Disability insurance policy

Online short-term and long term disability insurance policy quotes online, Compare rates and policies.

Article by William Olmsted describing what to look for in a personal disability insurance policy.

Features links, articles, and information about individual disability insurance policy.

MEG Financial Keyman insurance quotes, rates, key person life and disability insurance policy quote online.

Good day to all of you. Here's my situation in a nutshell. I am disabled and my health is getting worse and i would like to try to find a handicapped adapted home or apartment. The current house where i live is not very accessible and is contributing to some of my health problems. I also found out last October that i have to have open heart surgery. So in addition to the place i would also need a nurse full time after the surgery and then part time after that. I don't have much money but i would appriciate any help you can give me. I do get SSI Disability but it's very little. Also my dad lost his job recently and i also lost my insurance because i was insured under his policy. I have Medicaid of course but they wont pay for all my medical supplies. I can only imagine what the bill would be for heart surgery. I tried to get a loan but had no luck. I just don't know what to do anymore except that i want to live. Thank you for your time

I began working for a company in oct.2008. I was a service tech. i had a company vehicle that i drove home everyday. When i would use parts of my van, they were replenished via ups to my home from the company. well in jun of 09 i was taken out of work by my doctor due to a back injury ( not work related). i had to turn in my van when this happened. well for the first month or so out of work i was still receiving parts at my house. so i put the parts in a closet for safe keeping. I was finally able to return to work in oct of 09. well I did not need the parts on my truck at that time. In the beginning of feb i had a relapse with my back and had to stop working again. this time i was denied short term disability, and was falling behind in rent. so i moved in with family. Since i was unable to move anything, i had some family help me. my stuff was moved to a storage shed. i then found out that those parts were left. well my landlord would not let me back in to get the parts. i ten found out they were picked up by the company. I was fired just today. while on medical leave. the reason i was given was because i did not follow company policy pertaining to the parts. now i am going to loose my insurance, and more than likely be denied unemployment because i am unable to work per my doctor. so my question is, do i have any rights. or do i have a lawsuit that i can file against the company. I mean how can they fire someone that is on medical leave. And i am thinking I'm completely screwed. Can anyone help or give advice on this. thank you so much

Personal Income Tax Division of the IRS National Endowment for the Arts National Wild Horse and Burro Program (HUH?) Dept. of Education Dept of Energy FEMA (a corrupt organization if there ever was one--leave it to charities) FDIC (a sham program with only a fraction of funds needed to save banks) Freddy Mac & Fannie Mae (helped cause present economic conditions) Administration on Aging (AoA) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) Administration for Native Americans (ANA) Children's Bureau (CB) Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) Head Start Bureau (HSB) Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) Office of Community Services Block Grant (OCS) Office of Family Assistance (OFA) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Indian Health Service (IHS) National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Office of Minority Health (OMH) Program Support Center (PSC) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin.(SAMHSA) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB) Employment Standards Administration (ESA) The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Women's Bureau (WB) Job Corps Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Internet Access and Training Program Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Bureau of Human Resources Bureau of Information Resource Management Bureau of Intelligence and Research Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau of International Organization Affairs Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau of Legislative Affairs Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Bureau of Public Affairs Bureau of Resource Management Bureau of South Asian Affairs Bureau of Verification, Compliance, and Implementation Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Counterterrorism Office (which produces the Patterns of Global Terrorism report) National Foreign Affairs Training Center (former Foreign Service Institute) Office of International Information Programs Office of the Legal Adviser Office of Management Policy Office of Protocol Office of the Science and Technology Adviser Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Office of War Crimes Issues (They blew the Bush war crimes) Car Allowance Rebate System (Cash for Clunkers) Cash for Appliances Program Bureau of the Public Debt Community Development Financial Institution Fund (CDFI) FHA HUD SOCIAL SECURITY INDEPENDENT AGENCIES Of the U.S. GOVERNMENT; National health and insurance system African Development Foundation Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) Agency for International Development (USAID) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (EVIL WAR-MONGERS) US Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Export-Import Bank of the United States (ExIm) Farm Credit Administration (FCA) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Federal Election Commission (FEC) Federal Maritime Commission Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission (FMSHRC) Federal Reserve System (a pseudo government, semi-private organization) Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States (FCSC) General Services Administration (GSA) Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Inter-American Foundation (IAF) International Trade Commission (ITC) Learn and Serve America (LSA) National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) National Ice Center (NIC) National Labor Relati

So I just talked to a friend of mine who is 11 weeks pregnant and she was telling me about all the disability leave options and I wondered if disability insurance like Aflac will cover the difference in wages. On their website it says it does but only if you give birth more than 10 months after the policy is effective. I'm not pregnant yet but should ovulate any day. This is our second round on Clomid. I ovulated last time but we did not get pregnant. I'm really hoping this is our month. Is there any point to getting the coverage now? Would I have a chance of getting coverage for a normal pregnancy with it if I did get pregnant this time? I know that if I don't get pregnant this time, I should have the coverage so that I'll be in the clear if I get pregnant next time. I also know it can cover for disability due to pregnancy-related illness from a non-normal pregnancy so it may have value there also. I am going to get it regardless, I'm just wondering if I get it next week, and ovulate next week if I will give birth after their time restriction. Any thoughts advice or opinions?

My friend's mother recently died and she had him as sole beneficiary on a small life insurance policy. He is currently disabled from a bad car accident and unable to work so he receives SSI, SSD&Medicare benefits. Will this one time life insurance payment cause him to lose his benefits? To Brook: I didn't ask how to "defraud the Government"! I simply asked if by being the beneficiary of a life insurance policy he would lose his benefits!! He just found out about this and plans on calling Social Security on Monday, but since he had asked me if I knew whether or not he would lose his benefits and I didn't, I said I'd ask on Yahoo! Answers. You're the one who outlined all kinds of ways to "defraud the Government"!

what does the military offer for its 100% disability pensioned personnel? for life insurance policies to pay into...above $150,000

My parents died in June 2009. My mom died of natural causes on 6/2/2009, and my dad committed suicide on 6/20/2009. My parents have carried my child on the taxes in the past. I am on disability, and they basically provided for us. I don't want to do anything dishonest. Its just that they always provided. I have big questions, about my own filing. I got there life insurance policy monies, the house, and a CD with approx $50,000 (these were all in my parents name, prior to their deaths). Basically, the money is gone, the house is still in probate. The house is paid off and I am the only heir. I am scared to death. I have significant debt from student loans (that are now in default). I got the house remodeled, and spent approx $20,000 on improvements. I'm curious if any of the improvements are eligible as a tax write-off? I'm aware of the energy improvements, and I didn't get those. I have a very bad back, and rods to prove it. I purchased a hot-tub. Could that be used as a write-off? Basically, is their a way to file these improvements on my parents taxes, since the home is still legally in their name (only for 30 more days or so)? If I am entitled to a refund, the defaulted student loans are going to take it for sure. Is their anyway to prevent that from happening? Can you file something that allows you to get a small portion of your tax return (or negotiate something between me, and the student loan holder)? I am in the process of starting to rehab my student loan. Im worried about my tax liability. I had to take a break after all that I had been through, I paid for my cousin, her husband, and their two kids to go on a cruise. I did that because they did a lot for me when my parents died. They took care of my dad when my mom died, and then me when my dad died. My cousins husband cleaned up the crime scene. I figured it was the least I could do. Could that be considered a gift? Any information would be greatly appreciated, any links that you may know to give me a crash course (with wording I can understand) would be researched.

because if it does, why bother with an accidental death policy? and why aren't "natural causes" considered accidents? its not like you Purposefully had a heart attack or something. also, does dismemberment fall under disability insurance? because missing limbs would disable you wouldn't it?

I would like a policy that would cover me, in the event of an accident, for medical expenses, loss of income, disability, third party liability cover, etc. I do not want to insure the bike itself.

My boyfriend has worked as a baggage handler for Delta for 3 years. He started having a sore back about a year ago. He had baggage fall on top of him from the cart they bring it to the plane with, and his supervisor thought it was funny and didn't fill out an accident report. He kept complaining about his back after that, and she told him that it was just sore muscles from the lifting, bending and twisting, and to take some Advil and toughen up. Finally he made an appointment with his doctor, and they found he had a cracked vertebrae and a slipped disc. He had told his manager a week prior that he had an appointment to get his back looked at, and he would be late. He came to work with a doctors note to put him on light duty. It turns out he may need surgery, but when he talked to his manager about workers comp, he was told that he did not qualify because he hadn't filled out an accident report, and that he went to a family doctor instead of a qualifying doctor for the company. He was told yesterday that he will be put on unpaid leave until his back is fixed because the company policy is to only have light duty workers for 90 days. I'm also thinking that without working, he won't have insurance (or any way to afford continuing his current policy). He has coworkers who can vouch that he complained about his back, and they can also vouch that accident reports are very rarely filled out there. Basically they want to see blood before they'll fill one out. He also wanted to fill out an accident report once when he hurt his foot walking on the tarmac to a plane. There was a hole that he stepped into and he complained about his foot to his new supervisor. He also refused to fill out an accident report because he was "just walking, and it was his own fault". We later went to the emergency room to find he had torn all the ligaments in the top and bottom of his foot and was on crutches for 3 weeks. I'm curious if seeking a lawyer is a good idea....or if anybody knows guidelines for temporary disability. We live in Maine. Thanks for any advice or ideas.

This was a unexpected pleasant little surprise last summer, but this may be delaying my tax filing. I am otherwise ready to roll with my return. Company is MassMutual. Hmm... I got a chance to call MassMutual. They said I would not get a 1099 because the check is considered "return of unused premiums."

