] HIV & disability/retirement

[Guest guest]

I realize that not everyone has the luxury of being able not to work. However, I

want to share just how great my life and health have been since I retired.

I retired from my high school teaching job two years ago. I qualified for early

retirement and went out at age 55.

My health is better now that it was when I taught. My diarrhea is gone, I'm more

energetic and my life is nearly stress free. I can spend as much time at the gym

as I want and I can focus my energy on staying healthy. Even my diet is better

because I have the time to prepare good, healthy meals.

My lab work looks better also. My CD4 count and percentage are higher than when

I worked. My viral load went undetectable a few months after retiring.

My income is less, but I've learned to happily live on less money. I even left

Los Angeles and now peacefully live in the redwoods in Northern California.

If someone is considering whether to work or to go out on disability or

retirement, I can offer my own experience. Life is so much sweeter now that I

don't work. No amount of money would get me to go back to work.

> From: Tim Morta <timmorta@...>

> Subject: HIV & Disability

>

> Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 12:55 PM

> I've been semi-retired since January 2006.  That is, I

> collect a monthly annuity and work part-time as a

> consultant.  Part-time is 1,000 hours in a 12 month period

> as a gov't contractor.  My HIV+ status will be 26

> years in January 2009.  I will be 61 years young in

> February 2009.  My life is very rich and busy.  I have

> pretty good insurance and pay out-of-pocket for

> out-of-service providers resulting in small

> reimbursements for dental and mental health care.  I hire

> a CPA and financial adviser to keep my fiscal picture in

> good shape.  I doubt if I'll ever be on disability

> because of my income status.  However, one issue that

> places me in the disabled status , in my estimation, is that

> HIV+ individuals are disallowed from applying for

> long-term care insurance.  I've tried several

> times and failed to get this.  So, how one defines

> disability is up to the policy makers.  But getting health

> insurance for long-term care

> is a wall that, I hope in the future, will crumble and

> be available for HIV+ folks.  Thank you for the

> opportunity to discuss this topic (disability).

>  Tim