Pregnancy Short-term Disability Insurance

Married couples might be planning for the pregnancy ahead of time and will be thinking of the job that they will be temporarily leaving in order to focus on more pressing matters like caring for the baby, recovering from child delivery, etc. In cases like these, couples are given the chance to reimburse their salary while on leave before and after giving birth.

The salary reimbursement may either be paid in full or half depending on the pregnancy short-term disability (STD) insurance plan that they availed.  This insurance covers the mother or both parents.

Payment modes for this kind of STD insurance can either be on a monthly basis paid directly to the insurance provider or through fixed deductions by the employer on the employee’s payroll. The employer will then facilitate the payment of insurance premiums to the insurance provider. Some states allow insurance providers to collect premium payments of employees through their monthly payroll for a specified period of time or on a yearly basis.

STD insurance usually covers an employee’s salary from a month to six weeks of not working. That precious span of time gives both the mother and father the time to rest and enjoy bonding moments with the newest member of the family. STD insurance allows parents to have peace of mind knowing that their salary will be covered even if they are not working. They don’t have to worry about paying their monthly obligations like utility bills (electricity, water, rental payment, etc.) and any other bills because the insurance will reimburse the salary in full.

On the other hand, an emergency situation after giving birth may arise that would require an extended period of absence from work.  Emergency circumstances might include premature-born babies who   require longer incubation period at the hospital. This situation is time-consuming and will render the parents, especially the mother incapable of returning to work at once. The STD insurance fortunately, realizes this problem and gets it covered by reimbursing the salary for a maximum period of six weeks.

If in case a longer period than six weeks is needed to recover from child birth, the insurance will no longer reimburse the salary. After recovering, the couples must visit each of their designated Human Resources Departments of the company they work in. They should prepare all the documents needed to support their claims of the insurance.

The OB GYNE who attended the pregnant woman will have to comply in providing patient’s medical records duly signed. The supporting documents should contain   the doctor’s contact number in order for the HR Department to access doctor for further questions or verifications. This will facilitate the approval of insurance claims filed with the HR Department.

Reference: http://www.maternityinsurance.org