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Okay I was diganosed with IIIC OVCA 8 years ago and recurrence last May and I have tried to work as much as possible and have a wonderful job with the State but I just don't think I can con't to do it. I am scared about trying to get disability with the State, Social Security and don't even know where to began or how hard it is. Any suggestions?
Cancer Taxol Surgery Hysterectomy Ovarian cancer Ostomy Chemotherapy Pain Peripheral neuropathy Carboplatin Osteoporosis Stress
I am on dissability for the ovca, I applied to social security and was approved 1 month later. they considered me disabled back to 2004. It was easy for me, I just called the number, and they set up a phone interview, and that was it. My son also gets survivor benefits because he's under age. good luck to ya and I would strongly recommend that you file.
I applied for social security disability & in the first letter I was denied but with contradictory sentences in the letter. I retained legal counsel to appeal and then Katrina struck. While an evacuee in Virginia the Salvation Army directed me to appeal to my congressman for intervention. Louisiana congressional duties were being distributed to other offices because of the flood so a congressman from Maryland assisted me and I was very quickly on disability!
I didn't work for almost 3 1/2 years but felt well enough to return to work just over a year ago.
I'm very grateful for the time I had on disability and credit it with helping me heal as I could truly pamper myself, rest when I needed, walk and go to tai chi class.
Blessings,
Martha
Be aware that 2 years after you qualify for SS and begin receiving benefits, you will receive Medicare. There is a grace period during which you can apply for a Medicare supplement and Medicare D plan which I highly recommend. My father in law did not have a Medicare supplement and has had several hospitalizations plus rehabilitations and it has cost him a fortune.
I am experiencing my 2nd recurrence and applied to S.S. and received it within 6 weeks. Pres. Obama passed a bill early on called Compassionate Awareness to expedite approval for people with certain illnesses, cancer being one of them. I am also now applying for my state pension which I expect to get approval on shortly.
I also have worked through my first cycle at diagnosis, was blessed with a 9 month "NED", and worked 3 months into my first recurrence.
I applied for SSD and was approved within 2 weeks.
OVCA is now considered one of the top 50 compassionate diseases for SSD. I started the application on-line, and then followed through with an interview at the local SS office.
Good luck!! It is worth it, to help you rest and focus on the fight!
I think ss has 45 days to make a determination on ovca, since it is on the compassionate allowance list.
The compassionate list of diseases should fast track your application compared to when I applied, was denied several times, had 2 administrative law judge hearings over 2 years later with approval. SSDI has greatly improved since that time. I think/hope you'll be pleasantly surprised at the ease of application.
I was approved for SSD within 4 1/2 weeks of my initial application last March. Stages III and IV are fast tracked diagnoses under the new compassionate disease rules.
You need to be out of work for 6 months before benefits begin but can start the application process within those first 6 months.
I have long term disability (LTD) through my employer that uses SSD payments as an offset. So for example if you would get $4,000 /month through employer LTD and $2,000 /month from SSD the SSD amount is subtracted and you end up with a total of 4,000/month from both sources. It appears that most employer LTD coverage works this way.
I applied on line and received approval within 1 month and was also given "back pay" for time I was out of work without ss. I am curious though about Medicare. Can you recieve it before you are 65?
I am under 65 and have been receiving ss benefits since 6/08. Please tell me about the Medicare and if one under 65 qualifies. I was diagnosed in 06 with stage 3c. Thank you sunshine
It is my understanding that 2 years after qualifying for social security disability, you go on Medicare. I don't know the particulars and would advise going on the Medicare website. I don't know how chemotherapy is treated. If it is considered pharmaceutical, I would think you would be wise at that point to apply for Medicare Part D, the prescription insurance as chemo is costly. BUT I don't know if it is classified as part of medical or is considered pharmaceutical. And also a Medicare supplement is advisable as you can rack up some bills if you have hospitalizations or rehab in patient. There is an enrollment period during which time you have to apply for the supplement, otherwise I don't know if you can get on without underwriting if you wait past that enrollment period which could disqualify you if you have cancer.
