+ - Reentering the Workforce after Medical Disability
Submitted
by
obsess5
obsess5 writes "I had to leave my software development job two years ago because of severe depression (unipolar). I was on short-term disability at first, then long-term disability, and I was recently approved for Social Security disability. I've had some success in treatment of the depression and, since my long-term disability runs out in September and the SS disability is insufficient for our family to live on, I need to get a job to supplement our income. Social Security allows you to earn up to a certain amount while on disability, so I'm not yet sure (i) if I'll be looking for a part-time job (to stay within the SS limit) or a full-time job and (ii) if it'll be in the IT field or not. (I don't have the temperament to be a consultant, so that's not an option.)
Any advice? How do I address my absence from the work world with a prospective employer? I would be truthful about the medical disability, but how much should I disclose about the nature of the disability? How much is the prospective employer legally entitled to ask or know about the nature of the disability?
On a related note, what kind of non-employer-supplied health insurance do folks recommend? My very high COBRA payments — I guess my last employer provided very good health insurance, although you couldn't tell when trying to deal with the insurance company! — run out in September and I'm not eligible for Medicare for another 6 months after that. I belong to the IEEE — should I get family group health through them or have people had better experiences elsewhere?"
Any advice? How do I address my absence from the work world with a prospective employer? I would be truthful about the medical disability, but how much should I disclose about the nature of the disability? How much is the prospective employer legally entitled to ask or know about the nature of the disability?
On a related note, what kind of non-employer-supplied health insurance do folks recommend? My very high COBRA payments — I guess my last employer provided very good health insurance, although you couldn't tell when trying to deal with the insurance company! — run out in September and I'm not eligible for Medicare for another 6 months after that. I belong to the IEEE — should I get family group health through them or have people had better experiences elsewhere?"