Short Term Disability for Maternity Leave

[wonders10]

Hi everyone,

We are WTT until Spring 2015, after we are married in March. I do not get paid maternity leave at my job and really want to take 12 weeks off so we are saving like crazy to make that happen. I'm looking into getting short term disability insurance and just curious if any of you have had experience with that? It's my open enrollment period and you have to have the plan in place prior to becoming pregnant so I'd need to sign up in the next few weeks if I wanted it.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

I used the short term disability that my work provided in their benefits package to cover my leave. The first six weeks were paid at full wage, and then it was around 60% of wages for the rest of the year. I was diagnosed with gestational hypertension the day before my due date, so I started my leave then. Just had to send in the note from my OB with my diagnosis, and the lady that handled my leave took care of the rest. Once I had my daughter I just called the hospital and had them send over paperwork confirming the birth and my hospital stay to the company. It was easy and painless, and I was able to enjoy my time off knowing I had the money to pay the bills. That company only covered six weeks of time off for birth, unless there were medical complications and your doctor deemed you needed more time. I was able to take seven weeks off altogether.

Sedgwick is the company that I used. I say go ahead and enroll if you can, especially if you are planning to get pregnant within the next year.

 

[wonders10]

Thank you for replying!

The rep on the phone told me about how much it'd be a month to pay for the plan and then gave me an idea of what I'd receive once I went on leave. It looked like I would end up doubling the amount of money I put in which isn't horrible. Like you, I really want to enjoy that time off and not feel guilty that I'm home and not working. I work in a school so the perfect scenario is I give birth towards the very end of the school year, but I don't want to wait until next summer to start trying since I will be 35 in May!