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sheri	May-17-03, 10:30 PM (CMT)
"HELP Met Life (my Company's long term insur.) turned me down,but"
LAST EDITED ON May-17-03 AT 10:31 PM (CMT) First I am sorry this is so long, but please read it. Met Life (my Company's long term insur.) turned me down, but I was approved for SSD. I got a call Wed. from my supervisor who said he received a letter from my case manager at Met Life saying the 21st is the end of my short term disability. He asked if I was coming back and I chose not to answer him (based on the advice of my union rep). He said if I am not back at work on the 21st I am terminated, fired with no benefits, no pay, nothing. He was almost laughing. He never said what can I do, is there something I can help with, nothing. He and my entire office will be laughing their heads off and having a party because of this. So I called Met Life to see when a decision was going to be made. This was my first phone call to them as I didn't want to bug them and make them mad. The Company gave us books about our benefits, but they are so ambiguous it's hard to understand. I finally got to talk to my case worker and asked when I would know if I was approved or not and she got really mean and nasty with me. She said a decision would be made Friday. She was so rude and mean to me the entire conversation. Now that doesn't give me much time to appeal, find alternate insurance, anything. So I asked her if I am approved what can I expect to receive in pay, what happens as far as insurance, etc. She said (again in a very mean voice) go to your book. I tried to tell her it doesn't say much, but she wouldn't help me at all. I also asked why the 21st when I was told the 29th. She said did I have it in writing and I said yes, somewhere I had a letter with the 29th on it. She grumped "well if I don't have a letter with that date they will not use the 29th." So she gave me her fax number and I dug out the letter and faxed it to her. I am still not sure which date they are going to use. I said I am very sick and I can't afford to be without health insurance even for a day. I said it's like being in the middle of an ocean in a little boat with no oars. She said if I was approved they would take what I make from SSD and subtract it, subtract what I will get as a pension, even though I won't be able to collect it till I am 67 1/2. I asked why are you going to subtract that if I am not getting it till I am 67 1/2. She said "read your book." After they subtract all that, I wouldn't get that much. Though I need to be approved for the benefits. I lost a crown the other week and my new one just came in. I was to have carpal tunnel tests on both hands next month, I just picked up my braces last week. They are the very hard type that has a metal plate on the inside. My prescriptions are over $200 a month. Plus as you all know, frequent trips to the ER. I called a union rep and he gave me the name of someone who handles the medical side and interfaces with the Company and our insurance, but he wasn't there Thursday and Friday and left no one else "in charge". I left him an urgent message. I told my case worker that I got all the paperwork back to them within 2 weeks. I sat there as my Dr's filled them out and was told they would mail them the next day. I got a call from Met Life "psychology" dept. and spoke with her for almost an hour. I mailed them all my paperwork that I sent SSD. So Friday I called around 11 a.m. and there was no answer on my decision. Around 3:30 I get a call from my case worker and she was so pleasant and said "you have been denied." I was in such shock. I asked why, if SSD approved me why not you. Her answer was not enough objective clinical results and test findings. I sat there crying saying what am I going to do. She said you have 180 days to file an appeal. I said how can you not approve me when SSD did. She said we go by different standards. She said get the stuff they asked for and send it in. Why didn't they ask for that before they made up their minds. That was it. I called my pain Dr and spoke to the girl who fills out the paperwork. She was shocked. She said it's not like you have cancer and blood work to prove it. There really is no concrete proof out there about migraines and headaches. She sent the 4 MRI reports, the results of my cervical rhizotomy, occipital neurectomy and the amount of medicine I am on. I know my chiropractor wrote a letter, my counselor wrote a letter and talked with the psych dept. I told the girl at my pain Dr I can't afford to have the carpal tunnel test next month, he felt I needed surgery as the pain shoots clear up my back and into my shoulder blades. I don't know if I can afford to see him and my medicines. I can't see my chiropractor. I know I can pick up Cobra, but losing my pay, my benefits (eye, dental, health, percentage of my phone bill) and I will lose my life insurance I paid into for 21 years. I had outstanding ratings, many many years of perfect attendance or very little days off. I don't know how much Cobra is, but I am not getting that much from SSD. I will lose my 4 weeks vacation the company would have paid me for. That alone is over $4,000 before tax. I don't know what will happen to my 401K. If I was approved I could let my money in the 401K. I have a call into my lawyer and will have to call all my Dr's again. I am supposed to have my crown put on Tuesday, but I am worried my dental insurance will have problems with that too. EVERY ONE I NEED HELP. Please tell me what more I can do. What is objective clinical tests results and what else should I be doing? Has anyone ever gone through this and they changed their minds? Good or bad folks I need to know. I am so stressed. My hands hurt and feel like a thousand needles are being jammed into them. My lupus/rheumtaoid has acted up and my hands are swollen, my knees and ankles are so swollen and painful I can barely walk down the stairs in the mornings and evenings. I finally got my waterbed up so I am hoping once it warms up it will help the joints. Now what ever little money I got from SSD, I will have to pay the lawyer and cobra. To update you on the sale of my house. The Wednesday before closing the buyer had her final walkthrough. She found someone had taken a BB gun to my house. Both my front windows were shot, 2 holes in the siding and the screens were ripped. I called my insurance and put in a claim and asked for their help in getting it resolved as soon as possible. I got a call from the adjuster and he said that my color of siding is no longer made so they will reside the entire house. I said why for 2 holes about 1/2 inch round. I asked him can't they patch and paint, plus I had bought an extra box of siding and kept some left over pieces. He was so happy he said he will see if Allstate will "waive" my $250 deductible. I saved them close to $8,000. (A word to anyone who is going to side their house, buy an extra box or 2, it's worth it in the long run!) He said they can take the bottom piece of and replace the pieces with the holes and then put the "new" siding on the bottom so the color difference (fading from the sun) won't be as noticeable. I bought the best siding out there and it was only on for 5 years so the fading should not be that much. I called my contractor who put it on and he said he would do the repairs. I gave him the new owner phone number and vice versa. I sent him his check and I hope that is done for me. But wait, I still didn't off that easy. At closing the lawyer who handled it was a dufus. He didn't have any of my final payoffs and asked if I had the numbers. I turned to my realtor and asked him and he said no I never gave that to him. I said yes I did, when I signed on, plus when she made the offer and I accepted I gave it to the other realtor who was filing in for him while he was in Florida. He fumbled through his briefcase and nothing. I fortunately brought along my insurance statement and my account numbers were there. THEN the lawyer said the borough read my water meter and the inside meter didn't match the outside meter and I owed them $549.23! He took the money from my closing and paid it. Now the gas company didn't want their money up front. I called the borough right then and got no where. I called the mayor the next day and he said I don't have any leg to stand on. I said to the mayor so someone who lived in their house for 30 years and didn't know their meter was bad, would have to pay this huge bil. Shouldn't the borough ask the residents once a year to allow them inside to read both meters. Now I have said the amount of my utilities since I moved in 13 years ago and nothing seemed wrong with my bill. The amount would go up and down depending on the time of year, car washing, yard watering, etc. If my bill went from $50 to $10 I would have known something was wrong. Every one I talked to I mentioned that and still nothing. I called my lawyer who did my will and he said I have no recourse. I told the mayor and the borough manager that I am taking a full page out in the local paper telling all the residents to watch their water meter. Then all the borough did was reset the meter and that was it. They never replaced it, nothing! I said to the closing lawyer why wasn't I told about this before? He didn't answer me and kept running in and out of the room. We were in this tiny room with not enough chairs and I had to sit with my back to everyone. He came back in and said my credit union said it would be another hour before they would have my final payoff did we want to wait. I called the next day and got it right then. I said no I had a 3 hour drive and I have to get home for my