive to stall the process.)

So, essentially, your interest is for Medicare. Research Spplement plans as well...

Wow, I have already contacted a couple attorneys but that is a very good point. I never thought about them stalling to as to reap a better financial payout - but that would make sense.

I will contact my manager at the disability insurance, also research supplemental plans. Does it seem like the help through the disability insurance companies is effective? My best friend told me her horror story about when she was very ill & applied for SS disability, she got some government provided attorney. Who basically wasted a boatload of time & then told her she had no case unless she applied for a psychiatric type disability, which she chose not to do. If she had, she would likely have lost custody of her kids to a vindictive ex. Anyway, I digress.

It's pretty common for LTD companies to use Allsup. Not a bad option IMO.

The LTD co has a huge financial incentive to help you. Most that have posted that have chosen to utilize the free services seem to have been happy with the services. They'll help you submit a thorough first application and will likely have you get additional documentation if needed--they may send you to a new doc/docs. You don't have to use the free service, but I would recommend doing so! You can always fire them later of course...

Many people have a combo of physical and mental disabilities, and it's highly unlikely your friend's ex would have ever found out anyway. Those that don't initially have a psych claim, often do after many years of isolation, depression, financial hardship, etc. that goes along with a severe disability.

Raindrop,

You may need to find health insurance on your own or through a COBRA plan.

Even if you were to be approved for SSDI quickly, you wouldn't be eligible for Medicare for 2 years from when SSDI recognizes that your disability began.

Uggh, well thank you for the information. I am hoping that insurance rates come down somewhat in january. Really I am more fortunate than many in this situation, at least having my long term disability approved for now. But it's still a lot less than the paychecks I used to make, and to have to pay $550 a month cobra each & every month will be very tough. This has been a bad years for medical expenses.

Are you saying the SSDI income won't happen for 2 years, or the health insurance coverage, or both?

5 month waiting period from the time you are found to have been disabled, not the time the decision is made, for ssdi and 2 years for medicare.

After being approved for disability, SSDI, I believe you become eligible for Medicare after receiving benefits for two years. The way I understand it, the two years includes the time period of back pay. I have not been approved so I am only going by what I have read and what I have been told. My information is not from personal experience.

Hopeless