I've been a widow for a year now. When my husband was killed in the middle east, I decided to set aside certain portions of the life insurance policies for certain things. I went to the local JC, and earned 2 certificates, that have allowed me to find gainful employment working from home, and at a local restaurant. I earn about $1500-$1900 a week between both jobs. Along with working 2 jobs, I am a full-time student, and I am also the very proud mom of 3 wonderful children. One of my children has very mild autism, who requires very expensive therapy, that my insurance only covers a portion of. My other two children are 14 months old. I received an email from my former mother-in-law, informing me that she has been put on permanent disability. She said she wants $39,000 of my husbands life insurance money, to pay off her debts. Her exact words we're, " I am expect you to take care of my debts with MY sons life insurance money. Your the one who is rich now." I laughed, and this is the email this email back to her: " I am not paying your debts. Those debts are YOUR responsibility NOT MINE! You owed us $8,000 when he died, what makes you think I'm giving you anymore money?! All you ever did was take, take, take! You created the debt you take care of it. I am also furious that you had the gall, to ask my autistic child about the money. You made my child cry! I'm done with this! If you or your daughter say one more nasty thing to me or mention money again, I will do as the judge from the custody case suggested, and NOT allow you anymore contact. I will not discuss this with you again." Has anyyone been in a situation like mine? Please no rude answers.

WRONG ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY Gov. Bob McDonnell: Today, the federal government is simply trying to do too much. Last year, we were told that massive new federal spending would create more jobs 'immediately' and hold unemployment below 8%. In the past year, over three million Americans have lost their jobs, yet the Democratic Congress continues deficit spending, adding to the bureaucracy, and increasing the national debt on our children and grandchildren. [McDonnell Prepared Remarks, 1/27/10] CBO: The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act Has Created Up To 1.6 Million American Jobs. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, "CBO now estimates that in the third quarter of calendar year 2009, ARRA's policies raised real GDP by between 1.2 percent and 3.2 percent, lowered the unemployment rate by between 0.3 and 0.9 percentage points, and increased the number of people employed by between 600,000 and 1.6 million compared with what those values would have been otherwise." [CBO, 11/30/09; emphasis added] CBPP: Recovery Act Is Keeping 6 Million Americans Out Of Poverty. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "Although meant chiefly to help the broad economy, the stimulus plan Congress enacted earlier this year (the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act of 2009, or ARRA) had the important secondary effect of significantly ameliorating the recession's impact on poverty. This analysis, which comes one day before the Census Bureau will release updated poverty figures (for 2008), examines seven of the recovery act's provisions - two improvements in unemployment insurance, three tax credits for working families, an increase in food stamps, and a one-time payment for retirees, veterans, and people with disabilities - and finds that they alone are preventing more than 6 million Americans from falling below the poverty line and are reducing the severity of poverty for 33 million more. Those 6 million people include more than 2 million children and over 500,000 seniors. This analysis includes state-specific estimates for California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois." [CBPP, 9/9/09] http://mediamattersaction.org/factcheck/201001270009

I need to do an interview for school, I am a paralegal major in college. If anyone could help me answer these questions if you are an insurance agent or broker. i would greatly appreciate it! What isurance agency do you work for ( optional question ) Do you enjoy working in the insurance feild? What made you go into the insurance feild? How long have you been involved in the insurance field? What type of education do you need to be in the field? What types of insurance policies do you sell? (examples: life, health, vehicle, disability, property liability, etc) Do you promote one type of policy over another (term v. whole life?) If so, why? How many policies do you sell a year? What is the most awarding part of the job? What is the most difficult part of the job? Have you encountered any unethical insurance agent, broker, or client? What was the situation? What was the final outcome? What advise would you give someone who may be contemplating entering the field?

A Disability insurance company charges so much for a policy, lets about 1300 a year. Now lets say someone pays into this policy for about 15 years. Now this person becomes disabled, and despite many doctors saying she is disabled, the company refuses to pay out the policy, only doing so under legal action. Now they give this person a lawyer and sue social security for current and past benefits. These past benefits come in a lump sum that is paid to the insured person, who has to pay taxes on it, yet the insurance company demands every sent of that money be paid to them. I have read that insurance law mandates that only so much money can be made when paying out a policy. Actually receiving the benefits in this case would cost the person several thousand in taxes, that they no longer have the money to pay with. I have read about unfair contract law, is this covered? Does this violate insurance law? What are the rights of this person? And who the hell to I contact to get it brought to public knowledge (like the news) that insurance companies can receive checks of 30k directly from the government, and never lose a single penny, even in their worst case scenario??

Divorced 5 yrs ago and by my own mistake I never thought to take my ex off my insurance, my boss is now holding this against me from either stating I am no longer and employee so that I can file for my umemployment. I am out on sick leave with doctors excuses and my boss is also refusing to sign my short term disability form he has also showed my dr.'s excuses to all the other employees stating that they are fake (which they are not) and the insurance company is sending out a packet giving us the chance to remove any dependents we should'nt have on our policy. My question is, is this legal what my boss is doing and do I have any rights in this matter?There was no attempt to defraud we never seperated and thought we were common law married.

My husband and I had a huge fight about life insurance last night. So much so that I am seriously questioning his morals, compassion, and his feelings of caring for me. Yesterday we received a letter in the mail from our bank, stating that we could get $300K in term life insurance for $80/month. Right now we are both unemployed due to our companies downsizing, and we both had life insurance policies through our employers that ended when we were laid off. When I saw the ad from the bank, I mentioned it to him and told him I thought it might be a good idea for us to have life insurance without relying on our employers for it. He disagreed and said it would be a waste of $80/month right now that we need for other things and that he has no reason to have to make sure at our age (37) that his wife is "set for life" in the event of his death. I was blown away by this, not only because I was raised that spouses are supposed to watch out for each other and make sure each is provided for as needed, but also because if he were to die, I have a disease that has already caused me to have to go on disability once in my twenties, and it could happen again, and also because I only earn half what he does. I couldn't believe he would think that he should take precautions to take care of me. Here is what ensued: This is not about the money, or me getting some sort of high dollar amount when he dies. It's about having a sense of morals and responsibility for your beloved spouse and taking care of that person. I tried explaining this to him repeatedly, and he just kept telling me that life insurance is a waste of money at our age and that it is selfish of me to expect him to "set me up for life" once he is dead and gone. I mentioned that there is the possibility that I could easily become unable to work and provide for myself due to my Diabetes and the complications that can come with it, and that even if I am able to work, I make about half what he does and would not be able to continue to pay the bills, etc. He's always made almost exactly double what I earn. I am astonished at his lack of sensitivity in telling me that I am a "gold digger" and "selfish" because I expect him to feel a sense of responsibility, caring, and compassion towards me enough to WANT to protect me financially in the event of his death. He just doesn't get it. He keeps telling me that I am trying to take advantage of him and that it's ridiculous to expect him to want to protect me by having life insurance when we are only in our late 30's. He says that if he died tomorrow, I would still be able to work and provide for myself, so why should he do it for me by giving me "some huge pay-out to make your life easier"? He says that the money I could get from selling our house (right now we are in the process of looking and have about $100K in savings to put towards a house--this would go to me if we didn't have a house yet) would cover any debts and funeral expenses. But then where would I live? What if the real estate market is flat at the time he dies and I can't get enough for the house to cover everything? He says this is not his problem at that point. He also says once he is working again, the life insurance he'll likely have through his employer should do the job. This is really not about me having millions of dollars if he were to die. What aggravates me, saddens me, and has me wanting to run to the divorce court is his overall lack of compassion and lack of caring for me that he would basically have a resentful and bitter attitude towards making sure I am cared for in the event of his death. Calling me a "gold digger" because I think life insurance is a good idea? What kind of husband doesn't want to make sure his wife will be okay under any and all circumstances?! I am his wife, therefore shouldn't he want to make sure I am taken care of in every way he can? I want to make sure of that for him. I seriously can't believe I married such a selfish, cold person! Am I over reacting? Please be direct, I appreciate it!

My husband and I had a huge fight about life insurance last night. So much so that I am seriously questioning his morals, compassion, and his feelings of caring for me. Yesterday we received a letter in the mail from our bank, stating that we could get $300K in term life insurance for $80/month. Right now we are both unemployed due to our companies downsizing, and we both had life insurance policies through our employers that ended when we were laid off. When I saw the ad from the bank, I mentioned it to him and told him I thought it might be a good idea for us to have life insurance without relying on our employers for it. He disagreed and said it would be a waste of $80/month right now that we need for other things and that he has no reason to have to make sure at our age (37) that his wife is "set for life" in the event of his death. I was blown away by this, not only because I was raised that spouses are supposed to watch out for each other and make sure each is provided for as needed, but also because if he were to die, I have a disease that has already caused me to have to go on disability once in my twenties, and it could happen again, and also because I only earn half what he does. I couldn't believe he would think that he should take precautions to take care of me. Here is what ensued: This is not about the money, or me getting some sort of high dollar amount when he dies. It's about having a sense of morals and responsibility for your beloved spouse and taking care of that person. I tried explaining this to him repeatedly, and he just kept telling me that life insurance is a waste of money at our age and that it is selfish of me to expect him to "set me up for life" once he is dead and gone. I mentioned that there is the possibility that I could easily become unable to work and provide for myself due to my Diabetes and the complications that can come with it, and that even if I am able to work, I make about half what he does and would not be able to continue to pay the bills, etc. He's always made almost exactly double what I earn. I am astonished at his lack of sensitivity in telling me that I am a "gold digger" and "selfish" because I expect him to feel a sense of responsibility, caring, and compassion towards me enough to WANT to protect me financially in the event of his death. He just doesn't get it. He keeps telling me that I am trying to take advantage of him and that it's ridiculous to expect him to want to protect me by having life insurance when we are only in our late 30's. He says that if he died tomorrow, I would still be able to work and provide for myself, so why should he do it for me by giving me "some huge pay-out to make your life easier"? He says that the money I could get from selling our house (right now we are in the process of looking and have about $100K in savings to put towards a house--this would go to me if we didn't have a house yet) would cover any debts and funeral expenses. But then where would I live? What if the real estate market is flat at the time he dies and I can't get enough for the house to cover everything? He says this is not his problem at that point. He also says once he is working again, the life insurance he'll likely have through his employer should do the job. This is really not about me having millions of dollars if he were to die. What aggravates me, saddens me, and has me wanting to run to the divorce court is his overall lack of compassion and lack of caring for me that he would basically have a resentful and bitter attitude towards making sure I am cared for in the event of his death. Calling me a "gold digger" because I think life insurance is a good idea? What kind of husband doesn't want to make sure his wife will be okay under any and all circumstances?! I am his wife, therefore shouldn't he want to make sure I am taken care of in every way he can? I want to make sure of that for him. I seriously can't believe I married such a selfish, cold person! Am I over reacting? Please be direct, I appreciate it!