medicine. I plan on writing a letter to the owner of the realty agency I went with and tell him what terrible service I got, along with the rude comments his agents said to me. Why does all this bad stuff keep happening to me? I don't want to wake up and somedays when I am taking my medicine, I just want to take the entire bottle and go to bed. It would kill my Mom and that's the only reason I haven't. Some of you who know my story will hopefully understand what I mean. I know we all have rough times, but for the last 15 years I have had more than my share. I don't know how much more I can take. One more thing happens and I can't say I won't do it. I am so tired of hurting every where. I haven't slept well in months. It takes me hours to wake up in the morning and to get going. Trying to walk downstairs hurts so bad. My feet hurt, my hands hurt so bad. I try to be cheery around Mom because I don't want to worry her or scare her. Mom's 79 and she hurts with arthritis, plus she had colon cancer which is always a worry. Now with my heart murmur and my lupus/arthritis acting up I can't see those Dr's. Please help me. I hope you all are having a good day. I am sorry for not responding more. It's hard to type as my hands "fall asleep." I can't even talk on the phone too long because of my hands. Please, please help me. Please take care, Sheri
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RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's lon..., painfullintx, May-17-03, (1) RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's lon..., Richard, May-18-03, (2) RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's lon..., Timber2, May-18-03, (3) RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's lon..., sheri, May-19-03, (10) RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's lon..., mishkyn, May-18-03, (4) RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's lon..., Richard, May-18-03, (5) Choosing Battles - Eyes On the Priz..., Richard, May-18-03, (6) The LTD Benefits Book, Richard, May-18-03, (7) RE: The LTD Benefits Book, Annabelle20, May-18-03, (8) RE: The LTD Benefits Book, sheri, May-19-03, (9) RE: The LTD Benefits Book, emme, May-19-03, (11) RE: COBRA BENEFITS, Mary217, May-20-03, (12)

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Messages in this topic

painfullintx	May-17-03, 11:18 PM (CMT)
1. "RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's long term insur.) turned me down,but"
Sheri honey, I do not have any answers of any kind for you because I have never been in your shoes with insurance companies or realators. However I do want you to know that you are in my prayers always have been and will continue to be. I also wanted to let you know that I am here if at ANY time you need someone to talk too. Just email me personally if you want too. I will write you back or even call you on the phone if you want to. I know things are very bad for you right now, but I just wanted you to know that you have a friend here in TX who loves you and cares for you deeply. If there is any thing I can do for you please do not hessitate to ask. Love patti west texas my email is witchrose99@yahoo.com please use it when you think you can not go any futher or if you just need to talk and vent, I will always be here for you.
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Richard	May-18-03, 07:14 AM (CMT)
2. "RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's long term insur.) turned me down,but"
Good Morning Sheri, Let's start at the very begining, a very good place to start ( I am in Julie Andrews frame of mind (grin) 1. Your 401K is yours. You will need to keep your letter from SS that you are indeed disabled. When you send off to the FINANCIAL institution that has your 401K money (Franklin Templeton or whoever) call them first and discuss with them that you are disabled. Send them a COPY of your SS disability letter if they require proof that you are indeed disabled. This is necessary to avoid an extra 10%+ tax penalty for early withdrawal of 401K money (pre-retirement age withdrawal) Disabled folks can withdraw money without paying this penalty. But be careful. You still have to pay federal and state income taxes on your 401K money on the year you withdraw it. You may choose to roll it over into an IRA that allows you to withdraw it a bit at a time AS A DISABLED PERSON without the 10% tax penalty. You will pay taxes on it as income but only a bit at a time. I am NOT an accountant. Speak with your tax advisor. But your 401K is YOUR money. The company cannot screw with it. 2. You are on SS disability. After 2 years you are automatically on MEDICARE for hospitalization. You will have the option of Medicare doctor insurance for $54.xx a month that is automatically taken out of your SS benefit each month (if you choose it). It is a good deal. My parents and Steve and I all have it. Our doctors and therapists think it is a good deal. It does NOT cover dentists and prescriptions yet. But Congress is working on that. I am pretty certain Congress will screw it up, but they are working on it. But your good news is you have less than two years in the uninsured pool of USA citizens. And the two years start from the date of your disability. So if you got any back pay benefits, then the date your back pay benefits started from is the date your two years began ticking for Medicare. 