a good medical retirement program but a long and strange process to get it

Beginning the Federal Disability Retirement Process

Posted onAuthorFederal Disability Retirement Attorney1 Comment

The Chinese proverb, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, is meant to remind us that looking at a process in its entirety can result in self-defeat even before starting, and every daunting journey must begin with the small, almost insignificant, effort of initiation. Facing a bureaucracy and an administrative process can feel like that metaphorical journey of a thousand miles. The multiple and complex standard forms to complete […] Read More …

Misnomers and the OPM’s Disability, Reconsideration & Appeals Division

Posted onAuthorFederal Disability Retirement AttorneyLeave a comment

The problem with misnomers is not just the inaccuracy of designation which is either explicitly or implicitly conveyed, but the unintended consequences of the string of reactions and responses which can occur as a result thereof. Sometimes, interpretive mistakes occur purely on a subjective basis; in which case it is not truly a case of a misnomer, but rather merely the misunderstanding by the recipient of the information. Other times, a word or designation can be open to multiple meanings, […] Read More …

Medical Disability for Civilian Federal Employees: The Inactivity

Posted onAuthorFederal Disability Retirement Attorney3 Comments

Waiting upon a third party or entity is often the hardest thing to do. Waiting upon a bureaucratic process is an exponential aggravation of that same hardest thing to do, because one cannot fathom a reason or rationale for such dependency of unproductive time. […] Read More …

OPM FERS/CSRS Disability Retirement: Foreign Territory

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Entering a foreign country often has the residual impact of a changed perspective, and an appreciation for what constitutes one’s life “in comparison” thereof. Such a perspective had greater prevalence decades ago, perhaps, because of the disparity and disproportionate […] Read More …

OPM Disability Retirement: The Foreigner

Posted onAuthorFederal Disability Retirement Attorney1 Comment

The “foreigner” reflects a dual-edged phenomena: on the one hand, the individual perceives the strangeness of his or her surroundings; on the other hand, those strangers from the “other” land may similarly view the foreigner with interest, suspicion, hesitation, etc. […] Read More …