Cancer Survivors Network - Life After Treatment - Comments

Hey Zah

bluerose — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:20:28 -0500

Stupid stupid 65. lol. I am living in fear of what will happen to me financially when I turn 65 in 5 years. Actually tomorrow I am going to call the government and try and get a handle on how this will work Here in Canada at 65 the government automatically turns our federal disability over to what they call a retirement pension and of course its lower than the reg disability. We can file for a program to kind of even things out a bit but even with that its not enough to live on. My stupid ex threatened me about 5 years ago that he is going to end payments when I turn 65 but he is not getting off so easy as he gives me about 2/3 of my income from support payments so that is just nuts. I don't think he will look good in court with a brand new house he and his new wife have built from the ground up plus a fancy car plus several trips to europe each year and reneging on his ex wife - the gimp. Hope I can find a really nasty female lawyer to get me through the fight if it comes to that. His selfish divorce cost me a fortune, this time he can pay for it all.

Anywho I know you are in the states and things are different for you down there Zah, wonder what the passing of this new Health Care Bill that just went through yesterday will mean. Probably years of fighting to go before it really kicks in for the public.

Take care Zah. Blessings, Blue

N/A

username32 — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:41:42 -0400

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

In Canada

blueroses — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:41:53 -0500

In Canada there is some carryover when you reach 65 from what I have been getting through my disability insurance that ends at 65. But my ex is threatening to cut me off my alimony then too, thinking I can survive on government help as he builds his own house and takes yet another trip to europe for fun. Ya well, see you in court bud. There is also another fund here that adjusts so that your income doesnt sink too much after they cut you off disability but I don't have the specifics yet, too depressing to ask. When I get closer to 65 in a few years I will see what it all is specifically and will do it well ahead so that I'm not caught in long waiting lists. Hope it all works out for you Zah. Blessings, Blueroses.

Unbelievable!!

hollyberry — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:20:23 -0500

Can you imagine our esteemed legislators having that conversation..."Let's see, record unemployment, home foreclosures through the roof; how are we gonna fund our pensions!?! I know, we'll raise the taxes on the rest of the citizens, get the press to bury the story in the business section and recess. It's been a tough session, eh boys?"
The nerve of these people just astounds me. I don't know how their thought processes really work but, what the f*#^ are they thinking!?! It would make for some good second city material, if it didn't hurt people so very badly.I sure hope Madigan, Cross and all the other crooks can find a better way to fund their pet projects or we'll all be taxed out of our homes.
I don't know about you, but I bought my house 8 years ago and my taxes started at 2 grand and this year I'm at 6,500; how do they justify that? I was working 2 jobs to pay the bills and they're in session, what, 9 months? And when I finally couldn't work anymore and had to apply for disability, I had to wait 6 months for a check.I certainly hope this next "stimulus package" is going to help the average American, and not wall street or the banks again.
Wow- that was quite a rant! Thanks for listening, I guess we've all had enough from our esteemed leaders lately. Here's hoping for better times soon.
Take care,
Hol

It already has!

terato — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:03:12 -0500

Holly,

Did you hear that the State Legislature plans to add * cents to our gas tax AND raise our state income tax? I guess they will want my right testicle next? YIKES!! Indiana isn't far enough away from this mess!

Illinois, the State of Confusion!

Hasta!

Rick

Candidate #5

hollyberry — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:33:48 -0500

It'll be interesting to see what happens in the trial- do they have tapes of Jessie Jackson, Jr. making a deal with Elvis? I can't wait to see what happens next- of course, all we have to do is put on Leno or Good Morning America and we'll see what Rod or Drew Peterson do next. What's with these guys and publicity? Big shoulders has now turned into big mouths! What an embarrassment! Now all we need is for George Ryan to actually win that Nobel prize and I may even consider going to Indiana-lol.
Rick, please tell me it can't get much worse!
Take care,
Hol

We feel each other's pain in more than one way.

terato — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:20:54 -0500

Holly,

I live in Chicago, so I have been cursed by the Unholy Trinity of Richie, Tod, and Rod! (One down, two to go?). I hear Richie wants to tax "breathing", since nothing else is left?

In addition to the $8 million in flu vaccine that Blago allowed to expire, it was reported this morning that Daley allowed another $1 million in other medications to expire or "disappear" from storage. "Chicago, the city that works, but only for the jerks"

Enjoy Illinois!