3. Appeal the LTD decision. Of course you can win. You need your lawyer. Migraine is diagnosed by exclusion. If you need more information about that, let me know ... or better yet, read Dr. robbins recent article. Stay OFF the phone with the company and the LTD folks. Stay on the phone with your lawyer. Let him-her do the work. Remember my advice about drafting letters. Put your energy there. You can appeal through the company and then you can arbitrate or sue them in court. 4. You need money to cover Doctor visits, ER, and potential hospitalizations until Medicare kicks in. You have the proceeds of the sale of your home and your 401K. You have a good idea how often you will seeing a doctor in the next two and how much they charge. You can find out how much COBRA is and how much it costs and what it covers (same as your current health insurance coverage) Does it include dental and prescription? How much does this run? Answer these questions to yourself, in black and write, on a piece of paper. Now look at the two numbers side by side .... Costs of Cobra until Medicare kicks in versus cost of doctor etc until Medicare kicks in. Is COBRA worth it? The BIG "If" is hospitalization. Are you a betting person? I am not. Bad things happen to good people, so I would go for the Cobra. But that is me. And I have more financial resources than you. It is a tough choice you have to make ... so sit down and write up the numbers so you make a sound decision that you can live with. Hang In There! Tieni Duro! Non Mollare! Tiens Bon! Ne Laches Pas! Richard
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	Timber2	May-18-03, 09:54 AM (CMT)
	3. "RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's long term insur.) turned me down,but"
	Sheri, So sorry to hear of your recent difficulties. Soimetimes, it feels like nothing is ever easy! In one of your past posts, I think you said yuo worked at Verizon, which would say a lot to me about the unpleasant work environment you had. For the last 12 years I worked, I was a Bell Atlantic employee. As you know, BA is now part of Verizon. When I worked, I was on the management side of things, so I'm sure that the disability regs may be somewhat different. It was my impression in the past (and unfortunately I used to be involved somewhat in contract negotiations), that BA union employees were better off in some regards. If I'm not wrong, can't your union reps act on behalf during disputes over disability? And isn't there a firmal appeal process in place? Or maybe things have changed since I've left ... When I filed for disability seven years ago, the long-term disability insurance provider did not make payouts to people with migraines. However, I did qualify on the basis of depression, and that's been the basis of my disability payments for all these years. Every March or April, I have to submit a statement from my psych about my depression (he also talks about the migs) and the company okays payment for another year. In late March, I once again submitted all the paperwork and was approved. Sometime in April, I received a letter from a company called Unum, which has just taken over the disability management process from Met Life. These guys appear to be really hard @@@@ and for the first time ever I'm worried. Two weeks ago, I received a letter from Unum wanting to know a whole bunch of things about my medical condition, so they can re-verify my disability. (I hsd just completed the process.) What they are asking is much more detailed than what Aetna/Met Life asked. (In the first two years, I did have to go to for independent evaluations but both times the psychs concurred with my psychs. In fact, the second psych, a woman, told me BA had worked me so hard that I should be entitled to disability for the rest of my life! However, I wish I didn't have the migraines (and depression)and could work so I wouldn't have to be so dependent on my ex. Anyway, I'm in the process of putting together all the stuff that Unum wants. Additionally, I was turned down for SS disability about three weeks ago and now have to start the appeal process. Only one of my doctors (my psych) submitted any paperwork (and I had to pay $400 got his time to fill out the report) and I was denied. So, now I have to make sure all the M.D.s submit information. Allsup