Hello. I was covered by Healthnet for 2 years with my employer. I went on medical disability August 2009 and my company agreed to carry me on the policy till March 2010. HR accidentely canceled my policy because, but reinstated me as soon as they caught the error. Healthnet said restatements can only be done on the 1st of the following month. So I didnt get my Health Insurance back until Oct. 1 2009. Since then, I have been getting nailed with denial letters citing they were not covering pre-exisiting conditions and blah blah. I called them up and they said that since I had a 30 day lapse in coverage (which was a technical error that my company fixed) then it would be like starting all over again with a new policy. Now nothing is covered Oct 2009 - Present because they cite pre exisiting conditions. This is garbage. I appealed to Health Net and notified the State Insurance Commission of California. Nothing has been done. Is this even legal? I doubt it. I have over 10G in bills and I'm disabled. What the heck do I do? Thanks Ben

The U.S. is slowing going broke, blowing both it's money, and what remains of its stature as international stature and respect. China, to whom the US owes at least a trillion dollars, is already influencing American policy in subtle ways. General Motors has one last chance to get it right (but they may need lithum batteries from China). The Chevy Volt goes 40 miles; the Chinese rival is projecting 60. Accountability? Well, what's actually been done to hold investment-banker CEO's accountable for the the near-collapse of the sustem? Bonuses, thank you. How about the frequently-promised, prevention-minded reform of the financial services industry? We're working on "a compromise". The core of American culture seems to be slowly turning away from a "citizenship" ethic, to an "entertainment" ethic. Style is ascendant over substance. What are public schools becoming? Home TV's are threatening to get bigger than the average-size door in the average-size house. Americans bodies are getting more overweight, drug- and chemical-ridden, and more in need of premature health care, and disability pay. Soon you will have to own a health-insurance policy from a major insurer (an expensive policy, not a simple catastropic one), or face a government penalty. Congress is riddled with more and more closed-door dealmaking, heavy-handed lobbying, and trick-manuver legislating. Bonuses go to those with the most bluster [even CNN and FOX recognize the corporate/wall-street corruption here]. We pick unwinnable wars, and fight them with "contractors". [Six-fold increase in contractors from Vietnam to Iraq.] I'm not going to go into the evidence for the above, it's literally everywhere. And these are not fundamentally democrat or republican issues, or left or right issues. It's more like, are we even going to take "the long run" seriously or not? Or just burn through the cash, and crash? These are probably sweeping historical trends in the grand march of time, and I know that no president, alone, can reverse such trends. Obama is such an interesting man, though, and I would *really* like to understand what's going through his mind. Here's the question: Does Obama realize that "post-war, affluence-driven, dumbing-down, decay from within" is a far deeper threat than the extremist-insurgents, climate-change, and lack-of-health-insurance will ever be? I'm not asking, can he reverse it? I'm asking, does he get the biggest of the big pictures? Does he see the writing on the wall? Is there any evidence, in any of his books, or off-camera interviews, or writings of close friends, that he understands history as well as politics? Or is he really, in the main, just another politician after all, looking for a band-aid here and band-aid there, until his 8 years are done? and then get a library named after him? OK, OK, I know Congress is as important as, or more important than, the President, but why does Obama seem so much more interesting than most congresspersons and senators?

So Now I have seen my new GP 2x. Dr. M is a compassionate Dr. making time for me to ask as many ?'s as I need to. BUT... i just would like to hear from ANYONE out there if they have been RECENTLY diagnosed w/ DDD or advanced RA... I started out on 2x 75 mg Voltaren (Nsaid drug) and 2x 100 mg Gabapentin... That merely took the edge off of the pain in my back and right leg. Today he upped the dosage on the Gabapentin to 8x 100 mg. I realize that's NOT a high dosage for these meds. BUT i am concerned that's quite a bit to be upped by... I have a follow up in two weeks and again two weeks after that appt. I am also being fitted for a Soft Lumbar Corset in mid~January. I am taking Calcium supplements as I am Lactose Intolerant. Hopefully in the next 2 weeks, I'll adjust to the med increase and have more flexibility and not be so stiff all of the time... I am hoping to get the referral to the pain mgmt clinic here soon. but apparently i need to be monitored the 1st 90 days as I am a new patient of his. Now because this is a life~long condition that can be managed but not cured, where does that leave me insurance wise or in regards to sickness / disability benefits?!? (btw I am CANADIAN) From here on out it is considered to be a pre~existing condition. So what am i obligated to tell a potential employer?!? I lost my job last year, my EI benefits ran out and i have been on Employment and Income Assistance benefits for months now. To cover all of my medical expenses (more than a few hundred $$$ / month) So while i am NOT employable at the moment, i will be Limited asto what i can and cannot do in the future. Based in part on how high a dosage of meds i'll be on and what my physical limitations will be at that time. I understand his policy to monitor a patient for the first 90 days, before even considering signing off on a potential disability claim. But my case worker is pushing for me to apply for it, since it will mean that i will have better medical coverage and a higher benefit rate. And instead of having to do paperwork each and every month/other month... I'd only have to submit 2/3x yr. Anyone out there who has been through this or knows someone who has ?!? Debbie... I don't suppose you'd happen to know where i can find the updated requirements ?!? I was pre~qualified for CPP benefits because i've been on med leave for more than a year. (but CPP does NOT cover month to month medical /Rx costs) Which is why I never applied for it. My disablility ins thru my bank denied me as it one of those non~covered conditions (generally associted w/ natural wear and tear/aging) Which i find a lil amusing considering i just turned 36. EIA will provide another 6 mths of benefits without needing further evaluations. As I am under strict monitoring for the meds I am on. It's just taht i do not want to find myself w/out a back up plan so to speak. If I take my CPP benefits I'd be severely impacting my potential retirement benefits down the line (assuming CPP exists in 30 yrs time) I'm a single parent and i am JUST making ends meet. I'd rather not find myself in a situation where the kids and I lose everyhting I've busted my a$$ for all these years.

I was recently fired from my employer about a week ago and the following circumstances happened. I was pregnant last year and I was one month short of receiving maternity leave so therefore they gave me short term disability. Upon returning to work I received a write up being notified that I was on my final notice. I never have received a warning or any write up as it states they would provide in their employee handbook/policies. You are supposed to receive a warning write up, 2nd write up, and then a final writeup. They just instantly put me on my final. My one year old daughter just recently started having some medical issues in which I had to take her to emergency room a couple of times as well as the doctor numerous times. I was late 2-3 times coming back from doctor appointments and they pulled me off to the side the other day and notified me that I was fired. I even had doctors notes and they would not take them or even look at them. I feel that after working for this company for over 2 years I was cheated out of my job. I have never been fired from any job in my life and I'm 31 years old. I also believe that I was discriminated against for being pregnant is how this feels. This company didn't even follow their own policy guidelines and now a week before christmas I'm left without a job and my families insurance is now over at the end of the month. My daughter now has to have her surgeries tomorrow morning in order for my insurance to cover the expenses. Please let me know your opinions. Thanks :) I also need to mention that I never even new about FMLA and I was told this is their duty to inform employees of this option. I also had 10 days of vacation left which they could have taken time out of that.

If I got addicted to drugs or alcohol, I could get a month stay at a rehab center - totally paid and other special dispensations....short term disability, and a leave of absence. If I got pregnant from a rape --- my abortion wouldn't be covered. If I was the victim of a violent crime (which I was) insurance only marginally attempts to cover any counseling or psychiatry. So how is it that I can get addicted to drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism --- and end up on the better end of the deal?!!!! Instead I try to do the right thing and I can't afford it. I mean no offense -- but depression and anxiety are legit diseases too. How come they don't merrit the same rehab or help? This is unbelievable.

We have employer-sponsored insurance, specifically: medical, dental, life, and AD&D. The medical and dental are COBRA-eligible. We also have auto, home and umbrella insurance, and will soon be purchasing individual life and disability policies. Additionally, if we lost our jobs, there would be some severance pay or unemployment. We also have a 3-mo. emergency fund. We pay our credit cards off every month. Our mortgage et al. loans account for 22% of our spending. Do we really need this emergency fund? If so, should it be 3-mo. or 6-mo.s? I know 6-mo.s is the recommendation, but I can't think of a situation where we would ever need to tap into it based on all these other sources of coverage. What am I forgetting?

