Short-Term Disability Insurance: How It Works In 2023

short-term disability insurance
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Short-term disability insurance is insurance that covers a percentage of your salary/income in case of injury or illness that prevents you from working temporarily.

It is the perfect insurance plan for events that can disable you and reduce your ability to carry out your duties at work fully.

Short-term disability insurance only covers short-term disabilities that are temporal (events that people recover from generally).

For example, maternity leave by a female teacher, a footballer breaking his leg, or a director undergoing minor surgery. You can get short-term disability insurance as standalone insurance.

However, employers can obtain short-term disability insurance for their staff as part of a group. 

Short Term Disability Insurance—How Does It Work?

There are only a few states that request short-term disability benefits from employers.

According to SHRM, about 80% of companies are responsible for paying off all the bonuses for both long and short-term disabilities. It is indeed a great job on the part of employers.

While some employers are eligible to get short-term disability insurance as soon as they are hired, others will have to wait for a “service wait” period to become eligible.

Some companies may require their staff to wait a specific period to become eligible for short-term disability insurance.

Therefore, you must understand the company policy as an employee to know what applies to you. 

See Also: Long Term Disability Insurance: How it works

Short-Term Disability Insurance—Amount You Will Receive

The amount you will get from short-term insurance will vary from one state to another. However, for most companies, it has become a good practice that your employer takes care of 40 to 80% of your initial salary while you’re on a short-term leave.

Each state is responsible for setting its coverage limit.

According to SHRM, reimbursements may be organized with other earnings, like paid sick leave, to ensure that what you get as a benefit does not surpass 100% of your base salary.  

Short-Term Disability—Duration 

The duration of short term disability insurance is usually from 3 to 6 months. At max, short-term disability insurance can cover up to 52 weeks (equivalent to 1 calendar year).

If your injury persists after you elapse your short-term disability duration, you can move to long-term disability insurance.

You also have the option to apply for social security coverage

Short-Term Disability Insurance—Elimination Period 

Short-term disability insurance comes with an elimination period. The elimination period means how long you have to be injured or sick before you begin to receive your benefits. The elimination period in most cases is usually 7 days.

Nonetheless, you may have to wait for as long as 180 to start receiving your benefits in some instances.

On the other hand, for absences not up to seven working days, you may likely receive paid time off from your employer. Therefore, there will be no need to apply for short-term disability.

Ensure to clearly state how long the elimination period of your company will last to your employees beforehand. It will help them understand how long they will have to wait to file for short-term disability benefits.

See Also: 10 Best Disability Insurance of 2023

Short-Term Disability Insurance—What it Does Not Cover? 

Workplace disabilities:

These are disabilities that occur within the working environment. They account for 10% of disabilities and are taken care of by a worker’s compensation plan   

Long-term disability:

They include all forms of disabilities that exceed six months 

Severe health conditions:

Short-term disability insurance does not cover this type of condition. The best kind of insurance for this situation is Social Security Disability Insurance.

It is suitable for employees who are residents of the United States but have not acquired enough credits to qualify for disability insurance sponsored by their
employer 

Intentional self-inflicted injuries:

Injuries you intentionally inflict on yourself are not covered by short-term insurance  

See Also: Is Disability Insurance Taxable in 2023? Everything you need to know

Injuries incurred from active participation in riots:

Injuries that occur as a result of your active participation in a riot is also not eligible for short-term disability claims 

Acts of war:

Injuries incurred in acts of war are not covered under the short-term insurance policy 

Criminal activities:

Injuries that occur as a result of engagement in criminal activities is also not eligible to receive short-term disability claims.   

People with pre-existing conditions:

People with a condition before their application may not be eligible to receive coverage or enjoy benefits for the same condition 

Short Term Disability Insurance—Application Process 

The first step to applying for short term disability insurance as a staff is to contact the human resources department of your company.

They will be responsible for reviewing your documentation or talking to your short-term disability merchant.  