told me that usually more than 80 percent of the people who apply the first time around are denied. And about the same percentage are also turned down the second time. She said the third time is almost always the charm. Great, I'll proably have several heart attacks by that time. Allsup also said that the SS decisions should not affect my private insurer payments but since Verizon has a new management company, I am growing increasingly paranoid. If I love my private disability and not get SS disability, I will literally be out on the street. My former, loving ex-husband (sarcasm) only pays me $350 a month in alimony (that's after 28 years of marriage during which I put him thru law school; paid $20,000 to set him up in private practice and generally made more money than he did the entire time we were together.) The court has made my ex pay $950 a month for the two boys. I don't think my ex is making a whole lot of money right now (although I haven't been able to get his most recent tax statement yet). In addition to paying $950 a month for rent, I must pay $860 a month for my health insurance. So, I could be screwed. Because I have 20 to 25 migraines a month -- and the majority of them are ver disabling -- I honestly don't see how I could hold down a steady job. Even one at McDonalds or bagging groceries (I'm not makeing fun of ayone here; those are just two jobs that came to mind that many people could do after some training.) And I don't think I could ever again eaen the type of income I did at BA, even as a free-lance writer (that is if my migraines weren 't so bad). Anyeay, I share your anxiety. You wuld think that SS disability is harder to get then privatge disabilty. And, as I said earlier, I never really had much of a problem with Met Life, although Unum may be another matter altogher. Maybe theye're tougher on the IBEW ypes. Please hang in there. -- Debbie P. (P>S.ore any typos and other mistakes, I'm Day Two of the migraine from hell.)
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	sheri	May-19-03, 04:06 PM (CMT)
	10. "RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's long term insur.) turned me down,but"
	Hi Debbie, I am a union member, though my local reps haven't done a thing for me. My rep said when I asked here where my grievance stands "why should you care if you are not coming back". I do. I worked for them 21 years with outstanding ratings, very little time off, till these headaches came. How can insurance people think we are faking when we have to sell our home, things we own, move in with a parent to have them take care of us? I can't believe you have to go through that process on a yearly basis. It's not like the company is hurting for money. They are laying off 250 people the end of June, after 350 people lost their jobs in Dec. This August the contract is up and I fear it will be a long strike. I don't trust the union right now and so that worries me as well. I have had a killer migraine as well since Sunday and can barely type this out. I haven't been back to the rheumatologist for a while because he was nasty as well. I had planned on going here at Mom's, but have been so sick these last few weeks, just trying to go day to day is all I can do. I can't believe you couldn't get more from your ex since you put him through school. I got nothing from mine. We were only married less than 3 years and since I didn't help with his schooling I got nothing. I was working for Bell of PA and making good, but gave it up to move to NJ with him. He is a nuclear eng with a masters in that and electrical eng degree as well. He makes an obscene amount of money each year. But, he is miserable, never remarried and just as mean as he was when we divorced. He is unhappy with his personal life, which I guess should be some comfort to me. He actually wanted to remarry and me to have a baby! (That along with some horrible other reasons, is why I divorced him, he said he didnt' want kids after he told me he did while we were dating.) I hope you make out ok with your insurance. IF you want to keep in touch, please do. My email is zeusnkatz2@aol.com. Verizon is not the same company we worked for all those years ago. It used to be a great place with nice people. Now they stab you in the back as you watch them. The boss's are mean and don't care. MY Mom retired from AT&T and she can't believe what I am going through. I was harrassed by a boss 6 years ago and had to file a case against the company because they would not do anything, neither did the union. I can't say I won, but I did get away from that boss and he was told not to even look at me. It's just hard to understand life sometimes. When you are so sick and having to deal with this all. My heart murmur came back and I too worry about having a stroke due to all this stress. I have a DNR signed and told my Mom just to let me go. I can't be in this pain forever. Please take care and I will say a special prayer that you make out ok. Sheri
