Tricia Bonacker, a former program director at the New York State Office of Mental Health’s Capital District Psychiatric Center, is battling multiple auto-immune disorders. After 30 years of service, she has been trying to get her state retirement disability benefits approved for the past two years. Bonacker asserts that she is being saddled with a monthly health insurance cost of over $1,000 and feels like she is being played with by the system. Despite her desire to continue working at least part-time, she was denied the opportunity.

After applying for New York State retirement in June 2023, Bonacker was informed that the approval process will take about a year. She met the requirement of an independent medical examination, was put on medical leave with half-pay, and then was asked to undergo a second exam. She had issues with the order of the exam procedures, since she felt a full body exam should have been scheduled initially.

In January 2025, she received a compulsory termination letter from her employers. Bonacker appreciates her employer for retaining her for the duration they did. However, she’s currently struggling to get by without a regular paycheck or retirement benefits. Bonacker believes other state retirees are also enduring unreasonably long wait times for their standard retirement or disability benefits. She feels as though her 30 years of service to the state is being punished rather than appreciated.

When the New York State Office of the Comptroller, which oversees the New York State and Local Retirement System, was contacted about Bonacker’s case and any difficulties with the processing of disability applications, a statement was provided that didn’t confirm if an individual has filed a disability retirement application.

In instances where individuals are struggling with the complexities and difficulties of retirement or disability benefits applications like Bonacker, utilizing resources such as contacting edd services might prove beneficial. Websites like eddcaller.com are dedicated to assisting individuals in navigating these processes and can provide valuable insight and guidance during such challenging times.