Preparing to Stop Working or Retire on Dialysis
There are several things that need to be looked at if you are preparing to stop working or retire while on dialysis.
Find the social worker who is to work with through your medical insurance immediately. Get them involved in some of these questions.
Look into keeping your job if you can after starting dialysis. I had one doctor tell me I would not return to work, I fired him, and my next doctor said if you feel up to it, and gave me a back to work order. I was in the hospital November 2 and back to work January 3rd. I was a special education teacher for fifteen years while on dialysis.
Look into your retirement. Does work provide disability retirement for those younger than the retirement age? Get the forms to fill out if so. My retirement plan had a disability part that I was eligible to have. Half my salary until 62 years of age.
If you are retirement age get the forms for retirement. Be sure to check into benefits available to you after retirement. I had full benefits from the school district for six years after I retired.
Does your company have disability insurance, and do you have it? I signed up for it and held to the two years of not using it, then had full benefits from it. It paid the rest of my salary for two years, and then dropped me to a payment every month.
Medicare will pay dialysis bills after most of the medical bills, you may have copays.
https://www.medicare.gov/people-like-me/esrd/getting-medicare-with-esrd.html
Apply for Medicaid.
Apply for social security disability.
https://www.ssa.gov/disability/
Start a gofundme.com page for help with medical bills and expenses.
https://www.gofundme.com/medical-fundraising
Start the kidney transplant process with your nephrologist. You MUST request transplant information and to start the process with your doctor. You are NOT automatically put on a transplant list just because you start dialysis.
https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/kidney-transplant
Ask for copies of your medical records for the past year. Most places can put them on CD rom or thumb drive for you now.
Keep copies of all forms you fill out.
Keep note son dates forms were mailed out.
Keep track of all correspondence from all agencies involved. Use file folders for direct correspondence and computer file folders for computer responses.
Keep a running journal of everything that happens with all agencies. I used my computer to keep track of things.