Rick

ICHIP

hollyberry — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:42:52 -0500

Hey Rick,
I, too, am a "proud" resident of the felonious governor's state and can vouch for the debacle that ICHIP became in short order. I worked for a family practice doc at the time and he never did get paid by the state for any of his services. He then signed up to do "access to care", which was set up for people who worked but were not offered insurance; He took on 50 patients and the state was going to reimburse him $5 a visit- never happened. He just decided to make it a charity service; nice man.
Here's hoping Pat Quinn can do a better job for the citizens of Illinois- God knows we can't get much worse.
Take care,
Hollyberry

The Texas Health Pool

Marcia527 — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:19:52 -0500

The Texas Health Pool covered me. It took less than a month to get approval. I had breast cancer in 2003 and diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2006 so insurance companies wouldn't touch me. The cost depends on which deductable you choose. Still rather expensive. They have a chart on the site explaining how much. There is also a list on the site of web addresses of where you can apply for help with paying for copays.

I.C.H.I.P.

terato — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:55:51 -0500

Marcia,

In 1987, the State of Illinois passed S.B. 1699 (Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan), offering similar coverage for the otherwise "uninsurable". "http://www.chip.state.il.us/downloads/broch1104.pdf" However, ICHIP was underfunded, has an incredibly long waiting list, and unaffordable premiums. It could have been an answer to a prayer, if our now incarcerated former ex-governor (Illinois has a lot of these!) had used Illinois' share of the tobacco settlement to fully fund ICHIP, but his road-building contractor buddies needed the State contract work he had promised in exchange for campaign contributions, so the State's uninsured just had to do without. Oh well, so what else is new, this IS Illinois.

Maybe the Texas plan is better?

Thanks very much for the info!

Rick

state risk pools

Marcia527 — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:34:18 -0500

I live in Texas and they have a risk pool for Texans. They offer health insurance for people who have been declined private insurance and also not eligible for any other group insurance. The cost is a lot, however, because there is no employer to help pay the premium. They cover pre-existing conditions if continually insured.

Here is the site if you want to read about it:

www.txhealthpool.com

Maybe other states offer this.

HUGE thanks, Rick...

zahalene — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:21:35 -0500

for doing this 'leg work' for me. I would not have known where to start for finding this info.
Hopefully, I will come under the umbrella for part A. But since I have never worked in the 'real world' and have virtually no social security built up, it's gonna be slim pickins when I 'retire'...lol
Blue wants to move in wit me....she likes to live dangerously! Ha-Ha!

Thank You

cboo1974 — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:55:33 -0500

Terato and blueroses thank you for the info. it was very helpful.
Cindy

President Obama and Prime Minister Harper

blueroses — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:13:10 -0500

Hey Rick, Hopefully, as you said, Obama will do something about this for you guys down there. I just overheard on the news, as I typed this, that for the first time Obama talked to our Prime Minister, hopefully they will talk about health care and both come up with something for we who have pre-existing conditions and are unable to get insurance in both countries. You sure are a great source of information on this subject and others to those on the discussion boards who live in the states. Good job. All the best Rick, Blueroses.

"individual" v. "group" insurance

terato — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:55:11 -0500

Blue,

It's not as rosy as it seems, in the U.S., the rules for an employer's group health insurance carrier are different from that of someone attempting to purchase an individual health plan. An employer has the advantage of a "pooled risk", a number of employees with varying degrees of health, some good, some not so good, but the "average" considered an acceptable risk to the insurance company.

OTOH, an individual with a history of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or a number of other ailments will find it virtually impossible to purchase his/her own policy because of his/her "pre-existing condition". In a few cases, he/she MAY find a company willing to cover everything else BUT the "pre-existing condition", providing an "exclusion" for that condition with the policy, which really sucks, big time!

Hopefully, with new leadership, things will change for the better.

Rick

Life After Treatment

kalar7856 — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:33:14 -0500

Hi All,

I am a 3 year survivor who savors every cancer free day of life.
My demeanor is positive and happy.

My situation is this... I was a small business owner for over
20 years. My business was successful and I enjoyed a good life.
During the 6 months I was in treatment and recovery key employees
left for other jobs, worried I wasn't coming back. I couldn't be
there to run things and the business failed.

My question is this. Are there any support groups that help
survivors find jobs after treatment? I have an excellent set of job skills
that would benefit an employer yet have been unable to find employment.