Recent Accident to My Son

[Roger]

It just seems like nothing is easy. I thought we were close to buying the Baltimore harbor view condo. We made an offer on Thursday, the seller countered on Friday, and we submitted another offer on Saturday. Yesterday, our Realtor told us that the seller has withdrawn the condo from the market and is going to his bank and informing them that he wants to negotiate terms for a short sale.

Last night I found the sellers name and telephone number at the Maryland tax records website. This morning I called the seller and asked if there was anything that we could do to complete this transaction. He told me that his decision to pursue a short sale had nothing to do with our offer. He explained that if he accepted our offer he would have to pay $63,000 at closing to settle the mortgage and the closing costs. In addition to that money he was also losing his down payment and all the payments that he has made. All together he's losing more than $100,000 on this real estate investment. He decided over the weekend that he just didn't want to put anymore money into this real estate investment. If he can work out the terms for short sale with his bank then the bank will absorb a portion of the loss. This is a difficult situation. The real estate market in 2006 was crazy and a lot of people got drawn into it and are now paying a high price.

I asked the seller again is there anything that we can we do to complete this transaction. He's a very reasonable guy and I'm hoping that we will be able to come up with a plan to purchase this condo from him or from the bank. It's possible that we could rent the condo while the seller is negotiating the short sale terms with the bank. Our Realtor told us that it can take 6 months for a short sale transaction to close. The risk we would be taking if we rented the condo is: if we did the modifications and then we were not able to complete the purchase from the bank we could lose that money.

I talked to a contractor today about our proposed modifications. This contractor is very framiliar with the Lighthouse Point condo development because he modified another condo at Lighthouse Point last year. He said that he could give me a cost estimate for our proposed modifications without going into the condo.

Roger

[Roger]

Today we received a lease agreement from the owners Realtor. We're going to rent the harbor view Lighthouse Point condo. The owner has decided to go to his mortgage company and try to get them to agree to a short sale. He accepted our latest offer so that will also be submitted to the mortgage company.

Our plan is to move into the harbor view condo and rent it for at least a few months. We'll either buy this condo from the bank or buy one of the courtyard view condos when they're available. There are several courtyard view condos listed for sale but they're all rented and will not be available for a couple of months.

Brian has an appointment with the surgeon at Stanford tomorrow. Brian and my wife fly to San Jose tomorrow morning. They'll return last tomorrow night. After hand therapy last Tuesday Brian was encouraged that the pinch function was returning to his hand.

Our plane tickets are booked for the move to Baltimore. The movers will pickup Brian's furniture on July 6 and we'll fly to Baltimore on July 11. Brian starts therapy at Kennedy Krieger on Monday July 13. We'll stay in a hotel until Brian's furniture arrives, then we'll move into the Lighthouse Point condo.

Roger

[cheesecake]

Let's set a date to finally meet. It sounds like you have come to the best possible resolution.
Looking forward to finally meeting.

Great news for Brian about the pinch. Becca or one of the KKI ladies will realy whip him into shape!

[Roger]

Cheesecake

Yes, we will definitely meet in July. I'm planning on being in Baltimore at least a week and possibly longer. It depends on how long it takes to get Brian and my wife settled.

Roger

[Roger]

I've been calling contractors in Baltimore to get an idea how much it will cost to make the condo at Lighthouse Point accessible. I want to get the modifications planed so that after we purchase a condo the modifications can be done quickly. We won't do anything while we're renting.

Brian got a list of Baltimore contractors from Making Choices for Independent Living Inc. The modifications that we want done are: install hardwood floors, enlarge the master bathroom and make a roll in shower. I've sent the contractors some 3D renderings of the modified bathroom and a condo floor plan asked them to make rough cost estimate.

The first contractor called me yesterday with his estimate $37,500. This estimate is more than double what I expected. I asked the contractor for a cost breakdown for the three tasks and he told me that's not how he works. He gives a single number for the total cost of the job. I'm eliminating this contractor from my list. Hopefully, the estimates from the other contractors will be much lower. If not, I'll take some tools to Baltimore and do some of the work myself. Installing a floating hardwood floor over a concrete slab is not a difficult job. The bathroom shower modifications are more labor intensive but no where near $37,500.