If the Healthcare Bill Becomes Law, Will Any Private Company Write Policies? If your answer is "Yes, private companies would still write health insurance policies", then please tell me, "Why would they?" Once the rules change so that companies writing new policies have to write them for all applicants including those with pre-existing illness and disability, is that really insurance? Isn't that just harnessing up the shareholders of the corporation to pay the ongoing costs of the applicant with an existing illness of disability? Why would the shareholders to that? What would be in their heads? What would their business model be? Maybe something like "Oh yes, we get to pay the costs of this applicant's illness or disability, and look how much money we will be able to give to help that applicant. Then we can fail to breakeven, and become bankrupt and see our shares go to zero value, oh that would be fun, how wonderful!" When I got my MBA, I never saw a company with a business model like that. AIG may have had that, but they weren't doing it on purpose. Keep in mind that after the rules change, the old policies can stay in place. The old "book" of existing contracts can become the entire insurance business of the corporation. As long as they don't write new policies, they don't have to take all comers and insure people with pre-existing illness or pre-existing disability. They don't have to go into the charitable payment for sick people business, which doesn't seem a very smart business model for a profit seeking corporation. Ceasing writing new health insurance won't put these companies out of business, but continuing to do so surely will. So, they will apply their talents to other forms of risk-related trading. The Cap and Trade Bill, if it is enacted into law will create a vast market for pollution permissions. These will be actively bought and sold by firms that have experience in forward projection of financial values -- like health insurance companies. It's an Enron style business. Then there's also fire insurance, liability, flood, inability to work insurance, long-term care, all sorts of elements in the risk projection business that could be smoothly integrated into their business models to replace writing new health insurance policies, and would be. So the public option would become the only option for persons seeking health insurance who don't already have a policy. How would that work? That's the Bad Business Model company, and it would work by massive draws on the Federal Treasury until the moment when Congress realizes that it made a huge mistake, and that the Federal government is bankrupt because of operating a business that is well and truly not sensible. When would that happen? It would only take about two years for the Congress to figure this out. What would they do? They would have to close down the public option companies. So what then? Then nobody can get health insurance from any source. You mean the private corporations would not get back into that business? Right, I don't think they would. Once burned, twice shy. So with no health insurance, would healthcare costs be lower for the average American family? They might be, as long as nobody in that family got sick. But the number of bankrupt families due to unexpected health problems would go up dramatically. Would this be better than what we have right now? No, it would not be better. Is there a good reason to enact the Healthcare Bill? No, there's no good reason to do that.

If the Healthcare Bill Becomes Law, Will Any Private Company Write Policies? If your answer is "Yes, private companies would still write health insurance policies", then please tell me, "Why would they?" Once the rules change so that companies writing new policies have to write them for all applicants including those with pre-existing illness and disability, is that really insurance? Isn't that just harnessing up the shareholders of the corporation to pay the ongoing costs of the applicant with an existing illness of disability? Why would the shareholders to that? What would be in their heads? What would their business model be? Maybe something like "Oh yes, we get to pay the costs of this applicant's illness or disability, and look how much money we will be able to give to help that applicant. Then we can fail to breakeven, and become bankrupt and see our shares go to zero value, oh that would be fun, how wonderful!" When I got my MBA, I never saw a company with a business model like that. AIG may have had that, but they weren't doing it on purpose. Keep in mind that after the rules change, the old policies can stay in place. The old "book" of existing contracts can become the entire insurance business of the corporation. As long as they don't write new policies, they don't have to take all comers and insure people with pre-existing illness or pre-existing disability. They don't have to go into the charitable payment for sick people business, which doesn't seem a very smart business model for a profit seeking corporation. Ceasing writing new health insurance won't put these companies out of business, but continuing to do so surely will. So, they will apply their talents to other forms of risk-related trading. The Cap and Trade Bill, if it is enacted into law will create a vast market for pollution permissions. These will be actively bought and sold by firms that have experience in forward projection of financial values -- like health insurance companies. It's an Enron style business. Then there's also fire insurance, liability, flood, inability to work insurance, long-term care, all sorts of elements in the risk projection business that could be smoothly integrated into their business models to replace writing new health insurance policies, and would be. So the public option would become the only option for persons seeking health insurance who don't already have a policy. How would that work? That's the Bad Business Model company, and it would work by massive draws on the Federal Treasury until the moment when Congress realizes that it made a huge mistake, and that the Federal government is bankrupt because of operating a business that is well and truly not sensible. When would that happen? It would only take about two years for the Congress to figure this out. What would they do? They would have to close down the public option companies. So what then? Then nobody can get health insurance from any source. You mean the private corporations would not get back into that business? Right, I don't think they would. Once burned, twice shy. So with no health insurance, would healthcare costs be lower for the average American family? They might be, as long as nobody in that family got sick. But the number of bankrupt families due to unexpected health problems would go up dramatically. Would this be better than what we have right now? No, it would not be better. Is there a good reason to enact the Healthcare Bill? No, there's no good reason to do that.

If your answer is "Yes, private companies would still write health insurance policies", then please tell me, "Why would they?" Once the rules change so that companies writing new policies have to write them for all applicants including those with pre-existing illness and disability, is that really insurance? Isn't that just harnessing up the shareholders of the corporation to pay the ongoing costs of the applicant with an existing illness of disability? Why would the shareholders to that? What would be in their heads? What would their business model be? Maybe something like "Oh yes, we get to pay the costs of this applicant's illness or disability, and look how much money we will be able to give to help that applicant. Then we can fail to breakeven, and become bankrupt and see our shares go to zero value, oh that would be fun, how wonderful!" When I got my MBA, I never saw a company with a business model like that. AIG may have had that, but they weren't doing it on purpose. Keep in mind that after the rules change, the old policies can stay in place. The old "book" of existing contracts can become the entire insurance business of the corporation. As long as they don't write new policies, they don't have to take all comers and insure people with pre-existing illness or pre-existing disability. They don't have to go into the charitable payment for sick people business, which doesn't seem a very smart business model for a profit seeking corporation. Ceasing writing new health insurance won't put these companies out of business, but continuing to do so surely will. So, they will apply their talents to other forms of risk-related trading. The Cap and Trade Bill, if it is enacted into law will create a vast market for pollution permissions. These will be actively bought and sold by firms that have experience in forward projection of financial values -- like health insurance companies. It's an Enron style business. Then there's also fire insurance, liability, flood, inability to work insurance, long-term care, all sorts of elements in the risk projection business that could be smoothly integrated into their business models to replace writing new health insurance policies, and would be. So the public option would become the only option for persons seeking health insurance who don't already have a policy. How would that work? That's the Bad Business Model company, and it would work by massive draws on the Federal Treasury until the moment when Congress realizes that it made a huge mistake, and that the Federal government is bankrupt because of operating a business that is well and truly not sensible. When would that happen? It would only take about two years for the Congress to figure this out. What would they do? They would have to close down the public option companies. So what then? Then nobody can get health insurance from any source. You mean the private corporations would not get back into that business? Right, I don't think they would. Once burned, twice shy. So with no health insurance, would healthcare costs be lower for the average American family? They might be, as long as nobody in that family got sick. But the number of bankrupt families due to unexpected health problems would go up dramatically. Would this be better than what we have right now? No, it would not be better. Is there a good reason to enact the Healthcare Bill? No, there's no good reason to do that. TO ACERMILL: NO PRIVATE CORPORATION IS IN THE "RISK SPREADING BUSINESS". THAT IS A SOCIALLY BENEFICIAL BUT INCIDENTAL BYPRODUCT OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE BUSINESS WHICH IS LIKE ALL OTHER BUSINESSES DONE FOR PROFIT (NOT FOR RISK SPREADING). YOUR EXCELLENT AND WELL-INFORMED RESPONSE IS NOT DISPOSATIVE OF THE ISSUE I RAISED. WHY WOULD IT NOT BE MORE PROFITABLE TO SIMPLY KEEP THEIR CURRENT BOOK, AND MOVE INTO OTHER SECTORS OF THE INSURANCE OR RISK FINANCE BUSINESS? I SAY THAT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY HARD PUT TO PAY THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS. IF THOSE GET RAISED UP (AS YOU ADMIT THEY WILL) THE CUSTOMERS WILL LEAVE. POLICIES THAT ARE REALLY HARD TO SELL ARE NOT A BASIS FOR THE MOST PROFITABLE BUSINESS THOSE COMPANIES COULD BE IN. LIKE WATER THEY WILL FIND THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE WHICH I THINK WOULD BE CESSATION OF NEW POLICY WRITING AND RE-SHAPING THEIR BUSINESS MODEL TO SERVE OTHER MORE PROFITABLE SECTORS. AS TO THE LENGTH ISSUE -- SORRY ABOUT THAT -- IT'S NOT TWITTABLE

I grew up with a young woman who was, well, just a little odd. At least, that's what people said. Nice people did, anyway. Most of the apes we went to high-school with said she was effing weird, and made her the target of their own personal insecurities and tormented her mercilessly. Now: she was not "slow" - in fact she was quite smart. Just that... well, she didn't know how to act. And, she would utterly collapse in the face of any sort of confrontational situation. I was the one who was always sheilding her and protecting her all through high-school. Her family was a perfectly normal couple - when I was a teen I turned to them for a place to feel safe and loved when I was going through "teen stuff," so, they can't be the "source" of her "differentness." I'm sure her disorder is organic. In fact recently I've had it pointed out to me that certain body movements are an indicator of mental illness and I was all "OMG that's just how 'Mary' walked!" The concept of "autism" came out about a decade after she and I survived high-school, and in fact she was once concerned that she might be high-functioning autistic, because she is so smart. But, somehow, the sypmptoms didn't seem to fit. I've met a lot of autistic people since then and she is nothing like them. Also she is very outgoing and caring about other people, so that doesn't fit the whole autism scenario, either. Her main symptom is that she will collapse into jelly if put into a confrontational situation. She also walks really "funny," but not because of any motor impairment. It's purely a behavior. The kind of walk film-makers use to show that someone is "a bit titched," only, she does it for real, and doesn't realize she's doing anything different. She could never hold a job because, should her boss or a customer yell at her, she would end up in a hospital needing sedation. Yet, she's able to cook and clean and take care of herself, so she can't legally (or according to insurance policies) be institutionalized. She has NO delusions or anything like that. She's a Good Person, kind and outgoing and very intelligent, yet... something is missing - something which affects her ability to manage in the real world. Currently she lives with a mentally ill (paranoid schizophrenic - officially diagnosed and therefore receiving disability income) husband and attends adult day care counselling therapy sesssions, but, in her socioeconomic bracket, that is probably as advanced as her diagnosis or level of care will ever get. My question is: I have never, ever seen or heard of a "Diagnosis" for a person like this, nor have I ever met another person who is anything like this. Is there a name for what she has, or is she just...something totally unique? I guess all I'm really looking for is a Label. Which, I guess, is fundamentally wrong anyway. But the question bugs me sometimes. Anyone out there ever meet anyone like this, and have they ever heard of a name for this sort of disorder?

