Get the Benefits You Deserve for Your Disability
If you have recently been suffering from a long-term injury or illness, you probably understand the importance of your disability benefits. Unfortunately, however, many people do not think about this aspect of their insurance plan until they need it. Often, it is this unfamiliarity with their policy's disability coverage that leads to the denial of their disability claim.
While disability benefits certainly vary for each individual insurance policy, the next few paragraphs will give you a general idea of how disability benefits work. You should, nevertheless, consider doing further research into the topic before you purchase an individual insurance plan or before you file your disability claim.
The Basics of Disability Benefits
It is vitally important to understand the basics of disability benefits before you suffer a disabling injury or illness. For the most part, insurance companies offer two types of disability benefits: short-term and long-term. In general, short-term disability benefits begin when you when out of accumulated sick/personal/family days. Note that we are working under the assumption that your insurance company has already received proper documentation of your injury/illness. Short-term disability normally replaces about 70% of your monthly income and lasts for about three to six months. While this may work well for those in the lower-income bracket, short-term disability benefits are generally not substantially for those in the higher-income bracket, since there is usually a cap on the maximum amount of monthly benefit.
Long-term disability usually picks up where short-term disability left off. As with short-term disability benefits, long-term disability usually supplies you with a percentage of your previous monthly income, though generally somewhat smaller than that of short-term disability. Additionally, there is still a cap on the maximum amount of benefits you can receive per month. Generally, long-term disability continues to give you benefits until you either return to work or reach the age of 65, whichever comes first.
Again, please remember that this is simply an overview of disability benefits. Social Security also offers disability benefits that may differ slightly from the general model. Also, if you work in an unusually high-risk occupation, you might want to consider purchasing disability insurance above and beyond that which is offered by your employer in order to make certain your family is provided for in the case of your injury or illness.
Dealing with a disability can be physically, emotionally, and financially straining. However, receiving adequate disability benefits can often relieve much of this burden. Educate yourself on disability policies so that you will know whether or not you are receiving all the benefits you deserve in case you ever need them. Good luck!
Disability Insurance Articles
- Have a Disability? Been Denied Your Rightful Benefits?
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Is It a Disability?
- An Evaluation Can Determine Your Functional Capacity
- Disability and the Problem of "Denied" in Social Security Claims
- Income Replacement for Disability
- UNUM Provident Insurance
- Does Your Individual Insurance Policy Cover Disability?
- Does Your Disability Require Long Term Benefits?
- Disability Can Be Long Term: Help from Lawyers
- UNUM Provident: Income Protection