State of Jake
Donation protected
Who We Are:, Tommy Issing & Tony Salerno
2020 is a year from hell and sure has been decimating for our friend John McGarty. 1st quarter revision knee replacement (and Covid-19 rehab unavailability) left Jake unable to stand or do steps and in continuous discomfort with swelling and pain. For 6 months, living on meager short term disability income, his employer refused to make accommodations for his return to work, i.e. the ability to sit down and modified hours. Forced to resign in September his union (32BJ) had committed to provide health coverage to age 65. They reversed themselves and reneged several weeks later citing among other factors a 2017 disability from the original joint replacement operation. Intense back and forth wrangling proved futile. His union has been a completely useless advocate. They cancelled health insurance in November offering instead costly COBRA with its stringently restrictive benefit limitations.
John is in poor health, disabled and cannot work. Nor should he in our view because of coronavirus. He has coronary artery and pulmonary disease along with COPD and emphysema. The osteoarthritis in his right knee along with peripheral neuropathy in the right foot cause serious sleep deprivation. Two strokes in November have resulted in chronic fatigue, constant headaches, unstable balance and tingling in left arm and fingers. He needs the right doctors and proper care in order to heal and get well.
At the moment John has no income. Application for social security disability benefits was filed in October. A process normally taking 4 to 6 months but for Covid-19 an Attorney informed him to double expected time for review. His wife Flabia works a domestic job with tenuous security. They’re able to pay rent and food but her employer provides no health insurance and her income cannot cover their medical care. Like many Americans, medical expenses have become an insurmountable problem. The objective is to clear a $4,200 outstanding medical bill and to fund marketplace medical insurance premiums in 2021 until our friend is Medicare eligible at age 65 next December. Social security retirement income can then be exercised as well as 2 small private pensions. That, along with a degree of financial security.
2020 is a year from hell and sure has been decimating for our friend John McGarty. 1st quarter revision knee replacement (and Covid-19 rehab unavailability) left Jake unable to stand or do steps and in continuous discomfort with swelling and pain. For 6 months, living on meager short term disability income, his employer refused to make accommodations for his return to work, i.e. the ability to sit down and modified hours. Forced to resign in September his union (32BJ) had committed to provide health coverage to age 65. They reversed themselves and reneged several weeks later citing among other factors a 2017 disability from the original joint replacement operation. Intense back and forth wrangling proved futile. His union has been a completely useless advocate. They cancelled health insurance in November offering instead costly COBRA with its stringently restrictive benefit limitations.
John is in poor health, disabled and cannot work. Nor should he in our view because of coronavirus. He has coronary artery and pulmonary disease along with COPD and emphysema. The osteoarthritis in his right knee along with peripheral neuropathy in the right foot cause serious sleep deprivation. Two strokes in November have resulted in chronic fatigue, constant headaches, unstable balance and tingling in left arm and fingers. He needs the right doctors and proper care in order to heal and get well.
At the moment John has no income. Application for social security disability benefits was filed in October. A process normally taking 4 to 6 months but for Covid-19 an Attorney informed him to double expected time for review. His wife Flabia works a domestic job with tenuous security. They’re able to pay rent and food but her employer provides no health insurance and her income cannot cover their medical care. Like many Americans, medical expenses have become an insurmountable problem. The objective is to clear a $4,200 outstanding medical bill and to fund marketplace medical insurance premiums in 2021 until our friend is Medicare eligible at age 65 next December. Social security retirement income can then be exercised as well as 2 small private pensions. That, along with a degree of financial security.
Organizer and beneficiary
Thomas Issing
Organizer
New York, NY
John McGarty
Beneficiary