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	mishkyn	May-18-03, 10:01 AM (CMT)
	4. "RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's long term insur.) turned me down,but"
	Dear Sheri~~ Gee, if you didn't have bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all. Fighting migraine is a full time job, but that often entails money problems, job problems, personal problems, insurance problems, etc and things quickly become overwhelming. Add to that the wacky things life throws at you like the siding and particularly your water meter and the world can seem unmanagable. You have gotten good advice from Richard. I agree with him about staying off the phone to people who refuse to hear you or help you and seem to perform a celebratory dance every time they thwart you. You will not change their minds and trying to do so will only exhaust and demoralize you. Especially with migraine, you have to pick your battles carefully. There are state agencies that regulate insurance companies, you may want to do some research on that. I have found some great advocates in Congressmen and Senators in the past. They have regional offices and whenever I have a dispute like yours--the insurance and the water meter--I always send a copy of my correspondence with a cover letter to my politicians. You never know where help might come from, and I have had politicians go to bat for me with the phone co, with Panasonic, and regarding health issues, among others. It can't hurt and it may help to include them. The water meter problem just seems nutty. The fact that they didn't replace it is an absurdity that could work in your favor. At the very least, you may be able to work out a payment plan or even a reduction. Although I often feel that when we get migraines, we also get membership in a bizarro world where logic and common sense seem non-existent--often for years at a time. I have rheumatoid arthritis along with migraine, and the combination is much more powerful than migraine alone. You may want to get substantial documentation for your lupus and rheumatoid problems as well. I think Dr. Robbins' site has some info on lupus and migraine occurring together. Lots of people, including many drs, have a built in prejudice against migraine/headache. Can't see it don't believe it don't respect it. I truly feel for you. Problems like this are bad enough when we are feeling well (what's that like?) but with migraine it is like trying to herd cats. Please do keep us up to date. My best, Mishkyn
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	Richard	May-18-03, 10:15 AM (CMT)
	5. "RE: HELP Met Life (my Company's long term insur.) turned me down,but"
	Hey Sheri, I agree that you should discount your Union as an effective advocate for you with the Company Disability Company. Have a serious talk with them. Disability law is not in the business agents normal area of expertise. Ask if the Union has a lawyer on retainer or can obtain the services of a disability expert to aid you. the expert may not be a lawyer. That is fine. But look to your Union for help with this one. And Mishkyn is right on the money. talk with your Union about your filing with your State's Insurance Commissioner immediately. Migraine is serious neurological disease that is diagnosed by exclusion and by the presence of certain symptoms only. You have those symtoms. (see Dr. Robbins website or any good migraine site) You have clean MRI's etc. You have excluded tumors etc. You have headache etc. Therefore you have migraine. Your insurance company has established a Catch 22 by its "different criteria" that ought to be brought to the attention of your State's Insurance Commissioner. It IS worth the extra effort in two ways. 1. It puts pressure on the LTD company to approve your claim. 2. It gives you a sense of power. Hang In There! Tieni Duro! Non Mollare! Tiens Bon! Ne Laches Pas! Richard
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Richard	May-18-03, 10:25 AM (CMT)
6. "Choosing Battles - Eyes On the Prize"
Howdy Sheri, You want people on the other end of the phone line to care about you. The case worker at the LTD, your old office mates and supervisor, etc. They don't, they won't, they never will. Sorry. that's the way of things. They care about finishing that project on their desk so they can get out of the office and pick up the kids and get home in time to get dinner on the table. and how are they going to pay their own bills. Your problems? You are long gone from the office. You are a strange name on a file to the LTD. they really don't care. And neither should you. Your prize is benefits. You don't need to like them. You need to be courteously assertive, respectful, and stand up for yourself politely. But that is all. You will never have lunch with your caseworker nor she with you. That is the way of things. Keep your eye on the prize and try not to get distracted. And by the way. Call your real estate lawyer and renegotiate his fee. He did not do his job. He should have had those figures prepared and the papers ready to be signed before anyone sat down. That is how real estate closings proceed. His work was unbelievable. Frankly I would start negotiatioins with him at $10.00 and work up from there. I think one third to one half his fee is a good ending point. Hang In There! Tieni Duro! Non Mollare! Tiens Bon! Ne Laches Pas! Richard
