Medical retirement is a special type of retirement which requires you to become disabled from work due to medical reasons. In order to qualify for medical retirement, your disability must be long term and must be the reason why you cannot work. While it is unpleasant to think about, you still need money if you are disabled. Receiving medical retirement benefits will allow you to continue paying your regular bills, and potentially allow you to keep your home and pay your property taxes.
Visit your doctor and have her confirm you have a long-term disability. The physician must document the disability and show your disability prevents you from working. Your injury or illness must prevent you from performing the duties of your job, and must also prevent you from working in another industry or field.
Demonstrate your disability is a permanent long-term disability. A long-term disability does not necessarily mean you can never return to work. However, medical retirement requires that you be permanently disabled and unable to ever return to work. Your disability must not be reversible in any way--through surgery or other means--and it must prevent all future earning potential.
Apply for disability medical retirement benefits. This type of disability insurance is also called "disability retirement." Apply for federal disability retirement through the Federal Employees Retirement Service (FERS) or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), if you are a federal employee. You can also apply for medical retirement benefits through your state if you are a state employee. Your state should have a division of retirement and pensions offered through its treasury department. You will need to contact your state's department to obtain the proper forms for medical retirement.
