HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

Lori R · 04-30-2009, 05:20 AM

Pam,
I too appreciate your honesty and surfacing this very real concern on our site.

For all of us Stage IV survivors.....I think living our life as if we have a future is very important to our continued health. The difficult balance is focusing on the NOW while yet keeping an eye on the future. But then...isn't that a challenge for anyone regardless of their health situation? So Pam....I vote to keep planning for the future but make sure that you don't sacrifice today's happiness.

I did want to share the results of some research I peformed regarding the various corporate benefits that might apply to you (and possibly others) The topics have been touched on but if someone can benefit...great!!
#1. Company life insurance
Some companies off 1 or 2 x your salary. Great but I don't plan on working until my last day here on earth. So...research your policy. In many (if not most) instances you can convert your policy even after quitting. You would have to pay a premium but it would supposedly be relatively small. This is good for 2 things. Extra insurance if you have a family but also it is a source of $ that you can get an advance on. My policy states that when the Drs believe I have 1 year left, I can get an automatic advance of $10,000. While I hate the 1 year part, it is comforting to know that I will have an opportunity to throw one heck of a party before checking out.
#2 Tax status of Disability Payments
I still need to try to figure out how my corporate disability would be tax free. My company currently pays for the benefit so it would be taxable. I've heard of people that have volunteered to pay directly, thus securing their payout as non-taxable. When I get that figured out I'll post. That would make a big difference.
The big wild card for me is not knowing anyone who has utilized corporate disability (I would get more than SSDI) As you work through the peaks and valleys of treatment, I am afraid of an insurance company that manages the disability, deciding I am no longer disabled. (YIPES....)
Joan...I too am in a very stressful job that I don't believe is good for my health. Yet, have a mortgage, a daughter headed for college. I just can't quite figure out how to live on 1/2 my income.
I am confident that we can get this figured out so we can enjoy our current lives while not sacrificing our future. (that we will have!!)
Lori

04-30-2009, 05:20 AM	#12
Lori R Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Evergreen, Colorado Posts: 454	Pam, I too appreciate your honesty and surfacing this very real concern on our site. For all of us Stage IV survivors.....I think living our life as if we have a future is very important to our continued health. The difficult balance is focusing on the NOW while yet keeping an eye on the future. But then...isn't that a challenge for anyone regardless of their health situation? So Pam....I vote to keep planning for the future but make sure that you don't sacrifice today's happiness. I did want to share the results of some research I peformed regarding the various corporate benefits that might apply to you (and possibly others) The topics have been touched on but if someone can benefit...great!! #1. Company life insurance Some companies off 1 or 2 x your salary. Great but I don't plan on working until my last day here on earth. So...research your policy. In many (if not most) instances you can convert your policy even after quitting. You would have to pay a premium but it would supposedly be relatively small. This is good for 2 things. Extra insurance if you have a family but also it is a source of $ that you can get an advance on. My policy states that when the Drs believe I have 1 year left, I can get an automatic advance of $10,000. While I hate the 1 year part, it is comforting to know that I will have an opportunity to throw one heck of a party before checking out. #2 Tax status of Disability Payments I still need to try to figure out how my corporate disability would be tax free. My company currently pays for the benefit so it would be taxable. I've heard of people that have volunteered to pay directly, thus securing their payout as non-taxable. When I get that figured out I'll post. That would make a big difference. The big wild card for me is not knowing anyone who has utilized corporate disability (I would get more than SSDI) As you work through the peaks and valleys of treatment, I am afraid of an insurance company that manages the disability, deciding I am no longer disabled. (YIPES....) Joan...I too am in a very stressful job that I don't believe is good for my health. Yet, have a mortgage, a daughter headed for college. I just can't quite figure out how to live on 1/2 my income. I am confident that we can get this figured out so we can enjoy our current lives while not sacrificing our future. (that we will have!!) Lori __________________ 2007 Oct - Diagnosed - Stage IV 5 c.m. IDC - Left Side er/pr- Her2+++ Node + 2/14 - Single Liver Met Double Mastectomy Nov - Begin T+H 2008 Feb-Complete 6 cycles- T&H- NED March - Continue - Herceptin Only April - Rads for 6 weeks 2009 Continue Herceptin - Continue NED April - Recurrance- 3 cm. Liver Met May - Cryosurgery June - November - Abraxane + Herceptin Aug - PET/CT - CTC = 0 Back to NED 2010 January - Continue NED July - Recurrance - 3 cm Liver Met CTC=1 August - Cryosurgery #2 August - November Navelbine November - Back to NED - End Navelbine 2011 Feb - Recur - 4 cm Liver Met - Same Left Lobe March Surgery it is -Couldn't get a clean margin July - Confirmed continued liver involvement August - Begin Herceptin + Tykerb October - Mixed results from H+T Add Abraxane + H + T - Nov - April 2012 January PET Scan - It's working!! April - Back to NED July - Recurrance August - Begin TDM-1 Trial (Taxol + TDM-1)