Medical Retirement for Federal Workers: Narrowing the Options

In preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS or CSRS, clarification of the direction, purpose and choices/options available is often helpful in compiling an effective and compelling Federal Disability Retirement case.  

Often, there is hesitancy in preparing the application, and such hesitancy and pause are a sign that there is a part of the Federal or Postal worker who is hoping that the medical condition will either resolve itself, or that somehow — in some nebulous and obscure thought-processes — procrastination will result in resolution and continuation in the career one has chosen.  

Narrowing the options with a perspective of reality-based evaluation of one’s situation, however, is important in taking the initial steps.  “Preparation” constitutes thinking about the various options, including questioning the circumstances of one’s medical history, present reality, and future expectations.  

Thus, some questions might be:  Can I continue to work at this job until retirement?  If I continue to work at this job till retirement, will my health have been impacted so detrimentally that I will be in a debilitated state such that “retirement” would be a meaningless goal?  What is my doctor saying?  Will my doctor support me in an application for Federal Disability Retirement benefits?  How is my agency acting/reacting?  Will they continue to tolerate less than full performance and productivity?  What are my choices — work till retirement, file for Disability Retirement, or walk away without anything?  

Such narrowing of choices and options, through proper questioning, is the initial preparatory step in preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, whether under FERS or CSRS, from the Office of Personnel Management.  

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire