U.S ladies who have short term disability...

[scoobydrlp]

I can't get a straight answer from anybody on this. I have Cigna, and the documentation I've seen says they provide 6 week coverage from vaginal birth, 8 week coverage for c-section, with a 14 day waiting period. All I want to know is, does that 14 days count towards your 6 or 8 weeks, meaning they only actually pay you for 4-6 weeks? Seems like a pretty general question to me, not sure why nobody at Cigna can tell me anything. Everyone I speak to says they can't offer any information because I haven't made a claim yet. Well duh, I'm only 20 weeks pregnant, just trying to plan for the future! Gah!

So, does anyone have any experience with waiting periods and exactly how they work? Additionally, I've read a few threads stating that your PTO/vacation time has to be used before your short term disability will kick in. Does that mean I can't use PTO to cover me during my 14 day waiting period? I'm so confused.

 

[mtmnleg]

I know at my work you can use your vaca or pto to cover the time in-between the waiting period. Pretty sure it covers 6 weeks and that includes your 14 day waitin period.. Mine is only 7 days!!

 

[Mrshill10]

I have a 7 day waiting period (which I'll use sick days) then they pay for 5 or 7 weeks!

 

[Jordans_Mommy]

I can't answer part of your question because I'm already out on disability because I'm on bed rest . But my job told me I couldn't use my short term or long term disability while out on bedrest or while I had the baby because my PTO wasn't used . I get both . My short term turns into long term in October and my long term lasts until my maternity leave is over . I took them 14 days to process but then I got my back pay .

 

[MandyV]

I don't really understand the question isn't your company suppose to cover you insurance wise your entire maternity leave, I was put on bedrest for one month had my DS and took the full 12 week maternity leave and was covered by my employer under my insurance they provided granted I don't have short or long term disability they don't offer it and I never got any privately

 

[Bakebino]

My STD for pregnancy is 6 weeks for normal delivery and 8 weeks for c-section...but the first two weeks (10 working days) is not paid. We can use sick time and/or vacay time to supplement that period.

 

[marron]

Doesn't disability come from the state? I also have Cigna and I've never heard anything about having to go through them to collect it.

 

[Zoesmommy]

Our STD is something we elect into through work and it goes through an outside company. With mine you must use sick time before STD but you can bank your vacation. I have normally gotten 8-10 Weeks and I have had a c section and a VBAC

 

[bb0506]

I can't answer all if this, but can guarantee you at disability does NOT come from the state (as some one mentioned above). The only disability the state offers is social security which is considered permanent or at least 12 months (child birth is no where near that). My work doesn't cover the first two weeks so we can use our own vacation, sick or personal time. However if you have a c section you are correct, you get two extra weeks paid by your company. I would contact your HR department as they should be able to clear any technicalities up.

 

[sjbenefield]

I hope i make sense and dont overshare but from research of my companies policies ive found and what my manager has explained...

i dont believe you HAVE to use your vaca/sick time etc before you can use STD
...
with my company i have a 7 day waiting period before they start paying me during my STD, during that time if i choose to use any of my "off time" hours to cover my pay for that week, i can.

i attached a picture chart of how my company breaks it down in our policy hand book .. it may help just to see how they break it down for us in our case

I think the waiting period is still part of the 6-8 weeks only you dont get paid for that week because of processing needs and such and in some cases of STD people with return before the first week is out...

Im like you really i have to call hr and confirm what i think i know


Edit*** Just a comment about the state/govt (at least i know for sure in tx)- they dont cover any type of maternity leave or family emergency leave- They only enforce the rules of FMLA which basically requires your employer to give you a reasonable amount of time off, unpaid, in which they have to hold your job position or one very similar to it until you return, and even then you only get a certain amount of time these rules can be enforced

Your employer gives you STD. Typically its your choice whether or not to use STD or FMLA

With my company if i use 12 weeks of STD it also uses 12 weeks of FMLA concurrently so i cant come take advantage of the "system" and take an excessive amount of time off but i will still have the remaining FMLA unpaid time alottment i can take


I hope that all made sense

 

[Here_we_go]

I know at my work you can use your vaca or pto to cover the time in-between the waiting period. Pretty sure it covers 6 weeks and that includes your 14 day waitin period.. Mine is only 7 days!!

This was how my work was. They find a way to weasel out of paying you for the waiting period. *grumble, grumble*

 

[dolcevita]

Only 5 states (California, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Hawaii) provide mandatory short term disability for maternity leave. Usually the unpaid waiting period is included in the 6-8 weeks. Check with your employer about how your disability plan works, I'm sure they've had someone who has gone through it before and can answer your questions.

 

[scoobydrlp]

Thanks everyone! I think it's pretty much unanimous that the unpaid waiting period is considered part of the 6 or 8 weeks that they "cover", which was my biggest question. I'll try speaking to stupid HR again about the use of my PTO, they're oh so very unhelpful!!

 

[mtmnleg]

My HR department is so unhelpful too.. I asked what I needed to get signed to take my unpaid leave(I will be 2 months shy of being eligible for FMLA) and I got told to ask again in October and she would send me the forms then... I am a planner and want to have it done!!! Besides what if baby comes early I will need to get paid!!!

 

[scoobydrlp]

My HR department is so unhelpful too.. I asked what I needed to get signed to take my unpaid leave(I will be 2 months shy of being eligible for FMLA) and I got told to ask again in October and she would send me the forms then... I am a planner and want to have it done!!! Besides what if baby comes early I will need to get paid!!!

What a jerk!! Why do people refuse to do their jobs? Ugh. I'm with you, I want to have everything taken care of early so that I don't have to worry about it later in pregnancy.

 

[marron]

I can't answer all if this, but can guarantee you at disability does NOT come from the state (as some one mentioned above). The only disability the state offers is social security which is considered permanent or at least 12 months (child birth is no where near that). My work doesn't cover the first two weeks so we can use our own vacation, sick or personal time. However if you have a c section you are correct, you get two extra weeks paid by your company. I would contact your HR department as they should be able to clear any technicalities up.

I think your guarantee is wrong? In CA, you get short term and long term disability through the state. When I go out in two weeks, I will be applying for SDI. My work has nothing to do with it, other than the fact I've been paying into SDI the years I've been employed. My maternity leave will not start until I've had the baby. I won't be paid for the first 8 days during which I'll have to use sick or vacation to cover that, and I think the last two weeks of the bonding period is also not covered as well.

OP, where do you live?