up date-vocational rehabilitation meetings

[katicabogar]

Flower1968,

I am in Voc Rehab also, since 2006, I lost count how many counselors were assigned to me, but all I can say, don't trust them. Be very careful to attend all meetings and try to cooperate, but also try to insist on re-tratining.
It was offered to me in 2007, but money assigned for it wasn't enough, so voc counselor recommended pension. My claims manager didn't like it, so she fired this firm, hired the current one, where I have, I think my fifth counselor recommending now the same kind of jobs what I used to do before my injury.

I believe as long as your treating doctor doesn't approve the jobs what the counselor thinks you can do, they can't make you look for work.

If you have time to read all voc related postings here, Lilly, Bad Boy and myself posted enough about our experiences, etc.

Good Luck.

Kat

[FLOWER1968]

:

katicabogar Wrote:Flower1968,

I am in Voc Rehab also, since 2006, I lost count how many counselors were assigned to me, but all I can say, don't trust them. Be very careful to attend all meetings and try to cooperate, but also try to insist on re-tratining.
It was offered to me in 2007, but money assigned for it wasn't enough, so voc counselor recommended pension. My claims manager didn't like it, so she fired this firm, hired the current one, where I have, I think my fifth counselor recommending now the same kind of jobs what I used to do before my injury.

I believe as long as your treating doctor doesn't approve the jobs what the counselor thinks you can do, they can't make you look for work.

If you have time to read all voc related postings here, Lilly, Bad Boy and myself posted enough about our experiences, etc.

Good Luck.

Kat

Hi Katicabogar, thanks for your replies. I believe your right about my treating doctor. He told me the same thing after I explained what VR wants from me. I read all VR postings here, and I know that Lilly and you went through difficult process. My treating Doctor told me that if W/C and I don't get to some kind of agreement, then perhaps we are going to end up in trial. Thank you again

[FLOWER1968]

fencer11 Wrote:WOW, There is a BIG difference between nothing wrong and all of the restrictions you posted. I don't know what state you are in but I believe that the judge had to agree my injury was work related before I saw the Voc-Rehab person. Are you getting any benefits from WC? Have they paid any medical bills, Are you getting checks? If you are totally disabled, I don't think you would be approved for Voc-Rehab, as Totally Disabled means you can't work.

I'm from MI, I was disputed from WC, when they say that I was healed and I could go back to work without medical insurance or restrictions. I went back to work and continued to work sick. I didn't have an attorney at that point. I force myself to continue work ( I was afraid to lose my job)stupid isn't it, injured my self even more and after that, I couldn't work anymore, I hired an attorney and here we go. I don't have from WC nothing, I'm receiving benefits from my former company, LTD, and my medical is paid from my own health insurance. I was lucky that they agreed to pay all my bills,(they know what is going on with me).From the very beginning of my WC process, I was afraid that my health insurance won't pay the bills but they did, and my attorney also says that I don't need to worry about that because they are going to work that out between themselves. I'm on LTD from July 2007, I was able to continue to pay for my health insurance and my former company told me that as long as I pay my contribution and as long I'm on LTD I can continue to use my health ins.Yesterday my attorney called and said that the WC attorney is trying to settle my case but we couldn't agree with the amount that he offered. He also says that they going to have
a mediation next week and see if we can come up with a better deal. If we don't get a good deal, we will have to go to trial. Also, he told me not to go to that VR meeting because he wants them to come to his office so he can be with me. Now I have to to wait for him to call me back and give me the right day for that meeting.

[fencer11]

I don't know about your state, but here in Ma. if you do not attend the VR I have been told that the WC can stop any benefits and you are done with WC. Please be careful with this. If WC wants to settle then liability must have been established. Is your injury from past employer or present?If you are making COBRA payments for your health ins., I believe there is now help from the government to pay a big part of that.

[FLOWER1968]

A

fencer11 Wrote:I don't know about your state, but here in Ma. if you do not attend the VR I have been told that the WC can stop any benefits and you are done with WC. Please be careful with this. If WC wants to settle then liability must have been established. Is your injury from past employer or present?If you are making COBRA payments for your health ins., I believe there is now help from the government to pay a big part of that.

You're absolutely right, that is not just in your state but everywhere. It is not that I'm not going to attend, my attorney wants to reschedule and make it happen in his office. We'll see what's going to happen. My health ins. is just a continuation plan, it is almost like I still work for them and they are just deducting me the same amount of money as I was working for. I'm still paying for vision and dental through Cobra, I pay for both less than two hundred a month so a little help would be welcome. My injury is from my present employer. How is your re-training going? Do you know what you want to do in the future, and besides, my husband is truck driver also, and I know how hard it is sitting the whole day and sometimes nights too, but he doesn't do any lifting he just does delivering. Thanks for your replies and Good Luck with VR, I'll keep you posted as soon I get in touch with my attorney.