Hello I applied for disability insurance and I was accepted I have been paying for 6 months and fell down the stairs and hurt my knee. I put in a claim and they denied me and canceled my policy because I hurt my back 3 years ago. Can they do this or is it illegal?

My husband says that he doesn't need a will, that everything is going to be left to me, but I'm not convinced. He has a life insurance policy through his job, but I'm scared that with no "will", things can go terribly wrong, and I'm not a person of wealth. Matter of fact, I have MS and currently receive Disability, so I'm worried about my future, in case of my husband's death. I guess I should have stated that we live in Maryland. Maybe this will help with your answers. Thanks bunches!!!

I am a 30 Yrs age married buisinessman with male one child 4 months old and wife and my monthly income is Rs. 40000/-[Rs. 480000/- per year]. I am only son of my parants, beside my two married sisters. I had invested in the following: 1. LIC money back plan Jeevan Surabhi-20 prem 4332/- PA yrs start 1997 to be matured on 2017 2. LIC ASHADEEP-II prem 11762/- PA start 2004 to be matured on 2029 3. LIC money plus prem 15000/- PA start 2007 to be matured on 2026 4. LIC Health Plus with profit prem 10000/- PA start 2008 to be matured on 2045 5. Bajaj Allianz UTI Individual Health 114 per month [Mediclaim policy max 200000/-] 6. Bajaj Allianz UTI Safeguard[Accidiental Death, permanent disability] 7. Accidental Insurance from AXIS Bank of Rs. 500000/- 8. I own a i-10 car and paying a premium of Rs. 8000/- pm 9. We live in a joint family in our family inherited house in city. 10. My average routine expence is 20000/- pm. 11. My earnings is expected to increase by 10% each year. Sir, My querry is: 1. whether, my nominee shall get all the benefits,and all the accidental insurance claims which i have donein the event of my (insured's death)?, or only policy is payable? 2. Since i have 2 mediclaim policies[ one in bajaj alliaz and other in LIC, shall i get both the mediclaim on my requirement]. If not, shall i close one policy?[Suppose i have mediclaim of Rs. 1,00,000.00 in each policy, and i met an expence of Rs. 1 lac; shall both company pay me 1 lac each? If it is 2 lac, shall both year 1 lac each? 3. Shall i invest somewhere else? I plan for retirement/pension plan next year. Please guide me.

I am a 30 Yrs age married buisinessman with male one child 4 months old and wife and my monthly income is Rs. 40000/-[Rs. 480000/- per year]. I am only son of my parants, beside my two married sisters. I had invested in the following: 1. LIC money back plan Jeevan Surabhi-20 prem 4332/- PA yrs start 1997 to be matured on 2017 2. LIC ASHADEEP-II prem 11762/- PA start 2004 to be matured on 2029 3. LIC money plus prem 15000/- PA start 2007 to be matured on 2026 4. LIC Health Plus with profit prem 10000/- PA start 2008 to be matured on 2045 5. Bajaj Allianz UTI Individual Health 114 per month [Mediclaim policy max 200000/-] 6. Bajaj Allianz UTI Safeguard[Accidiental Death, permanent disability] 7. Accidental Insurance from AXIS Bank of Rs. 500000/- 8. I own a i-10 car and paying a premium of Rs. 8000/- pm 9. We live in a joint family in our family inherited house in city. 10. My average routine expence is 20000/- pm. 11. My earnings is expected to increase by 10% each year. Sir, My querry is: 1. whether, my nominee shall get all the benefits,and all the accidental insurance claims which i have donein the event of my (insured's death)?, or only policy is payable? 2. Since i have 2 mediclaim policies[ one in bajaj alliaz and other in LIC, shall i get both the mediclaim on my requirement]. If not, shall i close one policy?[Suppose i have mediclaim of Rs. 1,00,000.00 in each policy, and i met an expence of Rs. 1 lac; shall both company pay me 1 lac each? If it is 2 lac, shall both year 1 lac each? 3. Shall i invest somewhere else? I plan for retirement/pension plan next year. Please guide me.

This summer I switched from full time status to part time status due to family issues, and I have been working for my employer for over two years. I am a very dedicated employee, always working extra hours when I can. However, our short term disability policy is that you have to work 30 or more hours per week. I generally work between 20 and 30, so that would not qualify me. I'm trying to get on state insurance right now, and I've started seeing a therapist, who is sending me to a psychiatrist in 4 weeks, to try and determine what is wrong with me. I think I am bipolor, they think I am depressed or that I have post traumatic stress disorder with problems stemming from my childhood. I don't knwo what the hell is wrong with me, but it's just getting worse and worse and worse everyday, and they won't give me meds until I actually see the psychiatrist. I cannot function at work. I cannot concentrate, focus, i snap at my coworkers, i have to go to the bathroom and let myself cry for 10 minutes and come back in and continue to work. I am not doing as great a job as I used to, obviously. So, my question is, is there anyway I can get some sort of temporary paid time off to cope with this illness that I have? I really feel I'm just going to end up getting myself fired, and how is that really my fault? I cannot control what my brain is doing. it's really really frustrating!!! I live in Connecticut. If anyone has any info for me, please help! thanks. I'm not looking for a handout. I'm not looking to stop working. I'm looking for a little help while I get things into check. It is all coming at me so fast I just need like 2 weeks off to take a break and to focus on therapy and talking and coping. I want to prevent myself from screwing up my job because let's face it, anyone can get my job. unemployment is sky high right now. I'm the last person who would suck off of the goverment tit because I'm too lazy to do anything else. Those programs aren't there to be abused, but there is a reason for them. TEMPORARY help is all I'm looking for. I want to figure things out. I've never dealt with any of this before and I don't want to be misdiagnosed. I want to be able to devote all my time right now to focusing on my mental health. That's the only reason I asked.

With medical costs taking a greater and greater percentage of our incomes, when will the breaking point come? With more and more people going uninsured, whether by choice or because the cost for insurance is out of reach, how can our government survive? Since our laws prohibit turning away emergency care for anybody who walks through the hospital doors, someone has to end up paying those bills. Many people are struggling to merely pay their mortgages or rent, let alone save cash for that $50,000-$100,000 hospital bill that comes in the mail after some accident or extended hospital stays. The uninsured might often find that it's easier to declare bankruptcy, kicking the burden right back to the American taxpayer. And for the uninsured with jobs, sure, if a judgment is placed against them, the medical bills can be garnished from their wages. (Exceptions are: North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Pennsylvania) But then legal costs pile on top of medical costs and large medical bills will still go unpaid. That does not even include the costs of deferring care for disease. People who are diagnosed with serious illnesses can end up being disabled because they are not getting the care they need or perhaps don't even know they have a serious illness until it is symptomatic because they do not get routine checkups. Once they're on disability, we will be paying even more than we would have if they had been able to get preventative and necessary care. It seems to me that our money would be better spent to keep people healthy, working, and paying taxes than it would be to let their medical conditions deteriorate to the point of disability. IF we did not already have laws stating that hospitals must render care, that people can shift their debt to the government through bankruptcy, or that people can collect disability and welfare, our current system might be sustainable. But unless these policies are reversed, how will our country sustain itself with our current system? Memphis--insurance companies are profitable only by collecting more in premiums than they pay in claims. It's the UNprofitable people who are getting kicked back to the taxpayers. That is unsustainable and is, in effect, subsidizing the health care industry. The government is already heavily involved in paying for these problems, but it's the insurance companies that are receiving payments from health care. The Dark Knight--increasing revenue is the only way to pay for increasing expenses. With our current system, tax increases are inevitable. Omega57--although I'm not sure if the proposed bills would make things worse, a single payer (Medicare for all ) system seems more logical to me. It is a political hot potato, just like deportation for illegal immigrants was 30-40 years ago when it actually would have been a viable option, but it seems much more straightforward than what is happening right now.

