Barbara,
Thank you for your kind words and advice.
I have hired a lawyer to handle the case. I worked for the county government
and ERISA laws don't apply to government employees so I will be able to sue the
company for her fees which under ERISA you can't do.
I know that I will win eventually. I hae gone through the small savings I had,
maxed out 2 credit cards and now, when the stock market is down 60%, I
sell stocks from time to time. I talked to my lawyer and she said that we
could bring a civil suit against the LTD compnay for the total amount that I
have lost as well as mental and physcial anquish. SO guess what, they should
have continued to pay me because they have really ticked me off! Too many
companies do this and it is not humanly nor morally correct.
Yes, I know there are people that take advantage of insurance companies but
those people that really need LTD should not be punished - aren't we suppose to
be innocent untl proven quilty - OH THAT"S FOR THE RICH - I keep forgetting
that!
What really gets me is the way the insurance company went around everything and
basically tricked me and my neuro - there should be laws against that. I
always thought that ERSIA was suppose to protect employees BUT in reality ERSIA
protects employers and insurance companies and allow lawyers to make more
money!
I don't know if you noticed but I really get upset regarding this problem. I
thought before TM that I was doing everything correct financially to protect my
future but I didn't count on insurance companies bucking their
responsibilities!
I know that I am so much luckier than most. I do have a home that's paid for
along with an older car that's paid for. But there's the doctor bills, meds,
food, electricity, taxes, insurance and everything else adds up to greater
dollars than SSDI. I'm in the class that I'm too well off to get help and yet
not enough to make ends meet - a rock and a hard place that seems to be our
life! I just hope that Obama can help us all in ways that we can only dream
of!
Thank you for letting me boil over! Everytime I think about this, I get upset
and I know that I shouldn't because all it does is harm me! Since July, I've
had more attacks of spasms, headaches, and more pain. I know it is because of
the stress!
I need to follow my advice - let go let God! Some days its easier than others.
Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly!
Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably .
And never regret anything that made you smile.
Prayers and thoughts for you and yours,
Candy K.
----- Original Message -----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], tmic-list@eskimo.com
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2008 12:15:39 AM (GMT-0500) America/New_York
Subject: Re: [TMIC] your thoughts?
Hi Candi,
I wish you the best of luck with your LTD hearing. You have a right to all
the paperwork out of your file at the insurance co. and should order it if you
do not already have it. The insurance companies have no conscience at all.
Their job is to get people off the disability roles, and I understand that they
need to get the ones off that aren't really disabled, but not the ones that
are.
My LTD provider (Prudential) did the same as yours regarding sending a
letter to my doctor requesting that he complete a form about my condition and
what my capabilities were. They also stated on the letter to him that I had
been working on a part-time basis and requested the stand, sit, walk, etc.
questions. Now, my policy states that I am entitled to benefits if I am able
to work on a full-time basis based on my training or what I can be trained to
do, something like that, and on and on. I haven't worked at all since Dec.
2000, and they know it or they would not have been paying me.
This was sent to my Neuro, and all previous correspondence was sent to
PCP. The Neuro hadn't even asked me to come into his office for a visit before
sending back the form to the insurance company stating that since I had been
working part-time that I could work full-time now, after listing capabilities
that don't match me at all.
In the meantime, I had gone to a Physiatrist that the insurance co. set up
for a review of my condition. This doc stated that I was not able to work.
Then, since the insurance co. got the form back from my Neuro stating I could
work full-time, they contacted their doc and asked him to reverse his decision
and state that I could work, telling him that my doc must know my condition
better than he does, and he did it. I was denied my coverage at that point.
It took a couple of visits to the Neuro to get everything squared away with
his paperwork and re-submitted. It also took me requesting copies of all my
paperwork from the insurance co. in order to have ammunition for my appeal.
There were about 3 reams of paper worth of copies they sent me, and most were
triplicates of my early TM years, including hospital info. That was very
depressing looking back at that stuff. I had to submit 2 appeals. They were
tough, but I'm glad that I stuck with it and finally noticed what they did with
the doc they hired. That was very underhanded and let them know it was wrong
and not proper business practice. When I later told my husband he was really
angry and felt we could have sued them for what they did, but I don't know.
Especially since I may not have caught what they did, and could have possibly
lost again and had the expense of a lawyer. If it went to a lawyer and I would
win, they pay the lawyer. If I lose, I pay the lawyer.
This was about 3 years ago, and I just got another letter with a form for a
doctor's statement. I now have a new PCP and Neuro, so I hope all goes well.
I have a HMO and the process is that I drop off the forms to the medical
secretaries and they go back and forth to docs to be filled out, transcribed,
approved, distributed and filed. I sent emails to them letting them know I am
available for questions and the trouble that I had last time. I hope this
works out without any snags. If we don't fight for our rights, who will do it
for us??
Hugs to all, Barbara A
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