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Richard	May-18-03, 10:32 AM (CMT)
7. "The LTD Benefits Book"
Hey Sheri, It is probably a very good thing that the caseworker told you to "read the book." Often those books ARE very ambiguous. Get with your Union representative and take a hard look at it. Perhaps there are ways to interpret the language of the Book in your favor as you proceed in your appeals ... not with the caseworkers ... but perhaps you have rights to arbitration or court. See what the Book says. Ambiguous language can be VERY good for you. but DO NOT ask the caseworker to explain the language to you. Talk with your Union Representative and Lawyer. Let them do the talking. And again and again I emphasize ... take notes and keep them organized. The most organized and best documentation wins most cases. Hang In There! Tieni Duro! Non Mollare! Tiens Bon! Ne Laches Pas! Richard
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	Annabelle20	May-18-03, 07:06 PM (CMT)
	8. "RE: The LTD Benefits Book"
	Dear Sheri: I read all of Richard's posts to my husband who is a CPA/Financial Planner. He said all the advice Richard gave you regarding financial matters is correct. Richard said you should consult a finacial person, and my husband is that. So I'm just happy to give an extra opinion. Hang in there girl! Cheryl
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	sheri	May-19-03, 03:54 PM (CMT)
	9. "RE: The LTD Benefits Book"
	Hi all thanks for your kind words and advice. I have been down since Sunday with a killer migraine. Plus my joints are so swollen it takes me 5 minutes to walk 10 feet to the bathroom. Any pressure on my feet sends pain up through my entire body. I talked to a union person today who was surprised I was denied. I told him my story and all the drugs I am on. He said once I get my denial letter and forms to call him, unless he gets back to me sooner. I can pay for cobra. But I said that is true, but I can never get that money back once I am approved, plus losing 4 weeks of vacation pay (which the company would have paid me for if I was approved), my benefits, disability pay. He said he will try and work something out there once I am approved, but no guarantee. He said to hold off on the lawyer though, which I am not sure about. He is a go between us and the insurance companies Verizon has. I told him how rude the lady was. I am not sure since I will be fired if I can stay in the 401K or not. I was hoping to keep my money in it for now. I asked my pain Dr to give me a prescription for next months medicine and his nurse said she will try and get it done on a "vacation" type of thing. She isn't sure if the insurance will approve it that way or not. I am hoping tomorrow will be a better day and I can think better to do what you all suggested. It's taking everything I have to write this now. I wish the insurance people could come and stay with me for a day to see what I go through. What is Dr. Robbins exact site name? Again, thanks everyone. I really do appreciate all your help and support. I just don't know why life must be so hard and cruel. Please take care, Sheri
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	emme	May-19-03, 09:16 PM (CMT)
	11. "RE: The LTD Benefits Book"
	Hi Sheri, I'm so sorry all this sh** is going down. I couldn't read all of this, but it sounds like you got some great advice. I hope things will look up for you soon. I hope the decision will go in your favor. I'm sorry you're pain has been worse too. Please don't give up, that's what they would like you to do, it's a typical insurance company type tactic, harass you long enough and stretch things out as long as possible and hopefully you give up, or sneak things past you, whatever the case may be. Emme
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	Mary217	May-20-03, 02:32 PM (CMT)
	12. "RE: COBRA BENEFITS"
	Sorry if someone already mentioned this. Are you not entitled to COBRA for 18 months from you employer?? If you need any info, just e-mail me. I did it and it saved me a fortune just on prescriptions alone! (My scripts are over $15,000/year) Take good care, Mary.
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