saw this on faa follies..

Mizzou80 Trusted Member

I am NOT the original poster of this. I saw it on FAA follies and figured I would help a guy out

There?s a lot of great stuff out there that I don?t post. It?s not because I?m uncaring, or because I think it doesn?t deserve it; it?s because there?s only so much I can put on here each day without this blog getting too full.

I?d like to expand and turn it into a better site, but again, there?s only so much time and only one of me (which is far more than enough for a lot of people!)

I read heartbreaking posts from all kinds of people and would like to highlight them, but that?s not really what this blog is about. I get great stuff slamming the FAA from people as varied as John Tormey to very serious, technical emails. (Tormey?s serious, but man, his writing puts John Carr to shame, doesn?t it? It?s great fun to read- check it out.)

Thing is, I just can?t post it all. I can?t even link to it all, because my links would run about eight pages long.

But there?s a story I just have to share with you all. It strikes home with me personally, so here it is:

Please hear out my dilemma.

4/4/07 Failed physical due to back pain and missing work and periodic pain meds
7/4/07 Worked in administrative office periodically until 7/4/07 as pain allowed. Put home up for sale.
7/4/07-10/10/08 Waited and finally had spine fusion on 10/10/08. On medical leave and was PMD?d (permanently medically disqualified on 5/3/08. Appealed PMD.
11/3/08 Notified PMD appeal denied.
12/3/08 My wife passed away from a heart attack.
1/5/09 Notified that I did not have life insurance on here through FEGLI as was terminated one year after my beginning LWOP or roughly 8/6/08. Also notified that my health insurance was being terminated retroactively back to 8/6/08.
1/16/09 I have been notified that I have missed dates to convert to outside health insurance but they can provide a policy at approximately $1000.00 per month and I will have to pay for all the months retroactive to 8/6/08 to activate insurance or roughly $8000.00. This is the only policy that will pay for my surgery retroactive and in addition my wife?s final medical bills which total in excess of $150,000.00. They are processing my medical retirement which will provide health benefits once it goes through but will probably take 6-8 months.
I have applied for Social Security and been denied, appealed and denied again. I do receive UNUM disability but it has been less than enough and I had to wait 5 months without pay last year when it started. I have taken all I could take out of my tsp for hardship that was allowed. I am also indebted to the FAA for health insurance for the year of LWOP along with owing 144 hours of advanced leave or about $13,000 for both.

I rented an apartment for my son and I and am moving out of our home as I am unable to afford it any longer. I have a few family members to help move as I am still only able to lift 10 pounds after the spine surgery. I have contacted numerous attorneys who unfortunately advise that I have no legal remedy for a mistake that was made when they (FAA HR) failed to mention that my health and life insurance policy?s had terminated. This is of no surprise as accountability has never been a good topic with the FAA.

In conclusion, I told myself when this all started that I would survive and make it without needing help. I have passed that time. I need financial help to get over this insurance mess as my medications alone run about $2700.00 per month and I am told I will have additional deductible of $2500.00 on this policy. All I can ask is what your conscious allows. I have been a NATCA member for almost 20 years and have tried to help my share in their time of need. I will happy to answer any questions you have regarding my situation.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and prayers and of any help you can provide.

Stephen Oeder
dura_cell@yahoo.com

This really hits home with me, for several reasons. I?m widowed, in a manner of speaking; ten years ago, my girlfriend, Paula, died in a car accident. We?d lived together for five years at that point, bought our house where we planned raising a family, the whole nine yards. I?ve been where Steve is in that regard, and man, let me tell you- it?s a special kind of hell. Many of us will go through it, and believe me, it stinks- you?ll see.

I?ve never met Steve Oeder, but a buddy of mine at ZSE has. He says Steve is ?really good people? and deserves our help. I know that for anyone to ask for help is really hard, but I think it?s a mark of bravery. Steve?s dealing with more crap than anyone should ever have to carry alone.

Bad enough that he?s had all kinds of medical issues prior to and surrounding the time of his wife?s death (and if you don?t know anyone suffering from chronic back pain that winds up requiring surgery, count yourself lucky; those folks live in an amazing amount of pain.)

On top of that, Steve has to deal with an employer that couldn?t wait for a while to see if he could ever wind up returning to some form of work. There?s tens of thousands of non-safety-critical jobs in the FAA, and at least a few thousand of them are jobs that former controllers could probably do.

When on extended LWOP (leave without pay), Steve basically wouldn?t have cost the FAA anything. They could have kept him on the books and tried to get him into something once he hacks through his recovery from surgery.

If he was never able to return to work- which happens, people become disabled- then the FAA could process him out a while after his surgery and recovery, and it wouldn?t have cost them anything extra. If he WAS able to return to work, then they would have done the right thing (even when nobody was looking!) and wound up with a grateful employee, and shown the agency to be a good employer to the rest of us working for the FAA.

But of course, we know the FAA- and they didn?t do those things. That?s bad enough, on top of dealing with monster pain and being widowed and surgery and losing his home.

But even worse- it appears, on first glance, that it was an FAA ERROR that led to Steve?s health insurance situation being screwed up. There?s paperwork directives that seems to direct the FAA?s HR folks to notify someone in Steve?s situation that they?re on the verge of losing their insurance coverage. The FAA dropped the ball.

Now, the insurance company appears to be flexing for Steve on this. He?s going to be able to get coverage, even retroactively, which saves him over six figures for his and his wife?s healthcare needs. But it?s still very expensive, especially to a guy who?s out of work and still in considerable pain.

Ladies and gentlemen, it?s time to step up. I?ve thought about requesting more money for my own legal issues; since my first set of contributions, I?ve wound up racking up almost fifteen grand in legal bills dealing with that whole Phoenix situation- which, on the advice of my excellent-but-kinda-expensive lawyers, I can?t really discuss. But I?ll say this: A good portion of that money went to protecting the anonymity of those who donated to the Follies legal fund.

But you know what? I can hack that cost. I feel strongly that it?s my repsonsibility, so I?m paying for it. I?m still able to take vacations, I?m blessed enough to have my lovely wife, I?ve got fairly good health and I can keep working at one of the greatest jobs (air traffic control) for one of the worst employers (the FAA) in the whole world.

Donate to Steve. It?s very easy, he?ll be extremely grateful, and it?ll show that while the FAA as an employer might suck, the FAA as a group of people is still a good thing. But for the grace of God, or for shoten zenjin, it could be any of us.

Go to PayPal and use Steve?s email address: dura_cell@yahoo.com

Donate 20, 40, 100 bucks to him, even 5, whatever you can afford. Believe me, he can use it WAY more than any of us can. In these kinds of times, we need to support each other. Let?s show him that Follies readers are good people with caring hearts. Tighten things up a bit- for example, I?m slowing my spending on booze and strippers- and help him out.

He?s not asking us to support him forever. He?s not lazy and simply unwilling to work. He didn?t blow all his cash on stupid stuff. He?s just a guy who was working to make a living and support his family, and he got a nasty back condition that needed surgery, and then his wife died, and now he?s asking for some help past a rough patch so he can get transitioned into a new life where he?ll be doing it on his own again.

Thank you for your time and for your contribution. And if you could throw in a little note telling Steve that you read about him on the Follies, I?d appreciate it, but not nearly as much as he would appreciate a little help and some words of encouragement.

(okay, just kidding on the booze and strippers- I never really spent that much on them before.)