Common concerns

Deciding you can no longer work, whether absolutely enforced or by relative choice, can be a frightening experience. Even when the steps to obtaining financial and medical assistance are clear and known, it can feel like jumping into the void. There seems to be no certainty that you will receive assistance.

Will my employer be supportive; will the insurance company approve me for disability; how can I get health insurance? If I have to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, or Medicaid, how do I know I will be accepted and how will I live until I am approved?

The uncertainty, initially, in these questions can be scary and daunting. However, the facts are these: hundreds and thousands of disabled persons with ME/CFS or FM who can no longer work successfully receive various disability financial and medical assistance—including housing assistance when necessary. These programs enable them to survive when they cannot work. Other programs are also available when necessary, including housekeeping and homemaking services.

The keys to availing yourself of these programs are to first learn about them, and then to learn how to successfully navigate the necessary steps to use them. There are two important imperatives: persistence, and pacing yourself during the ongoing process.