I have a Long Term Disability (LTD) claim with Unum through my work. Prior to becoming disabled, pretax money was deducted from my paycheck for this LTD insurance. They have been paying me ~$2,000 / month for two and a half years. I applied for SSI disability around the same time I submitted a claim to Unum. Unum starting paying me about 6 or 7 months after I became disable. I was recently granted SSI disability and SSI sent me a check for “back pay” (about $32,000) and started paying me about $1,200 / month. Unum just informed me that they wanted all of the back pay from SSI and they would reduce the amount they (Unum) pay me by the amount SSI pays me. Then they said I need to file for SSI benefits for my two kids. I was awarded SSI benefits for my kids and SSI sent me another check for ~$9,000 as back pay for the kids SSI benefits. Unum then informed me I needed to send them the money SSI gave me for the kids. They also said they would be reducing the amount the pay per month by the amount SSI provides for my kids as well. So, to summarize, Unum demands I give them all the back pay money that SSI gave me and my kids and they would only pay me $100 / month. The $100 / month is the difference between what Unum was paying and what SSI pays now. Is this legal? If so, that means the LTD policy I have with Unum is practically worthless. The money that was being deducted from my paycheck for 20+ years as a payment into a LTD insurance policy is nothing more than a charge just in case I need a loan until SSI works its way through the system and Unum has almost no liability. Can this be true? Someone please help me understand this seemingly mislabeled paycheck deduction that most of us pay every pay period. What can they do if I don’t send them the money? I’m still shocked by this! I don't expect to double dip and understand that part. But, I don't think the insurance company should be able to take my SSI back pay or any benefits SSI provides on behalf of my kids. What is the premium being used for? To add insult to injury, Unum is deriving the 60% base pay calculation during the last three months of employment. That was the timeframe I was unable to work a full shift due to the disability. So I’m only getting ~40% of what I made prior to the disability. Well I thought about this situation some more. But I must first say that to me, something just does not feel right about this whole issue. My intention is not to double dip or get something for nothing. The $35 / month or more that is deducted from the “common” man’s paycheck is going into an insurance fund. I just don’t buy the fact that SSI benefits (SSI insurance is also being deducted) payable to my children and the back pay issue makes this an insurance policy at all. (I’m warning my family and friends about this little hidden caveat). Maybe “buffer policy” would more accurately describe this type of insurance service. Anyway, if it’s OK for the insurance company to demand my back pay and deduct the money specifically instructed by SSI to be used in a manor that can only be spent to cover the needs of children then maybe it would be ok if I keep the back pay and allow the insurance company to withhold the money they provide until the back pay issue zeros out. Any thoughts folks?

I would like to take out a life policy on a family member who is very ill. They have had health problems for years, but I think they may pass away very soon. What types of options do I have at this point? What is the biggest policy I can take out this late in the game? If you take out a policy, is there a time period of how long you need to have it before it becomes valid? Policy would be for; a male, 69 years old, in a nursing home, receiving disability or SSI.

I am being asked to purchase OTIP insurance in advance in the sum of 3000.00usd. Is this a scam. FIDELITY IMMIGRATION LAW FIRM IMMIGRATION PLAZA, Plot 442, Allen Avenue, Ikeja Lagos Nigeria. Email: fidelityimchambers@yahoo.com Telephone: +234 708 318 6177 Attention: John Schipske, I am Barrister John Obi, Immigration attorney mandated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria to assist you on the Immigration procedures. There are three stages involved in the employment of expatriates in NIGERIA. 1, Request for cable visa 2, Application for subject to regulation visa (STR VISA) 3, Regularization of stay. Once the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has approved the request for cable visa, it will be forwarded to the NIGERIAN EMBASSY who will issue you a S.T.R VISA. The regularization of stay is done here in NIGERIA on your arrival. Firstly before I proceed with the application to the Nigeria Embassy in your location to give you a STR VISA, I have to first of all get you your Expatriate Quota Approval Letter and Cable Visa from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in Nigeria. You are to send me the following required documents so that I can make an application for you with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) for the approval of your Resident/worker's Permit, Cable Visa (which is a per-requisite for STR Visa) and Expatriate Quota. 1. Proof of vaccination against yellow fever. 2. Medical fitness report (HIV, HEPATITIS B) 3. Expatriate travelers insurance policy certificate (ETIP) 4. A scanned copy of your international passport. 5. Letter of Acceptance of Job Offer THE EXPATRIATE TRAVELERS INSURANCE POLICY (ETIP) COVER is a mandatory requirement by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) this is because the policy is proves that you are medically fit; to work in Nigeria and also it is a per-requisite to renew your resident/worker's permit every year. The ETIP has benefits to the tune of $9,500 000.00 (NINE MILLION AND FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS) and the duration is one year, it should include benefits for loss of luggage, repatriations, medical, permanent disability and death etc. The preferred insurance company by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) is NICON INSURANCE PLC, is a Nigerian Government owned insurance company located in Nigeria, so you are to look for their agent in your location. After you have applied for the ETIP policy, you will be issued a certificate. You are to send me a copy of the certificate Issued via electronically as attachment. Attached is the Nigerian Immigration Services form, you are to go through it carefully before filling it properly. On confirmation from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) for of the approval of your cable visa, expatriate quota resident/worker's permit, it will be forwarded to the Nigerian Embassy in your location. You will be invited from the Nigerian Embassy in your location for a brief interview for your S.T.R visa. The form attached is in PDF format, which means you need adobe acrobat to open it. These are the vital procedures which you must adhere to because it is in accordance to the" Expatriate Statutory Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria". Yours truly, Barrister: John Obi IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY

So far anyway, this is the stuff offically done. No. 15: Create a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners No. 33: Establish a credit card bill of rights No. 36: Expand loan programs for small businesses No. 40: Extend and index the 2007 Alternative Minimum Tax patch No. 58: Expand eligibility for State Children's Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP) No. 76: Expand funding to train primary care providers and public health practitioners No. 77: Increase funding to expand community based prevention programs No. 88: Sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities No. 119: Appoint a special adviser to the president on violence against women No. 125: Direct military leaders to end war in Iraq No. 134: Send two additional brigades to Afghanistan No. 174: Give a speech at a major Islamic forum in the first 100 days of his administration No. 222: Grant Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to Cuba No. 224: Restore funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program No. 225: Establish an Energy Partnership for the Americas No. 239: Release presidential records No. 241: Require new hires to sign a form affirming their hiring was not due to political affiliation or contributions. No. 278: Remove more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfires No. 290: Push for enactment of Matthew Shepard Act, which expands hate crime law to include sexual orientation and other factors No. 307: Create a White House Office on Urban Policy No. 327: Support increased funding for the NEA No. 332: Add another Space Shuttle flight No. 334: Use the private sector to improve spaceflight No. 336: Partner to enhance the potential of the International Space Station No. 337: Use the International Space Station for fundamental biological and physical research No. 338: Explore whether International Space Station can operate after 2016 No. 345: Enhance earth mapping No. 346: Appoint an assistant to the president for science and technology policy No. 356: Establish special crime programs for the New Orleans area No. 359: Rebuild schools in New Orleans No. 371: Fund a major expansion of AmeriCorps No. 391: Appoint the nation's first Chief Technology Officer No. 411: Work to overturn Ledbetter vs. Goodyear No. 421: Appoint an American Indian policy adviser No. 427: Ban lobbyist gifts to executive employees No. 435: Create new criminal penalties for mortgage fraud No. 452: Weatherize 1 million homes per year No. 458: Invest in all types of alternative energy No. 459: Enact tax credit for consumers for plug-in hybrid cars No. 480: Support high-speed rail No. 483: Invest in public transportation No. 498: Provide grants to encourage energy-efficient building codes No. 502: Get his daughters a puppy No. 503: Appoint at least one Republican to the cabinet No. 506: Raise the small business investment expensing limit to $250,000 through the end of 2009 No. 507: Extend unemployment insurance benefits and temporarily suspend taxes on these benefits No. 513: Reverse restrictions on stem cell research Taken from http://www.politifact.com - check out the site for greater details on each, what he has not done - and what is in the works. There wasn't enough room in the details section for me to include the addtl info for each point. So some of these are overly general.

I'm looking into different Insurance Companies to work for. I'm fairly new with only 1 year of experience selling life Insurance. Just now I'm getting into selling Disability & Senior Health care. Can anyone tell me the average commission that a company pays it's agent per AP/Policy/Sale? I don't have enough experience to know when someone is robbing me. Thanks

Lanchester Road, Maiden Law, Lanchester, County Durham, DH7 0QS.UK Email: hr@maidenlawhpl.co.uk WEBSITE: www.maidenlawhpl.co.uk ATTN: AHAD BABU, Sequel to the recent screening processes which were conducted by the screening department of Maiden law Hospital, the Board of Directors of this Hospital is pleased to offer you an initial position as the: POSITION: PHYSICAL THERAPIST your job profile remain as the same as stated on your resume which you have submitted for screening). JOB LOCATION: Lanchester Road, Maiden Law, Lanchester, County Durham, DH7 0QS.UK APPROVAL DATE: 23rd SEPTEMBER 2009 STARTING DATE: 30th OCTOBER 2009. On this date, you are to report at 8:00 a.m. to the Human Resources Department at the Hospital premises, where you will be provided with packet containing information on Maiden law Hospital Benefits, facilities; you will as well attend an orientation program before job commencement. Should you accept this job offer, per company policy you'll be eligible to receive the following beginning on your hire date. •Salary: Monthly NET starting salary of GBP £8,385.00 (Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty-Five Pounds) paid by your of payment either international certified Bank draft of telegraphic Transfer / Bank wire. (This salary is take home after TAX deduction) •Job Description: (your job profile remain as the same as stated on your resume which you have submitted for screening). •Contract Duration: 2 Years (Renewable) •Benefits: Maiden law Hospital provides benefits for all employees, which includes the following. Childcare and healthcare assistance Education assistance Health, life and disability insurance Sick leave Vacation and personal days (Maiden law Hospital have 30 working days annual leave (which is additional to public/religious holidays), which can be taken at any time during the year (subject to approval). During any of your vacation, Maiden law Hospital shall pay for your flight ticket, pay you GBP 4,805.00 as leave allowance and as well pay you 1,720.00 GBP flat rate travel / entertainment allowance. Accommodation (three-Bed-Room Apartment for married staffs and One-Bed-Room Apartment for single staff, this accommodation is free) Transportation (Free Transportation, from home to place of work every day) Free meal according to your choice dietary Payment of your initial four (4) months upfront salary before you join us Comprehensive healthcare JOINING US: 1. Visa: All International Applicant should note that Maiden law Hospital shall pay for the Visa Fees of every applicant coming from outside the UNITED KINGDOM, and if the applicant is coming with the members of his / her family, their Visa fee will also be paid by Maiden law Hospital. 2. Residence / Work Permit: On confirmation of your affidavit of guarantee and letter of attestation from the British Crown Court, Maiden law Hospital shall secure your residence and work permit papers from the HOME OFFICE here in UK and send it down to your country of residence for the endorsement of your international passport with your two (2) years Visa permit to enable you make your entrance down to UK. 3. Flight Ticket: Your flight ticket fee shall also be sent to you by the management of Maiden law Hospital to enable you purchase your flight ticket in time; fee for family flight ticket will also be issued to you if we are aware that you are relocating with the members of your family. 4. Accommodation: Maiden law Hospital provides accommodation to all foreign national at the Government Reserved Area at Lanchester; both singles and family accommodation are available. 5. Interview: There shall be no other form of interview as this is an online recruitment process and your basis of selection were strongly based on your professional experience and some core values found in your resume by the screening department, there will only be a an orientation and training section for you to educate you more on your environment and the challenges facing you. 6. Reimbursement: Every applicant shall be provided with Reimbursement Application Form before assumption of duty which is to be completed with all expenses which he / she has incurred during the course of preparing to join us, while submitting the form back you are to attach receipt of every expense made as valid proof that such expenses were actually made by you. PLEASE READ Employment Terms I understand that I may voluntarily terminate my employment. I further understand that I will not be terminated involuntarily at will, rather it will be with cause or prior notice, at any time, regarding of documents or oral or written statements issued Maiden law Hospital or its representatives. With this understanding, I accept the position with the terms as stated above. Visa Information Due to the high rise of contract break up

