Richard is now old enough to apply for retirement. He made a call to start the process and that is when the problems started. He is being offered almost $2000 less a month now, because he is "disabled" than he would have been if he didn't have that accident 11 years ago. We are weighing our options, and trying to look at this from every angle. I suppose that there will be many more blog posts as this unfolds. We tried to get the documents that support this decision made by his employer, but we are told that they have to "ask permission" for him to see them. These are documents that cover the plans of retirees and disabled employees. Are they secret? Shouldn't they be accessible to every employee? Are they changing them depending on the circumstances? Do you have any option here?
The bigger question for me is why does everything have to be a fight? Why should he have to fight for what is rightfully his? Why, after years of hospitals and doctors and too many surgeries to count, and malpractice by insurance companies as well as medical professionals do we still have to fight for him to his retirement? Is the whole point of it all to wear the employee out so they have nothing left inside to fight with?
We fought for accidental death and dismemberment insurance to pay numerous times. We fought health insurance over and over again. We fought Social Security to get his benefits. We fought for dignity in health care. We fought doctors who have done more harm than good (and I wish I could say that there weren't many of them, but the truth is, there have been a LOT of them!) We fought the post office for access to a mailbox. We fought people who say stupid stuff to disabled people. We fought businesses who do not have aceess or compassion for people who just want to live their life as normally as possible. I get tired of fighting.
Is it not bad enough that he has a traumatic brain injury? Is it not bad enough that he has missing bones in his forearm? Is it not bad enough that he only half an eye to see out of? Is it not bad enough that he only has one working hand and one working foot? Is it not bad enough that he lost his career and sense of worth from his contribution to society at large? I guess it is not, because now we have to continue to fight for his retirement.
If you think this can't happen to you, be careful because this is certainly not a situation that we chose to be in. Disability can happen to anyone, and it can happen to you.
There has to be a better way. I hope that the world will figure out a better way as time goes on. We may not benefit, but it is my hope that someone will.
