Avoiding financial destitution with long Covid

Does your company have short term disability leave? I had to go on it, as I was unable to work at all. Unfortunately I’ve never gotten better and had to go the road of moving to long term disability, then applying for Social Security disability, which I was finally approved after 2 1/2 years. I’m 4 years in, and I pray that you will steadily see your heath improve to be able to get back to full time.

Oh man, I am so sorry that you have suffered so much. I need to check with my employer, but they are a very small company, and I don’t think that they have short term disability benefits available, which is scary to think about.

Financials: I too had a thread going about financials and there seems to be no clear answer.
Up to my point, I have not worked since September (initial infection) Had a large initial viral load and tested positive for 3 weeks. I retired from my "career job" in December, 2022 and was working part time at a dress shop where I picked up the Covid, despite having ALL my vaccines. I am on Social Security but it doesnt pay all the bills, so I took some money out of 401k to live in since I dont have any income coming in and the huge fatigue and brain fog problems means out I will be out of pocket a bit longer.

Summary;

1. I am managing financially on Social Security and some 401k money. (Do not know how old you are but if you are 62 you can go ahead and apply and get some money coming in about a month or two)
2. I dont know who your insurance company is, but most of them have where you can apply for financial assistance. I did this through Kaiser to help alleviate some of the medical co-pays and prescription co-pays.
3. I applied for a Long covid grant through these folks: https://copays.org/ and got approved for $3000.00. They dont pay but for certain things but at least you can recoup up to that amount. You send up documents to show proof of payment. So far it has helped me with around $200.00.
4. My son is paying all the rent since September to allow me to recoup and go to therapy. ( YOU may not have this luxury, but for now , I am blessed to have this option)
5. I am CONSIDERING SSI OR SSDI but from what I heard, it takes up to two years. I dont have the luxury of waiting on that, so I am trying to find a part time job that has flexibility on hours and days.
6. See if someone will start you a go-fund me page and help you out that way.
7. Cutbacks: We have cutback on groceries by 40 percent and barely eat out once a month. This helps me focus on smaller, whole, natural products such as pinto beans and potatoes and simple produce along with a side of protein. I make up food ahead of time so that when I dont feel like cooking (such as on the days when I have long fatigue or brain fog. This diet is better for you when recovering from long covid, I am told, by a nutritionist.

I dont know your situation entirely, but these are just some of the things that I AND MY FAMILY have had to do to get by. There are days, I will admit, my bank account is zero, but I am happy to be alive after that horrible, retched 3 weeks of Covid.

Some things that have helped me- double dosing of vitamin D 3 weeks, double dosing of multivitamins for 2 weeks, magnesium at night for calm, CBD gummies to help me relax and sleep (strength depends on your tolerance-start out slow) , Tai chi for calm and balance and helps with the brain fogs some too.

Good luck to everything. IT is rough on everybody and we are out here just floundering trying to figure what to do.

Thank you for sharing your situation and experience with me. I am 42, so social security retirement is not an option now, but thankfully I found out that my work has short term disability, so I am going to apply for that asap. My husband and I are starting to talk about what bills to consolidate, what bills to cut, etc. Luckily we are headed into spring, because heating and energy costs have been high this winter.

Again, I really appreciate that you have taken the time to share your experience and what you’re going through.

You are welcome! Hope any little piece of this information may help you. Also, let me know if you have any epiphanies, as well.

@athenaatkins, here is the related discussion started by @c1john
- Any longhaulers successful getting Social Security Disability or SSI?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/social-security-disability-or-ssi/

@colleenyoung
You may want to add this to the related discussion started by @c1john
- Any longhaulers successful getting Social Security Disability or SSI?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/social-security-disability-or-ssi/
Long COVID since 9/2020. With an attorney from the start, APPLIED for SSDI and APPROVED in 5 months, start to finish. Just got notice yesterday, 1/8/2025. I was shocked and I believe my attorney was a bit, too. (At the start, I was given the same estimate of up to 2 years for decision, too.)

PROCESS:
[Attorney Consult - If they take your case, they believe they have a very good chance of success. They will not spend time on a case they don't believe they can win. Business is business. In SSDI claims, though they may have a standard fee if claim is denied, attorneys only get paid if client is approved. Their service includes an appeal, if necessary. Typical fee is 25% of 'Backpay' - benefits paid back to date of disability.]
Application
Forms, forms, and more forms...
Non-Medical Review [Income and Work History- DETAIL of jobs, responsibilities, length of shifts, physical demands AND how you feel LC has affected your ability to work at capacity.]
Medical Review [DETAIL of all doctors, medical diagnostics, procedures, clinics/hospitals, etc you have had since LC onset.]
Final Review
Decision

You can check status of your claim throughout the process in your online "My Social Security" account [ https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ ]

ADVICE:
-Hire an attorney successful in LC claims. Do not attempt application on your own. I found mine at the top of the list from an internet search: "Attorney SSDI Long Covid Claims [Your City/State]"
-Have ALL of your LC related medical diagnostics and treatment DETAIL, of doctors, clinics/hospitals, procedures, tests, timeline, ready to submit with initial application. For your sanity's sake, this will cut down on paperwork later when SSA is performing your medical review. (My attorney was impressed with the DETAIL I provided.)
-Be sure to answer, complete, and submit all the requested questions, forms, and surveys within the set deadlines. The quicker they have the information, the quicker they can move through the process. I was able to send all my completed forms by email to my attorney so they could immediately submit them electronically to the appropriate parties. This sped up the process significantly since use of snail mail was eliminated on your end. SSA sends all forms to you by US Mail. I scanned the forms into pdf format and typed my answers with the use of a pdf editor (Notability App or Adobe...) This way I could get much more DETAIL than I could if handwriting.

[*Note: DETAIL is in all caps. Don't hold back on any information you provide SSA. Let it all hang out. They don't know you like you know you. And you want them to know you in DETAIL to the degree of what you've experienced so there will be no doubt in their minds you have been disabled and why, by Long COVID.]

I hope this helps everyone out there considering applying for Federal Disability (SSDI). It is a lot of work, but the benefits would certainly outweigh the time and effort to try. It can't make your situation worse, but it can make it so much better.

Blessings to all. I understand.

I am now 4 years out with Long Covid. This illness has cost me my 40 year career as an ER nurse, forced me into retirement, sucked a lot from my retirement savings as it took 3 1/2 years to settle my workman's comp case. Workman's comp cases pay according to how many "employable" years you have left before turning 65 meaning a 61 year old is 'worth less' in settlements than a 30 year old. I risked my own life working in the emergency department saving the lives of Covid patients and I just feel disposable. There is no help from my hospital system, philanthropic organizations or the government. We are now 5 years out from the pandemic and the world has forgotten the 'heroes' on the front line they once celebrated.
Ya, I guess I'm bitter.

30 years med/surg RN, worked as Charge in my hospitals first COVID unit, May 2020 until July when more areas were set up in hospital. Physically and psychologically exhausting, heartbreaking. I tested posative Oct 2021, the hospital says I couldn't have gotten exposure at work as we all used PPE. So no workman's comp. There are still non-believers and those who just forgot. We can't, we live it everyday.
My 401k is half gone, I work minimum wage. I am only 56.
Attempted SSI on my own, lost being told I can find employment for 1900.00 a month, yeah, sure.
I am going to try your way and find a LC SSI Lawyer. Thank you so much.

Praying for you, my friend. Lord have mercy.