How Short-Term Disability Insurance Works

Short-term disability insurance and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) are sometimes taken simultaneously. People can easily confuse the two together, when they are completely separate and distinct.

One provides income replacement as a private insurance program. The other provides unpaid job protections as a federal regulation. There are other differences as well.

What happens if you are not returning to work after a short-term disability absence? Some people lose their job at the most inconvenient time, while others decide to quit and control events’ scheduling.

Whether you quit or get laid off, you may need to know what happens to your benefits and where to find the money to continue with your health insurance premiums since you may still need a doctor.

Many site visitors would like a quick overview of what short-term disability costs, without requesting a detailed quote. In addition, knowing the monthly premium costs is of little value without a comparison to possible benefit payments.

Women purchasing policies to cover maternity leave find this type of comparison most valuable.

Supplemental disability insurance fills gaps in many existing policy types. Buying an additional policy often makes sense.

Long-term policies often have extended elimination periods. Group plans often have limited monthly benefit amounts. State disability exists in only five states. Social security disability does not cover temporary conditions.

The federal government does not provide disability insurance employee benefits. There are generous and flexible sick leave policies, but newer workers may not have a sufficient number of banked days.

Many disability companies market policies to federal government employees that workers can pay using a third party administrator. Paid maternity leave does exist for federal workers.

Postal employees find it difficult to get short-term disability because the USPS does not offer the benefit. Insurance companies avoid covering people working in high-risk occupations with repetitive tasks.

Fortunately, several companies serve this market through group plans issued through unions and the federal government. They prefer to pool risks rather than deal with individuals.

Many self-employed workers seek out individual disability insurance in the belief that they have only one option. Policies purchased directly have limitations compared to those purchased through employer groups.

Sometimes the self-employed have employees of his or her own, or work as an independent contractor with a larger entity. Explore all options.

Disability insurance replaces a portion of income when the policyholder is unable to work. When policyholders are disabled, they often have extra medical expenses. A reduction in income could hurt.

Sometimes the recipient receives the benefit tax free, other times the amount is taxable. When the benefit comes tax free, the net amount is often close to regular earnings.

Another common question that people ask after learning they may be unable to work is how much does short-term disability insurance pay in the event of a valid claim.

The answer depends on the monthly benefit amount listed in your policy along with several other features you select at enrollment time.