Waiting is indeed a requirement in the entire administrative process of preparing, formulating, then filing for Federal Disability Retirement Benefits, whether under FERS or CSRS, from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
As this author has repeatedly noted previously, if patience is a virtue, then it necessarily follows that Federal and Postal employees must be the most virtuous of individuals, for the very act of waiting for a decision from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management mandates such a virtuous response from the Federal or Postal Worker who has filed for Federal Disability Retirement benefits.
Is there a systematic and logical basis in the sequence and order of the decisions which are being made? Perhaps. Stories always abound, of course, of specific instances where a Federal Disability Retirement application was approved within a very short timeframe, but without knowledge of the specifics, including whether the facts included exigent circumstances beyond everyday occurrences, one cannot make a determination as to why an “exception” to the sequence of decision-making was made, if at all.
From an outsider perspective, it appears that the sequence of decisions made by OPM is rather random. Yes, there is somewhat of a pattern of first-in, first-out, but of course that depends upon whether or not such a pattern is based upon the assignment of a CSA number from Boyers, PA or at the entry point of being assigned to a case worker in Washington, D.C.
The randomness can be troubling; waiting is a frustrating part of the process; but beyond that, virtue can be tested beyond the limits of reasonableness.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Filed under: Important Cases, Legal Updates and/or the Current Process Waiting Time | Tagged: attorney representing federal employees, beginning the process of applying for fers disability retirement, blogs owcp and opm disability issues, consistency and verification of what the doctor says and what the patient explains in a federal disability report, CSRS disability retirement federal attorney, endless waiting for the opm to process disability application, Federal Disability, federal disability law blog, federal disability retirement and opm's random decisions, federal disabled employees and the patience needed, FERS disability retirement, FERS retirement disability claim attorney, law firm representing clients in opm disability law all across america, long wait for an opm disability retirement decision, no lawyers accepting a "new" case to go to full mspb review, opm decision making taking too long, opm decisions disability, OPM disability retirement, patiente, preparing the fers disability retirement application and the everlasting waiting-for-a-decision stage, representing federal employees from any us government agency, statements from nurses in federal disability compensation cases, the basis of decision making during the federal disability retirement process, the complex federal disability reitement, the long road ahead to get fers disability retirement, the opm representative's first-level decision-making process, the sequence of decisions made by the opm, the supposedly first-come first-served opm's decision making with respect to reviewing federal disability applications, understanding the decision-making process, waiting too long for opm disability retirement, your decision about when to file for fers disability retirement | 1 Comment »
The Physicians and the Substance of a Federal Disability Retirement Case
Ultimately, the essence of any claim, endeavor, vocation or activity possesses a characteristic “essence” of a matter — that which defines itself, reveals its core value, and manifests the substantive content of what X “is” as opposed to the accidental and peripheral appearances which can throw one off from the central enigma of that which we seek to unravel.
That is the defining history of Western Philosophy; it is what Plato began in inquiring about the differences between Forms and appearances; what Aristotle did in rolling his sleeves up and getting down to the serious work of scientifically approaching the world through observation and keen perspective; and in more modern times, it is encapsulated by the work of Heidegger, who viewed every being as an encounter to unmask in the experiential sequel learned from his master, Edmund Husserl and the school of phenomenology.
The History of Philosophy has since been one of loss of stature, as all of the subsciences have taken on their prominent roles and fractured apart from the umbrella of philosophy. Psychology, Anthropology, Physics, Theology — they have all found and formed their own mouthpieces.
Medicine and the physicians who represent the discipline of the medical community have a unique and enduring perspective; it has now become defined by an approach of pharmacology and surgery, prompting alternative movements of holistic endeavors. But until a time in a distant future which accepts “other” approaches, it is the physician with an “M.D.”, “D.O.”, or other such designation, which will be necessary in the acceptable community of opinions and judgments. Yes, Chiropractic care, Physical Therapists, Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists and LCSWs can help to prove a case; but the central focus of authoritative acceptance still comes primarily from that guy or girl who went to “medical school”.
For the Federal and Postal employee who seeks to obtain Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether under FERS or CSRS, the core of one’s case must be based upon a view towards the examiner, reviewer, or “Administrative Specialist” as designated by OPM, and what that individual will accept as the authoritative basis of a viable Federal Disability Retirement case. This is a world where the word of the physician is paramount; and those in the communities of subsets can certainly lend authoritative support; but it is always a mistake to confuse the outpost for the headquarters.
In a viable OPM Disability Retirement application, it is important to obtain the opinion and support of that which will provide the essence of authoritative support, to the greatest extent possible. What opinion to seek; how the narrative opinion is characterized; who provides it; and what the substantive content will state — all will make a difference in preparing and formulating a Federal Disability Retirement application, and its proper presentation to the authorities at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
While the “enemy” may attack and destroy the perimeters and outposts, until the neurological center of an organism is defeated, all such efforts are destined to fail.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Filed under: OPM Disability Actors - The Doctor | Tagged: a doctor's comments are more important than a supervisor's comments in an opm claim, a good medical narrative support is essential for a fers disability retirement application, advising your treating doctor about your opm disability application, an effective narrative presentation for my opm disability claim, approaching a physician with the 3112C in your hand, arming your doctors for the federal disability battle, can I use the reports of a physical therapist or a chiropractor for my fers disability case?, consistency physician statement work medical release opm, CSRS disability retirement federal attorney, dealing with the doctor after a disability in the workplace of the federal government, doctor supporting disability fers, don't undermine the role of your family doctor during the fers disability process, enlisting the help of a licensed clinical social worker (lcsw) for my own federal disability case, federal employee disability claims and therapist's reports, fers disability and the medical narrative report, FERS disability retirement, I need help deciding what to do with my fers disability claim, is it possible to use a psychologist for his/her medical reports regarding a federal disability-based retirement?, law firm representing clients in opm disability law all across america, medical conditions must be explained in plain english for the 3112c, medical documentation from the chiropractor's office, medical evaluation from primary treating physician, narrative example of fers disability retirement, narrative medical reports used in the federal disability retirement process, nationwide representation of federal employees, nurse practitioners and federal disability retirement, postal service disability retirement, primary documentation in a fers disability claim should ideally come from the treating physician, statements from nurses in federal disability compensation cases, stress claims and psychologist's reports for your fers medical claim, the essence of a federal disability case, the family doctor as a guardian angel during the opm disabiity process, the most complete blog on federal disability retirement, the opm disability claim and the treating doctor you know best, the way doctors view your medical conditions and write a narrative is important for an opm disability claim, using a nurse practitioner's statements in support to your fdr case, using chiropractors for your federal disability retirement application, what other health professionals can help in a postal or federal disability cases?, why is so important the medical narrative of the federal employee, writing a persuasively descriptive narrative for opm disability | Leave a comment »