Roger

[RAFS]

Roger,
Have you checked to try & find out if the state of Maryland has a Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program that might pay or help pay for modifications to the condo to make it accessible for Brian? Here in Florida there is such a program & I've heard of some people having garages turned into to apartments so that they are wheelchair accessible & I believe the program pays for everything. Brian should also check to see if Maryland has a Transportation Disadvantaged Program that pays for toll permit stickers so if you have a handicapped equipped vehicle you don't have to pay tolls for bridges & tunnels & ferries and also you don't have to pay for parking at public airports and cruise ship docks. I recently replaced my van & I sent in the application the other day for a new toll permit sticker for it. Since I have the handicapped equipped van I don't pay for parking at airports and cruise ship docks. With the toll permit sticker I don't have to pay for tolls. I just point to the sticker for toll booth person & he/she records the number off it & I go on my way. If I wanted to pay a one time fee of $25.00 for what is called a non fund generating Sun Pass transponder I wouldn't have to stop for tolls at all but I don't go over toll roads that often to justify paying the one time fee so I just stop for the toll taker then I go on my merry way.
I wish you & your family the best with everything. I'm sure in due time everything will work out just fine. Please tell Brian that I was asking for him & that I send my regards & BIG HELLO!!!

[Roger]

Thanks Rafs we'll check these things out. We've been finding that because of the economic crisis that many of the aid programs don't have any funding. All of the money has gone to the crooks on Wall Street to pay their bonuses. I'm sure that we can all rant over how these bankers have screwed everyone to make themselves rich. That old Michael Douglas movie Wall Street had it right.

Roger

[Roger]

Brian has been talking with the Hopkins financial aid people trying to convince them to increase his financial aid package. In the first round they told him that he wasn't eligible for any financial aid because he has disability insurance income. Brian has shown them that he needs the disability insurance income to pay for special equipment and other expenses associated with his injury. Last week Hopkins agreed to purchase a power standing wheelchair that Brian will use in the anatomy lab. The standing wheelchair is unbelievable expensive $41,000. Hopkins is also looking at modifying a dorm room in Reed Hall to make it accessible. The Deans at Hopkins are understanding and supportive. It's just a matter of showing them what's needed and why. Brian has composed several good letters without expressing any anger or frustration. As a result the Deans at Hopkins are finding acceptable solutions to the problems.

This weekend is going to be busy. The furniture movers come July 6 so we're packing all weekend. We fly to Baltimore July 11 and move into the rented condo on July 13. Brian begins rehab at KKI July 13 for about a month. During that same period he will also have hand therapy twice a week. His car is being shipped by auto transporter and should arrive about July 13-16. Our plan is to rent a car and stay in a hotel until the furniture arrives. Everything is coming together but it will be good when we get settled in Baltimore. If Brian ends up staying in the condo rather than the Hopkins dorm then we'll buy a condo and do the bathroom modifications.

Roger

[Eileen]

Roger, so glad this is all coming together, but I must admit it sounds exhausting for everyone concerned. You all deserve a big round of applause for the determination and drive that has made this possible. That is great that Hopkin's purchased the standing w/c for Brian to use in anatomy class. It may come in helpful for other classes too.

[Roger]

Yesterday, Brian told me that he is going to run out of insurance paid rehab benefits prior completing the rehab at Kennedy Krieger. At the moment he has Blue Cross coverage sponsored by his previous employer. We pay the monthly premium payments as part of the COBRA program. The Anthem Blue Cross medical insurance rehab benefit pays for 24 sessions per year. Brian has been using Blue Shield to pay for the hand therapy rehab. There are 6 sessions left. On August 1 Brian will be eligible for Medicare which pay 80% for rehab. It's to bad that he wasn't eligible for Medicare July 1. When he starts medical school his medical insurance will be Medicare primary and Hopkins medical secondary. The bottom line is it looks like 24 of the 30 rehab sessions that Brian will have at Kennedy Krieger from July 13-July 31 will be self pay. I asked Brian to talk to Kennedy Kreiger to if KKI will accept the same payment from us what they would receive from Blue Shield. That seems reasonable to me I hope they agree.

I looked up on the Internet how long the waiting period is before Brian is eligible for Medicare, the waiting period is 29 months Medicare coverage start the beginning of the 30th month after a permanent injury. Brian was injured on Feb 9, 2007, twenty nine months would be July 7, 2009, so he is eligible for medicare at the beginning of the 30th month which is August 1, 2009.

The rehab benefits were reduced from what Brian originally had when his medical insurance was provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of California. The company Brian worked for changed insurance companies last year. I feel a little stupid here that we didn't keep track of this better.

Roger

[Eileen]

Roger, I am sure you have already done this, but check with the Cobra people at Brian's old employment place. They always say it is a set number of months (can't remember anymore what it is) but they granted me a several month extension specifically because I left on disability. I think it is talked about as 24 month coverage, but they granted me 29 months, which is the maximum. It brought me right up to the Medicare date, literally. I had Cobra till the last day and the next day got Medicare after the proscribed wait period.

[reedyd]

Best of Wishes to your son and family. May the SCI be temporary.


In my prayers


David

[Roger]

Eileen

The COBRA coverage does run right up to when Brian is eligible for Medicare. The problem is that Anthem Blue Cross only covers 24 rehab sessions per year. If Brian was eligible for Medicare starting in July then all of the Kennedy Krieger rehab would be covered by Medicare at 80%. The Blue Cross rehab limit of 24 sessions was a benefits change that occurred when Brian's former employer changed their medical insurance carrier from Blue Cross Blue Shield of California to Anthem Blue Cross.

Roger

[Eileen]

Oh, sorry. That stinks at being limited to 24 sessions!

[reedyd]

Yesterday, Brian told me that he is going to run out of insurance paid rehab benefits prior completing the rehab at Kennedy Krieger. At the moment he has Blue Cross coverage sponsored by his previous employer. We pay the monthly premium payments as part of the COBRA program. The Anthem Blue Cross medical insurance rehab benefit pays for 24 sessions per year. Brian has been using Blue Shield to pay for the hand therapy rehab. There are 6 sessions left. On August 1 Brian will be eligible for Medicare which pay 80% for rehab. It's to bad that he wasn't eligible for Medicare July 1. When he starts medical school his medical insurance will be Medicare primary and Hopkins medical secondary. The bottom line is it looks like 24 of the 30 rehab sessions that Brian will have at Kennedy Krieger from July 13-July 31 will be self pay. I asked Brian to talk to Kennedy Kreiger to if KKI will accept the same payment from us what they would receive from Blue Shield. That seems reasonable to me I hope they agree.

I looked up on the Internet how long the waiting period is before Brian is eligible for Medicare, the waiting period is 29 months Medicare coverage start the beginning of the 30th month after a permanent injury. Brian was injured on Feb 9, 2007, twenty nine months would be July 7, 2009, so he is eligible for medicare at the beginning of the 30th month which is August 1, 2009.

The rehab benefits were reduced from what Brian originally had when his medical insurance was provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of California. The company Brian worked for changed insurance companies last year. I feel a little stupid here that we didn't keep track of this better.

Roger

Can't he qualify for medicaid until the medicaire kicks in? Are is his assets or income too high? I qualified for a program called Crippled Chidrens fund or something to that effect. The name has changed now, Also I had to sign up for a research program through Baylor Research Hospital in order to pay for my rehab at TIRR back in the 70's. John Sealy at Galveston developed some new medication by experimenting on me. It was neo-phosphate or something to that effect. My blood calium level was sky high. My para-thyriods went out of whack. You might ask if their might be any grant money available.

Don't hurt to ask.

God Bless

David