Short term disability insurance provides coverage to employees from loss of income if they are unable to work due to any illness, injury, or accident. This coverage is temporary and may only cover for a short time. Best short-term disability insurance for pregnancy is required to be prepared.
Having short-term disability insurance ensures that your employer still gives you a percentage of your income if you are injured, sick, or pregnant. They are providing you with financial support to replace lost income while you take time to recuperate. It is essential to know that Short term disability program does not cover work-related injuries and accidents. The employee’s compensation insurance would cover me
Will Short Term Disability Insurance Cover for Pregnancy Illness and Post Delivery?
Being pregnant comes with a lot of tolls, with the financial part being at the top of the list. It is usual for you to want to take time off to bond with your baby, but you’ll also need money to take care of things.
The short-term disability coverage would pay benefits if you are disabled due to pregnancy or your specialist has put you on compulsory bed rest due to pregnancy illness. Under FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), you can take leave before your giving birth. Let’s say your doctor prescribes five weeks of bed rest before your due date. You can take the five weeks, go back to work if you can, and after that, take 6 – 8 weeks after the baby is delivered.
The note you provide from your health care specialist on the insurance claim form must refer to a covered pregnancy illness; this is because bed rest is not a reason to take leave. But the underlying cause for the bedrest can be regarded. It can range from as little as mild anxiety and infection to severe cases like gestational diabetes and fetal problems.
The timeline you’ll get following delivery might range between 6 – 8 weeks, six weeks if the delivery had gone through without complications and eight weeks if a cesarean section was performed. However, there is some policy that can cover for as long as 24 months after giving birth, even without complications.
Information you should Check out for When Considering Short-term Disability insurance.
Here are a few things you should probably check out for when getting information about your short-term disability policy for pregnancy.
- Elimination Period: This refers to how long you need to be out of work before the benefits of your coverage will begin. Although some policies would pay you immediately, others would wait a stipulated number of days before kicking off payments. If your elimination period is long, you may need to use your sick days and vacation.
- Benefit Period: This would define the space of time you will be able to claim payments while you are not able to work.
- Benefit Amount: This is the exact amount stipulated as a percentage of your weekly income that you’ll receive while you are unable to work. Generally, the amount to pay can be estimated to be 40 – 70 percent of your weekly gross income (some policies are willing to cover nearly 100 percent of your entire income, you should check with your insurance provider)
How do you get Short-term Disability Coverage for Pregnancy and Post Delivery Leave?
There are different ways of getting short short-term disability cover; they include:
- Your employer may offer short term disability insurance benefits to all employees that are eligible as a taxable benefit to you. So many employers have this plan in place already, not minding if it is needed or not.
- Your employer may offer an optional plan that would be administered by a registered third-party insurance organization. This kind of policy may already be chosen before your disability. However, it is optional; you must make an inquiry, have the foresight, and do adequate planning before opting in.
- You may also wish to purchase your short-term disability insurance policy in the marketplace; There is an abundance of private commercial insurance vendors that would provide you with suitable plans. You must read and understand your policy summary benefits before purchase, as each policy may differ from the other.
- Depending on your state and jurisdiction in which you are an employee, short term disability law may cover you during pregnancy and maternal leave. You may also need cover from your employee’s plan to qualify for the benefits.
Additionally, Knowledge About your Coverage
However, you may receive short term disability coverage; there is also some necessary knowledge that you may need about the best short-term disability insurance for pregnancy;
● Your employer and state may require you to have worked at a company for a certain amount of time (A range of at least 3 – 6 months) before taking disability leave.
● Your company is not the sole determinant of your eligibility for these benefits. The insurance company is responsible for most of the decisions.
● Short term disability insurance may not protect your job, especially if you do not stay within the confines of the time you are allowed.
● The Duration of short-term disability benefits can range between 9 – 52 weeks. It may depend on the kind of policy coverage you are on and your employees’ agreement. The maximum allowed time cover under the short-term disability program is 52 weeks.
Top 5 Short Term Disability Insurance Providers for Pregnancy and Maternity Leave.
These providers offer NAIC (National Associations of Insurance Commissioners) complaints ratio worthy of admiration as well as substantial financial rankings.
1. Aflac
Aflac is one of the most popular and well-recognized insurance providers in the country with short term disability coverage. They pride in offering the easiest and fastest process of obtaining coverage. This is highly important for pregnant women who require easy and fast service. An applicant can sign up online, and most get qualified even without a medical exam. Once approved, the policy can be renewable up to the age of 75
2. Assurity:
Asurity is among the popular choices available for Short term disability insurance. With couples of different choices made available covering a range of vital plans including individual disability insurance, simplified disability insurance, and options for self-employed applicants.
3. Mutual of Omaha:
Mutual of Omaha offers a handful of several benefits attached to other plans and additional add ons if you’ll want extra coverage. Their peculiar add-on cover makes their service unique.
4. Cigna:
Cigna provides policyholder additional living health content in managing their health and lifestyle. It would help reduce short term disability needs. Although they no longer offer individual short-term disability coverage, they still provide group short term disability coverage services that are top-notch.
5. Guardian Life:
Guardian offers an array of policies that may particularly appeal to entrepreneurs giving small business employers coverage. They have policy plans that cover individuals, groups, businesses, and other supplemental needs. Once activated, their policies remain renewable until you are 67.
Hopefully, you know how to get the best short-term disability insurance for pregnancy now.