Just think about this for a minute. The extremes on both sides are blurring the healthcare issue to keep everyone confused and fighting in hopes of getting their party agendas through, but are no citizens looking at these topics with an unbiased eye? This is, first off, not about the non-working poor. People who are on welfare have 100% government paid healthcare through Medicaid. It's not insurance as affects the rest of the population. They pay nothing for the policy and there are no copayments, etc. That's fallacy #1. This isn't about people who don't work. The other group who doesn't work are people on Social Security, through either retirement or disability. They are covered under a government sponsored health insurance to which they contribute called Medicare. This is more like traditional insurance in that they pay a premium and have copays for medical services, prescriptions, etc. The government is already involved in health insurance through these 2 programs that focus on the non-working in our society. This is supposed to be aimed at the working poor. It would be insurance of the more traditional type where the government would negotiate a large scale insurance policy (like it did with Medicare) to take advantage of the savings. Individual policies can run to thousands of dollars a month, which most working people can't afford. Many employers no longer offer healthcare as a benefit or negotiate a contract collectively for their employees to lower the costs somewhat, but then pass the entireity of the policy costs onto the employee making it, many times, cost prohibitive. This is, more and more, going to become the case since there are too many people competing for too few jobs so employers are now in the position of not having to woo personnel. The economy is such that it's the employer's market. So we have the working poor who are living paycheck to paycheck, maybe working more than one job, and still not able to afford health care. What happens when someone gets very ill? They go to the doctors or leave it until it's really bad, since they don't have the money, and end up in the hospital with enormous bills. These bills are extra enormous since doctors and hospitals charge out of pocket people substantially higher rates than insured people. Insurance companies negotiate contractual fees with providers in their network and will only pay up to a certain amount for services. In some cases it's astounding the differences. One practice I worked in had a difference of over $4,000 for insured vs. uninsured. So you don't have the money for the doc, no insurance, and now you have a huge medical bill. Bankruptcy has been rewritten so that it's not really an option anymore (not that it helped the providers substantially anyway as there usually isn't much to take and divide) so the providers spend a fortune on collections and writing off debt, which they then pass along to the next person in line, ie. you. Now providers are not uninanimously against this. Many have embraced it because there is a stipulation for mandatory coverage. This means they will be dealing with far less in bad debt and can at least be assured of getting paid the insurance portion. Where the rub for them comes in is those negotiated contractual fees. Looking at Medicare as their example of government negotiated insurance, they are scared. The rates for Medicare are substantially lower than any private insurance. Can they still make a living? Absolutely. They take Medicare because, if they don't, they will have a smaller pool of patients to take. Some opt out, but if this is national, they will be even harder pressed to turn their noses up at it. Medical costs are the highest in the country out of the entire world. Medical inflation is rampant and, unlike most things in a free market, you can't always decide to just not purchase. Medical inflation has consistently outstripped regular inflation every year for the last 20 years. That means that the devices they use and the labor they purchase, the ground and construction of facilities, has not increased enough to justify their increase in price. Pharmaceutical companies stand to make more because most people are opting generics over the name brand prescriptions (some of which are several hundred dollars per treatment or month, for long term meds) and having insurance means that when the new meds come out, before generic are legally allowed (to protect R&D and keep companies encouraged to continue finding new meds) they will be allowed to charge their assinine prices and have people submit because they are paying $60 instead of $20. Much easier than the "it might work" generic at $50 OOP to $400 for the "this is the ticket" name brand. The scariest part of this whole plan for the working poor is what are these "mandatory" rates going to be? Are they going to be equally unaffordable? Now you are violating the law if you don't I understand it

why can't you use your LTD and draw social security disability at the same time?

I noticed my old friends in the USA are having a big debate about healthcare, getting a better service for all and at a better price. From some press reports I have read Some of you do not like to look a gift horse in the mouth? maybe you work for insurance companies I suspect! This is why I KNOW that Americans are being scammed and ripped off by the Government, Health insurance and the hospitals. I am from Uk but spent 7 years there in San Diego, Houston and Phoenix and I needed treatment 3 times for various things. On all 3 occasions I was charged a small fortune ($2000) for menial medical work, (a stitch in my lip and check pulse, most of the time I spent waiting to be seen, (hours). When I told them I had no medical insurance they reduced it to $300. Case 2 Blood tests ($940) but if I paid cash $130, Sharps Hospital San diego. Houston local doctors remove a boil on my back $260 but for cash $45. Dentists San diego all treatment less than half price just for having a $50 family discount ticket.(not insurance). I saved thousands off that ticket. Wife had a baby, $10,000, but we had no insurance so we paid $250, (some local tax on tobacco and booze paid the rest. I have heard some say health care in USA is far superior to the free one we have here in uk, WELL IT FRANKLY IS NOT, you have lawsuits over there in USA that prove that healthcare in UK is just as good as USA and its almost free here. True, non urgent things may require an appointment a few weeks forward but anything urgent is dealt with quickly. The ambulance service arrive within minutes of being called and they don't carry invoices or calculators for $2000 taxi ride to hospital! I think you should back your president, get almost free healthcare for all, get better pricing and everyone who works pays a little extra tax just as we do here in Europe, we call it National Insurance contributions, its about 5% of your capped earnings/wages, this covers not only health care but also sickness benefits, retirement pension, dental, optical, unemployment / disability benefit, child and workers tax credits Nobody is ever excluded and there is no CoPay either, They fix you no questions asked, a very comforting thought. Whoever heard of an insurance policy where you go to hospital and have to pay half the f***** bill as well? In the American System the employer pays insurance the employees pay too and then there is copay fees to pay too? who is getting all this money? where the heck is it going? at the prices they charge there should be no copay. For you die hards there is BUPA health insurance that UK has too but that is cheap, a fraction of the USA cost. OK Americans let me know your thoughts do you want an almost free healthcare for all in the USA, similar to UK? if you don't prove to me why your rip off system is better? your system benefits the rich and the scammer hospitals and insurance companies. SUPPORT YOUR PRESIDENT Arctic here is what a working person pays in the UK who earns 30k per year uk pounds Employer's NI 220.60 ($352.96) Employee's NI189.58 ($303.32 Employee Tax330.84 ($529.34) Total All Tax 741.02 Total Net Income1,752.75 ($2804.40) So for $303.00 per month he is covered for all health costs entirely as well as dental, optical. This also covers retirement Pension currently 65 pounds per week ($104), sickness benefit, unemployment benefit, working tax credit and child tax credit, disability benefit. Our NHS get huge discounts off the drug companies and there is an NHS low cost rate for all Health service professionals, this is why health costs are so much cheaper here. Because USA system is dissected based on thousands of insurance company claims it is just a mire of administration and opportunities for these hospitals to overcharge. Why do you think drugs and medical care are so much cheaper elsewhere in the world? your politicians take bribes from these

