Medical Retirement for Federal Workers: Stages & Particulars of a Case

One must be able to make distinctions, to bifurcate and recognize where one is at, in order to determine the course and direction of where one is going.  A writer once said that a captain who moors a ship in a harbor must know three (3) things before raising the anchor:  where it has come from; why it is here; and where it is going.  Simple enough.

The point of the simplicity, of course, is the plan of action which the three statements represent.  In preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether under FERS or CSRS, the parallel three directional statements might be:  Does one have a supportive doctor; does the medical condition impact the ability to perform one or more of the essential elements of one’s job; can one sufficiently prove one’s case?

A little bit more complex.  But the point is, whether in simple form or of greater complexity, it is important to know and recognize both the “larger” picture as well as the smaller one; of identifying at what stage in a process one is at, while at the same time realizing the unique and particular facts of one’s own situation, within that larger stage.

Having a purposive direction can often be difficult when one’s focus is upon trying to get better, when one’s medical conditions impact the very cognitive clarity one needs in order to proceed in that purposive manner.  Such a recognition itself — that one may need some help in a complex world — may be the greatest seed of wisdom.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

Federal & Postal Disability Retirement: Credibility (Part II)

Ultimately, then, credibility of a FERS or CSRS Disability Retirement application will often come about based upon an initial perusal and superficial, “first-time” look at a Federal Disability Retirement application under FERS or CSRS.  That is why it is often important to thoughtfully and sequentially place information in a methodological, coherent manner. That is why superfluous, peripheral material, opinions, statements from non-medical third parties, etc., should be kept to a minimum, at least in any initial attachment.  Now, if it is thought to be necessary and if it is determined to be helpful additional information, then an addendum attachment, or perhaps an attachment chronologically listed as “additional helpful information” can be part of the packet.  However, it should be clearly identified as such, and even the “additional information” should be streamlined, coherently structured and qualitatively and selectively utilized.  Remember that the essence of a Federal Disability Retirement case is the interconnection between a person’s medical condition and the type of work which one engages in.  As such, aside from the personal “I” statement, the medical reports and records should be the central focus.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire