Be Prepared: The Complete Financial, Legal, and Practical Guide to Living with Cancer, HIV, and other Life-Challenging Conditions

302 Pages·1998·1.64 MB·English

by  David S

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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Special Features of Be Prepared
Part I: A Summary
Chapter 1: In a Nutshell
Part II: The Building Blocks for Successfully Living with a Life-Challenging
Condition
Chapter 2: The Keys to Success
Section 1. Keeping Positive
Section 2. It’s Your Health and Your Life
Section 3. The Team Approach
Section 4. Now Is “When”
Section 5. Coping
Section 6. Options for Getting Emotional Support
Section 7. Worrying
Section 8. No Shame, No Blame
Section 9. Relaxation
Section 10. Volunteer
Section 11. Charity
Section 12. Whom and When to Inform
Section 13. Children
Section 14. Privacy
Chapter 3: Gathering the Information You’ll Need
Section 1. Employment Benefits
Section 2. Other Insurance Coverage
Section 3. Social Security Information
Section 4. Your Health
Section 5. Your Credit Status
Section 6. Life, Health, and Disability Insurance Information: The Medical
Information Bureau
Section 7. Your Financial Information
Chapter 4: Assessing Your Situation
Section 1. Your Employment
1.1 True Net Pay
1.2 Life Units
1.3 Fulfillment
1.4 Two People in a Single Economic Unit
Section 2. A Financial Snapshot: Today
2.1 Net Worth
2.2 Cash Flow
Section 3. A Financial Snapshot: If You Become Disabled
3.1 Net Worth in Two Years
3.2 Cash Flow on Disability
Section 4. A Financial Snapshot: Your Goals
Chapter 5: Keeping Your Financial Information Organized
Section 1. Where to Store or File Your Papers
Section 2. A Filing System
Section 3. List of Instructions
Part III: Income
Chapter 6: Legal Protections—Employment
Section 1. Employment
1.1 Covered Employers
1.2 Disability for Purposes of the Americans with Disabilities Act
1.3 Hiring and Rehiring
1.4 Reasonable Accommodation: When a Disability Interferes with Work
1.5 Confidentiality and Disclosure
1.6 Protecting the Family and Friends of a Disabled Person from
Discrimination at Work
1.7 Advancement Issues and Bonuses
1.8 If You Are Discriminated Against
Section 2: Leaves of Absence: Family and Medical Leave Act and the ADA
2.1 Leaves of Absence Under the FMLA
2.2 Leaves of Absence Under the ADA
2.3 Combining Your Rights to a Leave of Absence Under the ADA and the
FMLA
2.4 The FMLA and “Nontraditional” Family Relationships
2.5 Unprotected Leave
Section 3. Benefit Protections While You Are Employed
3.1 ERISA
3.2 ADA
Section 4. Benefit Protections After Leaving Your Job: COBRA
Section 5. Protecting Your Benefits After Leaving Your Job: Other Rights
5.1 Conversion
5.2 Changes in the Benefit Plan While You Are Exercising Continuation Rights
5.3 Disability Extension
Section 6. Health Insurance Protection: HIPAA
Chapter 7: Employment
Section 1. Reconsidering What You Do for a Living
1.1 Make Your Job Work Better for You
1.2 Is Now a Good Time to Change Jobs?
Section 2. Leaving Voluntarily
2.1 Considerations Before Leaving Your Current Job
2.2 Negotiate Before You Leave Your Job
Section 3. If You’re Fired
Section 4. Looking for a New Job
4.1 Identify Your Ideal Job
4.2 Considerations Before Taking a New Job
4.3 Tips for a Job Interview
Chapter 8: Disability Income Replacement—Private and Government
Programs
Section 1. Private Insurance: Individual Disability Income Insurance
Section 2. Group Disability Income Insurance
Section 3. Other Types of Group Disability Coverage
3.1 Group Short-Term Disability Coverage
3.2 Employer Salary-Continuation Plans (Sick Pay/Leave)
3.3 Workers’ Compensation
3.4 Group Life Insurance
3.5 Group Individual Retirement Plans
Section 4. Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
Section 5. Credit Disability Insurance
Section 6. Individual Life Insurance
Section 7. Coverage for Self-Employed Professionals and Small-Business
Owners
7.1 Disability Income Policies
7.2 Other Coverages to Consider
Section 8. Federal Disability Programs
8.1 Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD)
8.2 Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
8.3 Veterans’ Pensions
Section 9. State Coverage
9.1 Disability Insurance
9.2 Workers’ Compensation
9.3 Unemployment Insurance
Chapter 9: Preparing for the Possibility of Not Being Able to Work
Section 1. Preparing to Go on Disability—Long-Range Planning
Section 2. Preparing to Go on Disability—Short-Range Planning
Chapter 10: Applying for Social Security: The Process
Section 1. Before You Begin
Section 2. A Case Study
Section 3. Preparing the Paperwork
Section 4. Starting the Process
4.1 In-Person or Telephone Interview
4.2 A Representative
4.3 Documentation
Section 5. Determination of Disability
Section 6. If Social Security Denies Your Claim
Section 7. Hiring an Attorney
Chapter 11: On Disability
Section 1. What to Anticipate
1.1 The Emotional Experience
1.2 Checking on Whether You Are Still Disabled
1.3 If Payments Stop or May Stop
Section 2. Tips for People on Disability Leave
Section 3. Returning to Work: Part-Time or Full-Time
3.1 What Work to Return To
3.2 Preparation
3.3 Your Private Disability Income Insurance
3.4 Your Health Insurance
3.5 Your Life Insurance
3.6 Effect of Earning Wages on SSD and SSI
3.7 Medicare
3.8 SSA Incentives to Return to Work
3.9 Inform SSA About Work
3.10 State Programs
Chapter 12: Retirement Planning
Section 1. Why Plan for Retirement?
Section 2. How Much to Save for Retirement
Section 3. Types of Investments
Section 4. Overview of Retirement Plans
Section 5. Government-Sponsored Retirement Plan—Social Security Retirement
Benefits
Section 6. Employer-Sponsored Plans
Section 7. Individual-Sponsored Plans
Section 8. Ten Commonsense Tips for Retirement Planning Success
Chapter 13: Investments
Section 1. How Much Time?