I noticed my old friends in the USA are having a big debate about healthcare, getting a better service for all and at a better price. From some press reports I have read Some of you do not like to look a gift horse in the mouth? maybe you work for insurance companies I suspect! This is why I KNOW that Americans are being scammed and ripped off by the Government, Health insurance and the hospitals. I am from Uk but spent 7 years there in San Diego, Houston and Phoenix and I needed treatment 3 times for various things. On all 3 occasions I was charged a small fortune ($2000) for menial medical work, (a stitch in my lip and check pulse, most of the time I spent waiting to be seen, (hours). When I told them I had no medical insurance they reduced it to $300. Case 2 Blood tests ($940) but if I paid cash $130, Sharps Hospital San diego. Houston local doctors remove a boil on my back $260 but for cash $45. Dentists San diego all treatment less than half price just for having a $50 family discount ticket.(not insurance). I saved thousands off that ticket. Wife had a baby, $10,000, but we had no insurance so we paid $250, (some local tax on tobacco and booze paid the rest. I have heard some say health care in USA is far superior to the free one we have here in uk, WELL IT FRANKLY IS NOT, you have lawsuits over there in USA that prove that healthcare in UK is just as good as USA and its almost free here. True, non urgent things may require an appointment a few weeks forward but anything urgent is dealt with quickly. The ambulance service arrive within minutes of being called and they don't carry invoices or calculators for $2000 taxi ride to hospital! I think you should back your president, get almost free healthcare for all, get better pricing and everyone who works pays a little extra tax just as we do here in Europe, we call it National Insurance contributions, its about 5% of your capped earnings/wages, this covers not only health care but also sickness benefits, retirement pension, dental, optical, unemployment / disability benefit, child and workers tax credits Nobody is ever excluded and there is no CoPay either, They fix you no questions asked, a very comforting thought. Whoever heard of an insurance policy where you go to hospital and have to pay half the f***** bill as well? In the American System the employer pays insurance the employees pay too and then there is copay fees to pay too? who is getting all this money? where the heck is it going? at the prices they charge there should be no copay. For you die hards there is BUPA health insurance that UK has too but that is cheap, a fraction of the USA cost. OK Americans let me know your thoughts do you want an almost free healthcare for all in the USA, similar to UK? if you don't prove to me why your rip off system is better? your system benefits the rich and the scammer hospitals and insurance companies. SUPPORT YOUR PRESIDENT 1, I have seen the good/bad of both systems, pity your USA system leaves tens of millions of people without health care. 2People do work hard there but the pay is peanuts low income can't afford healthcare. 3 Thats not my point (off topic) 4 Your taxes will not be raised, it will be cheaper as you won't be paying rip off prices to health insurance. 5Medicare is not the quality of Uk Health care and you know it. so don't compare. 6Just go to sharp hospitals in San diego and ask for their form for people with no insurance a look at the price difference, you who pay health insurance are feeding the suckers on the vine that always will ant more and more.. 7Your health is the governments business as its costing the USA taxpayer $billions anyway in medicare etc. 8 UK health care is superior to USA fools fail to learn from forefathers. 9 Brainwash, ? sounds like health insurance and hospital companies paying millions to politicians, that is brainwashing. but you gys just suck it all up here is what a working person pays in the UK who earns 30k per year uk pounds Employer's NI 220.60 ($352.96) Employee's NI189.58 ($303.32 Employee Tax330.84 ($529.34) Total All Tax 741.02 Total Net Income1,752.75 ($2804.40) So for $303.00 per month he is covered for all health costs entirely as well as dental, optical. This also covers retirement Pension currently 65 pounds per week ($104), sickness benefit, unemployment benefit, working tax credit and child tax credit, disability benefit. Our NHS get huge discounts off the drug companies and there is an NHS low cost rate for all Health service professionals, this is why health costs are so much cheaper here. Because USA system is dissected based on thousands of insurance company claims it is just a mire of administration and opportunities for these hospitals to overcharge. Why do you think drugs and medical care are so much cheaper elsewhere in the world? your politicians take bribes from these What happens there does affect me as I am returning to live there permanently next year. Y

Aptly called the Patients' Choice Act, it provides a path to universal coverage by redirecting current subsidies for health insurance to individuals. It also provides a new safety net that guarantees access to insurance for those with pre-existing conditions. The nexus of their plan is redirecting the $300 billion annual tax subsidy for employment-based health insurance to individuals in the form of refundable, advanceable tax credits. Families would get $5,700 a year and individuals $2,300 to buy insurance and invest in Health Savings Accounts. Low-income Americans would get a supplemental debit card of up to $5,000 to help them purchase insurance and pay out-of-pocket costs. They would have an incentive to spend wisely since up to one-fourth of any unspent money in the accounts could be rolled over to the next year. The combination of the refundable tax credit and debit card gives lower-income Americans a way out of the Medicaid ghetto so they can have the dignity of private insurance. States could provide one-stop insurance shopping through new Health Care Exchanges rather than giving the federal government control, as most Democratic plans would do. And it frees up Medicaid money and provides added resources to the states to target additional help to those with disabilities and low incomes. It also calls for auto-enrollment to expand insurance coverage: People will have many options and opportunities to select insurance, but if they don't make an active choice they can be automatically enrolled in private policies financed by the tax credit. Who will control the system? Doctors and patients, or politicians and regulators? That's the crux of this year's health-care debate. This is the GOP plan: More Coverage, Less Cost without Government Intrusion into our decision making http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124277551107536875.html PS. This was put out in the middle May, 2009.

My wife became very ill with Fibromyalgia and Multiple Sclerosis in July, 2008. The company she worked for terminated her employment in October, 2008. She is still unable to work and an application with SSI is pending, probably months from approval. The company she worked for had a group Long Term Disability policy. We did not elect for COBRA as the health insurance premium was cost-prohibitive. Is it too late for her to file a claim on that LTD policy? Or must one still be employed to be eligible for benefits?

My wife and I were able to successfully appeal our LTD denial. We also won our Social Security denial without a lawyer. But that leaves open what happens afterwards, what options do I have when the private insurance company behaves unprofessionally by harassing, lying, and constantly threatening you by "reviewing your disability status", month after month, considering new paperwork old because it took them weeks to get to it, etc.? Some examples: **Refusal to give me my policy, they had to be forced to do so by my former employer, only after I hired a lawyer to send them a letter demanding they provide it. **Constantly requesting "updated medical information", month after month, even though I have a letter from Social Security informing me that they are not even going review my medical condition for the next 5-7 years, due to the severity of my injury! Seems like every time I get them a report from my Dr., it takes them 4 weeks to review it and then it's old news and it starts again! **They lied and sent me a letter that they were going to reduce my monthly benefits dollar for dollar because of my daughter's Social Security benefits.I had to hire an attorney to review the contract, send a letter that it was not legal to do so, then they sent me a letter apologizing for their "mistake". I can go on and on, and that's just since last august! Am I protected from this abuse by the ADA or Bad Faith Provisions in NJ, or any other laws or regulations? So you consider it an "inconvenience" that they tried to steal my benefits, refused to provide a policy, even though I am injured and in chronic pain? What good are bad faith laws? Thanks

My wife and I were able to successfully appeal our LTD denial. We also won our Social Security denial without a lawyer. But that leaves open what happens afterwards, what options do I have when the private insurance company behaves unprofessionally by harassing, lying, and constantly threatening you by "reviewing your disability status", month after month, considering new paperwork old because it took them weeks to get to it, etc.? Some examples: **Refusal to give me my policy, they had to be forced to do so by my former employer, only after I hired a lawyer to send them a letter demanding they provide it. **Constantly requesting "updated medical information", month after month, even though I have a letter from Social Security informing me that they are not even going review my medical condition for the next 5-7 years, due to the severity of my injury! Seems like every time I get them a report from my Dr., it takes them 4 weeks to review it and then it's old news and it starts again! **They lied and sent me a letter that they were going to reduce my monthly benefits dollar for dollar because of my daughter's Social Security benefits.I had to hire an attorney to review the contract, send a letter that it was not legal to do so, then they sent me a letter apologizing for their "mistake". I can go on and on, and that's just since last august! Am I protected from this abuse by the ADA or Bad Faith provisions, now?

On Abortion -Supports overturning Roe v. Wade -Opposes all abortions except in cases of rape, incest involving an minor girl, or when delivering the child would endanger the life of the mother -Voted Yes on Proposition 4 (2008), which would have required parental notification and a 48 hour waiting period before a minor could have an abortion -Rated 98% by The National Right to Life Commitee and 2% by NARAL Pro-Choice America, a Pro-Life stance On Economics -Supports the free market capitalist system -Oppose over-regulation of business -Supports lowering taxes for all income brackets -Supports a flat income tax rate -Opposes the California raise on the sales tax rate -Opposes President Barack Obama's 2009 stimulus plan -Opposed welfare without an incentive to get an education and find work, but other wise supports it for those who qualify and show initiative to become self-sufficient -Staunchly opposes the President's socialized medicine plans On Education -Supports the use of school vouchers -Supports teaching abstinecnce alongside other contraceptive methods -Supports teaching intelligent design alongside evolution -Supports optional prayer in schools -Supports imcreasing funding for private school vouchers and federal and state financial aid for post-secondary eduaction -Supports the right to home school -Supports funding for charter schools and magnet schools -Supports aid to private schools even religous schools if the public funds are used for secular purposes only -Supporst aiding students with disabilities -Opposes teaching homosexuality to children before they begin sex ed, and we should have an opt-out policy for students and parents will moral objections On The War on Terrorism -Believes we must win the war on terror -Stay the course in Iraq -Believes that international terrorism continues to be a threat to America -Supports waterboarding, said "These people wern't worried about our rights when they were killing inncocent Americans." -Opposes the shutdown of Guantanamo Bay -Believes in spreading democracy around the world, the U.S. should act as a liberator of people living under opressive governments around the world On Crime -Opposed legalization of marijuana, but advoates reform in how drug laws are enforced -Supports rehabilitation for non-violent drug offenders -Supports the use of the death penalty but only in 1st degree murder cases -Opposes hate crime legislation -Opposes police racial profiling and misconduct, but supports the actions of fair peace officers who serve their community -Voted Yes on Proposition 5 (2008) which would have expanded treatment programs for non-violent drug offenders -Voted Yes on Proposition 6 (2008) which would have cracked down harder on gang violence On Civil Liberties and Rights -Rated 97% by the National Rifle Association, a Pro-Gun stance -Supports same-sex marriage rights -Supports including LGBT Americans in anti-discrimination laws -Voted No on Proposition 8 (2008) which would have retained the right of same-sex couples to marry in California if the measure had failed -Opposes the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy -Opposes affirmative action -Said he opposes judges who "legislate from the bench" -Opposes legislation that limits a law abiding citizen's 2nd Amendmet right to purchase and own a firearm -Opposes hate crime legislation -Supports equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender -Supports extending insurance healthcare benefits to same-sex couples who are married where it is legal and/or in a civil union or registered domestic partnership -Supports gay adoption, but gives preference to married heterosexual couples -Considers himself a populist, opposes "elitism" -Rated 78% by the ACLU, a mostly Pro-Civil Rights stance -Most points off from the ACLU rating were due to his Pro-Life stance and opposition to judicial activism, most positive points were due to his Pro-Gay stance on most issues