Some employers will require their staff to make use of any available sick days before their short-term disability period commences.

Others may require the employee to provide a written note from their doctor before they can approve their short-term disability application.  

Once you complete your claim application form and submit the essential documents, you should submit them to your employer or take them directly to the insurance company.

Ensure to request information about the necessary documents from your employer to be eligible to receive full benefits of the insurance.  

Can your Employer Contact You While You are on short-term disability Leave? 

 Yes. Your employer can contact you while you are on short-term disability leave. However, it must not be for work.

They can contact you for more information about your benefits or for information regarding certain work procedures you are responsible for before your leave.

It is important to understand that short term disability does not provide any form of job security. Your position is also not secure either when you return from your short-term leave.

It all depends on your company’s return-to-work policy.  

If you still don’t understand what disability insurance is, read this article. Is Disability Insurance Worth It? Everything You Need To Know

Frequently Asked Questions About Short Term Disability Insurance 

Short-term disability insurance is designed to pay some percentage of your salary for injuries that you are not-job-related or illness that puts you out of work for a short period not exceeding 6 months.

Short-term disability insurance may come as a benefit from your employer. Nonetheless, there are only a few times when companies are mandated to pay. So far, only five states make it mandatory for employers to provide short term disability insurance benefits for their staff.

  • California 
  • Hawaii  
  • New Jersey  
  • New York City  
  • Rhode Island

Conversely, a lot of employers may choose to offer this benefit on their own accord because they enjoy federal tax deductions in return.

They are generally two ways companies can short-term insurance. They are:

Self-funded short-term disability insurance: the employer is responsible for providing
and funding the insurance benefit.

Insurance: your employer collaborated with an insurance company that takes
responsibility for providing and funding the benefit.

You can purchase a short-term disability privately from an insurance company. However, the price may be on the high side. There are different reasons for variation in the price of your short-term disability plan, which includes your age and your benefit level.

According to some estimates, you may likely pay from one to three percent of your yearly gross salary. you can also purchase disability insurance from a registered agent in your state.

Any kind of injury or sickness that makes an employer unable to carry out their duties effectively is regarded as a disability. Things like surgery with a long recovery period, childbearing, injuries like fractures, and other medical conditions that require frequent medication all account for disabilities.

It is essential to go through your coverage plan carefully to understand what they classify as disabilities.  

Some types of mental health conditions like depression can also be covered by short-term disability insurance.

However, it is essential to check what is included in your plan beforehand. It is also vital that you have proof that mental health has been an ongoing one for some time.  

How long your short-term disability plan will last depends on your plan. It can be as little as one month and as long as a year. Your medical condition can also determine how long your leave will last.

Medical guidelines of recovery duration for different kinds of injuries and ailments can serve as a guide to how long your short-term disability leave will last.

If you max out your short-term insurance duration, you can transition into a long-term insurance policy (if you already have one in place) and meet with the definition of what is considered a long-term disability.  

According to your plan, you may get as much as 60% of your salary amount.

Also, there is usually a price cap to what you can get as compensation for your short-term insurance policy plan.

Your doctor will need to sign off your disability insurance claim form to enable you to apply.

Conclusion

Except for your employer, who provides short-term insurance for you, it is often not in your best interest to purchase one privately. They usually come at a high price and provide benefits for just a short period.

Most advisers will tell you that it is best to set aside some emergency funds to take care of yourself in case you may need to skip work for some days due to injury or sickness.

Also, if you already have a pre-existing condition, it may be a waste of time to buy a short-term disability for the same condition. In most cases, you may likely not qualify for an insurance policy.  

References

  • Meetbreeze – 2023 Short-Term Disability Insurance Guide
  • Themuse – How Does Short-Term Disability Work? All Your Questions, Answered
  • Jellyvision – How Does Short-Term Disability Work? A Simple Explanation for HR Teams to Share with Employees

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