Impending retirement due to CAD (etc.)

For those who have followed the short soap opera of my CAD issues, I'll give ya a little update.

I had a meeting with some folks at my employer's office today (I work for a large health care company as a computer programmer...or did, anyway) and it resulted in an agreement that I should retire immediately.

This is good news...but with maybe some rough edges. I've been trying to get disability retirement for about 8 months, and I've been denied once. Ohh..my employer (I'm actually still an employee...for the moment), while having its own health insurance division (seems weird for a company to run a bunch of hospitals, employ the doctors and also provide the insurance coverage), has Long Term Disability coverage thru the Hartford.

There's supposed to be a 6 month waiting period until the disability takes over...and I've been working part-time during that period. But since I was extremely poorly advised at the outset about what was allowed and what wasn't, I was denied on a technicality (I actually did what I was asked to do instead of saying, "no...I can't help you"..and as a result, the Hartord said that I must not be disabled if I can help someone out of a computer problem....picky SOBs.)

Today I found that my employer's "employee health coordinator" (who actually was in charge of the meeting we had today) has "a good working relationship" with the Hartford (her own words) and will be trying to negotiate something so that I don't have to wait the entire 6 months all over again. That's the uncertainty part. The insurance company needs to be convinced of the same things they my employer has now come to believe. I suppose it helps that I had a note from my doctor stating in part, "due to cardiac and other issues, Mr. Buck should retire immediately."

So now it's a waiting game. I have about a week of Paid Time Off and then I'll be without a source of income until the disability income starts. But my wife works and can buy groceries. I also have a little bit of savings left (I've had to dip into it pretty deep to pay for non-covered medical costs, etc.) so we're not gonna starve and we're not gonna lose our home...at least at the moment. We're fortunate in that we have relatively few bills (mortgage, 1 car payment and 1 credit card) and everything's paid current. It could be a whole lot worse.

I have another appointment with my cardiologist Friday and we'll see what he has to say. I'm gonna ask him to increase the dosage of Imdur (I'm on 30mg, once a day) since that's the very minimum dosage and it's effects are only lasting a couple of hours...according to everything I've read, it should last up to 8-12 hours. There's no problem with getting my blood pressure too low, because with all the stress I've had lately, it's back up to the 150/90 range. Oops, I take that back. I just took it now and it's 167/104. But then it's been an extremely stressful couple of days...and the angina has been severe enough to be troubling, but not debilitating.

So like I said, I guess this is good news with some rough edges.

More to come as it happens...film at 11.

Hey Ray, I wish I could retire! Too bad it's under such circumstances. I am still working 2 jobs at present 54 1/2 hours a week. I am waiting for the city to decide if they want me full time or not. If not think I will start looking for a job with cheaper insurance where I can afford to quit the night job. It's not good for my health anyway. Hang in there though things have a way of working themselves out. Well back to work for now. Barb

Hey Ray!

The DGMS had me laughing!-I was just thinking the same thing the other day.  It does seem looking back a few years ago, that we didn't have quite so many deductibles as we do now!

Hugs, Teri :)

they retired me early for my heart condition i wasn't pleased and still wish i was working instead of being home all day i got ssi pretty quick 90days in all most people i talked to said i would have to get a lawyer but i didn't my cardio wrote one hellva letter to them i have ins with my wife job so i lucked out there good luck in what evr you do

Hi Ray,

Good luck to you on your retirement. Maybe not the way you had it planned but it sounds like the company that you work for is trying to help you with all the paperwork and such. You may have a little more time to spend on your cars now.

Since I own the company I work for I have a real jerk for a boss. He won't even let me take weekends off let alone retire. I am trying to cut back some though and let the people that work for me pick up the slack. I think I am getting close to having that ability. I got my first job mowing lawns and shoveling snow when I was 9 and have had a steady job ever since. Like you, I'm sure, retiring probably won't come that easy but I think I am getting used to the idea alittle now.

Anyway, good luck again.

Steve

Nice to see you around here again Steve. I may be looking for a new job soon if my day job doesn't hire me full time. I can't keep working all these hours and paying so much for insurance. I find out next Tuesday or Wednesday what they decide. Barb

Boy I wish I could retire--I have been here at the hospital for 18 years--They don't seem to care if I have CAD or what else they want me here!!  I would go in a flash if they would only offer--!!  I must be too willing  LOL!!!

Well, I'm here...and back at square one. Yesterday my appeal for LTD was denied...rather gleefully...by the ###. I'm getting rather tired of those alleged people.

I've sent a note to my lawyer, spent the afternoon on the phone with the HR people at my ex-employer and still have no idea where I stand. I haven't worked full-time for almost 9 months and haven't worked at all for 2. And still, no idea at all about any income.

If it sounds like I'm angry, it's only because I am. If anyone has any choice in the matter, and is offered a policy from the ###, I'd run away from it as fast as possible. They will go to any lengths to avoid paying a claim.

Post Edited By Moderator (Teri16) : 5/24/2005 12:32:33 PM (GMT-6)