Please login to post a response.

• long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-23 17:12:21 By Charlie K
• I have a question about long term disability insurance. Are we RP'ers eligibile? I mean would insurance companies give us this insurance knowing that we will 'use' it one day for sure (discounting medical advances of course)? If yes, then shouldnt we just take this insurance just before we cant work anymore? How does this work?
  
  
  
  Does the above apply when employers offer this type of insurance? Also I read somewhere that you are eligible to get 60% of your original salary as long term disability, which should be lot more than SSDI. Why then dont I hear anyone talking about that on this board?
  
  Also I would like your opinions on whether with RP would it be a better idea to go work for public or private universities or large corporations? I might have a chance to choose among these as faculty or as a researcher. But I am not sure who would be more supportive when they find out. Universities I feel should be more supportive as they may not care as much about 'money'. What do you all think? My condition isnt as obvious now, but will be in 3-5 years.

• Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-23 23:00:05 By Darran Z
• Charlie,
  
  The issue with LTD and SSDI is very complex. If you are applying for both, then it really cuts into your LTD. Often, LTD will have a pre-existing clause and often blindness isn't included. Since many peoplw with blindness do work, it's difficult to judge exactly what this is for an employer. But you'd have to check yoru benefits on this.
  
  As for work, it doesn't matter as long as you are working. Have you consulted with Vocational Rehabilitation counselor? If not, that would be a great place to start for career advice and adjustments to blindness. Especially if you want to remain employed, VR is a great place to start. They often offer Employement Services as well.
  
  Is anyone aware that there are "non-competitive" hiring process for Fed jobs, like at the IRS, FBI, etc? That's one option to go. My friend and fellow poster John G. recently got hired at the IRS (and he has Usher).
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-24 07:24:36 By Tracey W
• Darran,
  
  Can you tell me more about the non-competitive clause with government jobs? I've thought about pursing something with a government job before. I've also heard that they will provide a driver for you.
  
  Thanks,
  
  Tracey

• Re: Re: Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-24 09:09:16 By Darran Z
• Hi Tracey,
  
  Well, you go to www.usajobs.opm.gov to see the list of Federal jobs. In order to use this, you do have to have documentation from some agency that you are disabled, such as VR. Disabled Vets and people with disabilities can use this providing they have the appropriate paperwork. YOu still apply normally but you have this other paperwork attached.
  
  I've never gone through this personally, so I'm not sure exactly how it works. But I've been aware of this for a few years now.
  
  As far as I can tell, this only applies to federal jobs, not state jobs.
  
  Darran

• Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-24 12:12:41 By Larry G
• Charlie,
  
  The way disability worked for me at my job was that any pre-existing condition I had at the time of employment would not be covered for the first year of employment. Since my claim was after the first year they honored the claim and I am receiving LTD from them. However, they did force me to apply for SSDI through a lawyer that they paid for. When I was awarded SSDI they deducted that payment from theirs. So lets say they were paying me $2500 and then SSDI started paying me $1500, the disability company reduced their payment to me and only pays $1000. I still get a total of $2500 just from two sources. In addition after being on SSDI for 2 years I will then be eligible for Medicare which will be a big cost savings.
  
  Larry

• Re: Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-24 18:35:58 By Darran Z
• Larry,
  
  That's the way my friend has LTD and SSDI is exactly how you stated this.
  
  One thing to throw in the mix, even if you are blind, you may not be able to work again. Why? Your LTD policy rules regarding work eligibility overrides SSA rules on working while disabled. My friend cannot work because of this. And this is pretty standard across the table on many LTD policies as I understand.
  
  Anyone thinking of getting LTD in addition to SSDI, and think they can work, they would be in for a surprise.
  
  Darran

• Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-24 13:35:38 By Tracey W
• Darran,
  
  What is VR?
  
  Thanks,
  
  Tracey

• Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-24 13:37:16 By Tracey W
• Darran,
  
  Re-read a message and now know what VR stands for so never mind.
  
  Tracey

• Re: Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-24 18:33:30 By Darran Z
• Tracey,
  
  I gave the wrong information out on how this "non-competitive" hiring process works. I apologize.
  
  Basically what happens is you will contact VR and hopefully work through an Employment Specialist with their agency. They would likely have contacts to the IRS office locally that deals with the special hiring process. None of the jobs open for this are online. You submit yoru resume and other documentation to the HR person at the IRS, which includes a letter of recommendation from VR. The HR person then forwards your resume to management. I am not sure what happens thereafter, but if there is a match, then you'd likely be contacted to do interviews, etc. But that's all I know for now. Until I jump through the hoops myself, I can't say for sure.
  
  This wouldn't be limited to the IRS but this hiring protocol also applys for ALL federal jobs/agencies.
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-27 22:05:40 By Natalie C
• I was denied LTD because of my RP during my full-time working days and my employer never told me until I was ready to leave their employment after 10 years. All that time I thought I was covered. Since the premiums would have been paid by the employer, I had no way of knowing I was denied unless I would have asked. Doesn't matter now, but I was an example of someone who was denied because of a pre-existing condition.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-28 09:34:08 By Darran Z
• I think that is become more and more the norm. The pre-existing condition clause is being placed in many policies.

• Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-28 13:46:48 By Charlie K
• How does one define a pre-existing condition? Say I have RP but I get diagnosed only when I am 35. But if I am working with my employer from the age 30, would that still deny me even though I or anyone else did not know about my condition? How then is it different from someone who suffers a debilitating accident?

• Re: Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-30 13:40:45 By Darran Z
• I don't know. It's a very political term and thus depending how your policy/underwriter "interprets" it, will define whether you are in that catagory or not. Since it is a genetic condition, even if you are not diagnosed with it until later, you've had RP all your life. So it's hard to say.
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Re: long term disability insurance and career choices
• Posted: 2008-01-30 17:14:50 By Marisa P
• I guess the reason why people avoid an official diagnosis is because it becomes part of your medical history. Many illnesses are genetic and unless you have been officially diagnosed prior to being insured, they can't say that it was a pre-existing condition. Many companies will make you have a physical before accepting you.