I have been on disability since oct 08 and will recieve Medicare in Sept. I am 62 . Even though I am in remission I am staying on ss because it took me 5 months from the time of approval for the first check. If I have a recurrence, I don't want to go through the process again.
I am also on SSD and was told that medicare would start two years later. I did find the following:
In the strictest sense, claimants who are approved for disability benefits will receive medicare if the source of their benefits is title II (social security) funding and medicaid if the source of their disability benefits is title 16 (supplemental security income, or ssi).
Social security disability recipients are eligible to receive medicare benefits two years after their date of entitlement. The date of entitlement is essentially the EOD (established onset date), plus the five month waiting period.
In other words, if a "social security disability" claimant is approved for benefits and it is determined that their disability began on January 1, 1900, this would be their established date of onset. Their date of entitlement would be this date plus the five month waiting period that is, unfathomably, imposed on ssd claimants.
In this example, then, the date of entitlement would be June 1, 1900, and the claimant would be eligible to receive medicare benefits two years from this date.
The word "from", rather than "after" was chosen because, in many cases, claimants are approved with onset dates that are established several years back, meaning that it is possible for a claimant to have already served the two year wait for medicare by the time they begin to draw their disability benefits.
Those who are awarded supplemental security income, or ssi, will not receive medicare, but rather medicaid, a needs-based, state and county administered program which provides for a number of prescriptions and doctor visits each month.
However, it should also be said that a considerable number of claimants will be approved for concurrent benefits; that is, they will draw disability money from both social security and ssi.
In such instances, the issue of whether a claimant will get medicare or medicaid is not so cut and dry. Therefore, claimants who are approved for concurrent disability benefits should consult their local social security office regarding their medicare/medicaid eligibility.
I went of SSDI 6 months after being diagnosed with stage 111C. I have been receiving benefits since April 2007. After 2 years I am receiving my medicare benefits which is Humana. I also went on the ticket to work program to suppliment my income as I was not making enough to survive on my benefits. I work part time as you are allowed to work and make $800.00 a month on the program. I just don't think I could work a full time job anymore because some days you just don't feel good.
Would like to hear more about your disability.....were you working at time you were diagnosed? Are you in remission?
Hi Paddepoo,
Are you on a Humana Medicare Advantage Plan, or on a supplemental (secondary insurance) Humana plan? I need to accept Medicare as my husband just retired, and I am debating whether to keep the group sponsored Humana plan that I am now on, or move to the group sponsored Humana Medicare Advantage PPO plan. The plan I am on now will be more expensive as it is really a primary health care plan, but can be used as a secondary.
Thanks for your input,
ovagal
I was working at the time I was diagnosed. I thought I had the flu but it never went away and I started vomiting green after about a week. I finally went to the emergency room. They did a CT scan and found the cancer. At the hospital they took some of my lower bowel and omentum but they had to fly me to a hospital that had a intensive care unit. I was in the hospital 2 weeks before they did my hysterectomy. I had to wear a ostomy bag and was in the hospital for 6 weeks. I was diagnosed 3C and had 6 rounds of chemo. I have been in remission since April 2007 and I had a ostomy reversal soon after. I have been on SSDI since April 2007. It took 6 months to get my disability.
Hi Ovagal, I am on the Humana medicare Advantage Plan. It is very close to the health plan I had before which was Pacificare. I don't have any other insurance so I'm hoping this is going to be a good plan if I ever have to have chemo or be hospitalized.
I was indeed working. Had a full hystorectomy, and went back to normal life. 5 years later the cancer came back and I've been battling it ever since. It comes and goes for the most part. I'll do chemo and it will go into remission for 6 months or so before it crops back up for another round. Currently i'm in the fight with more rounds of chemo, but I'll beat it.
My advice is file today. Recurrent OVCA is an automatic approval.
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