Quote Originally Posted by Tequila Sunrise View Post
Dear DTIV,

I just got back from a three month stay in South Korea (that's the friendly one), working as a teacher. Turns out I'm not a great teacher because I just don't care about over-privileged angsty brats. That's not why I'm depressed though. I had to come back to my mother's home in the States because 1) my Korean boss turned spiteful on me and 2) it turns out Korean doctors just don't know how to treat my cystic fibrosis (a chronic genetic disorder). I'm depressed because I'm back in the same ol' catch 22: I need a job but 1) I can't accept a part-time because it doesn't provide the insurance I need to treat my disorder and 2) I can't seem to get hired for a full-time because the economy sucks (thank you no-government-oversight policies ) and 'all' I have going for me is a BA in English Lit. No work experience of note (because I can't accept part-time), and my interview smile is getting worse and worse as I get more depressed. So I'm stuck living with my mother and sister, whom I love but hate living with, on SSI because it's the only way I can get medicaid to treat my disorder.

Bleh.
TS:
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No one seemed to notice your post, and I've been looking in on "my" thread, but refrained from leaving many responses because I'm having some serious issues of my own.

I'm a little stunned that you're not on Social Security Disability. I'm almost sure CF is on their list of instant clearance for benefits. With SSD comes Medicare, which, while I don't consider it the best of insurance policies, should at least get you the treatments you need.

You have a benefit over me in that you have a place to stay where you don't have to handle every last financial detail. With a roof over your head, you can file for SSD, probably get it, receive your medical treatments, and then continue your job hunt. Yes, you can look for work while on SSD. It need not be a permanent situation.

Here's the deal...SSD will start sending you a check, which should also include back pay once you're approved. You should also receive Medicare, which will cover 80% of your medical needs. You may have to look into State programs to help with the other 20% to avoid out-of-pocket costs. (I have a story about that second part, but I'll talk about that in a bit.) Once you're all set, and getting the medical attention that you require, you can look into what Social Security calls "The Ticket to Work Program." This allows you to get back into the work force without penalty to your SSD benefits at the start. After nine months, employment will start reducing your benefit checks. Employers are encouraged to hire the handicapped by way of a check sent to them from the government, which may well make it a bit easier to find a job.

You can go here, or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

Okay...My story about the Ticket to Work Program is a bit of a pain. You see, I rely on SSD and benefits from Arizona. I make so little from SSD that AZ pays for my Medicare, as well as providing a secondary medical insurance.

I personally HATE living beneath poverty, and decided a couple of years ago to try and get back into the work force. And I found the perfect job for me! I would work at home with a starting salary of $9.00/hour, and that was part-time! This was GREAT! I mean, I could go to training for a week, the company would come in and set up the software I needed on my computer, and then I would take in-bound sales calls. On my worst days, I sit at my computer almost all day long. Why not make some money while doing so? The way I saw it, I could start part-time, and if I found I could do more, I'd go full-time.

My first step was to contact Social Security and find out how working would affect my benefits. I was told about the Ticket to Work Program. From my understanding, whether or not the company I would work for took it, I could still give it a try for nine months without penalty. (The woman on the phone actually told me, "You could earn $10,000,000.00 a month without penalty.")

So far, so good.

My next step was to visit DES; that's the Department of Economic Security. (Actually, it should be the Department of Economic INsecurity, but that would be a personal point of view.) I sat down with a case manager (CM) and asked how employment would affect my State benefits. Our conversation went like this:

Me: How much am I allowed to earn before my benefits are cut?
CM: A hundred and twenty dollars.
Me: A week?!? That's great! Because I found this job that -
CM: No, no, no...A month...before taxes.

I was so looking forward to working 10 to 20 hours a week, thereby completely altering my lifestyle. Instead, I discovered that the paid training, all by itself, would cut me off from the benefits received from AZ. (And there was no way they'd let me train one day a month for five months until I was ready, and then work only 13 hours a month thereafter.) That would mean the 20% NOT covered by Medicare would have to start coming out of my pocket. Looking at my list of medications and all of the doctors I need to see to manage my diabetes, I realized I would likely pay out more than I earned. Thus, dreams of working and increasing my monthly income died with just a few words.

This is why I urge you to be cautious when relying on State benefits. Those who rely on Medicare alone often have to pay a literal high price, so you will either need State benefits or the addition of private insurance.

This is the best that I can do by way of a suggestion.

As an added little note, I can't tell you what a joy it is hear from someone with CF that is so...well...old. I lost a dear friend of mine around 25 years ago to CF. She was 15. Medical advances seem to have altered the lifestyle of those with this pancreatic illness, and I think it's miraculous that you call it "chronic" and not "terminal."