Should You Apply for Temporary Disability?
- Posted on: Jun 15 2019
If you’ve been injured at work and won’t be able to be back on the job for several weeks or months, others may encourage you to apply for temporary disability. But should you? There are a number of reasons why it makes sense to apply, but there are a few reasons why it may not necessarily be a good idea. Many of the reasons not to apply have to do with the chances of being denied.
Does Your Employer Offer Short-Term Disability?
Only a handful of states require businesses to have short-term disability insurance coverage. This means your state may not have the option for you to apply for short-term disability. If your employer doesn’t have a short-term disability policy or doesn’t fund short-term disability themselves, there’s nothing for you to apply for.
Are You Eligible?
If your employer does offer short-term disability, the next thing to determine is if you are eligible. If you have any type of pre-existing condition, you may not be. You will need to go through all of the documentation related to your employer’s short-term disability to determine if you are eligible. If you are, you may want to apply. If you’re not, you’ll be denied.
Will You Be Off Work Long Enough?
You will need to be off work for the waiting period outline in your employer’s disability paperwork. In some cases, you may need to be off work for a week or more. You will also have to meet the definition of disability, which does change from employer to employer. In most cases, it means you are unable to complete your regular work duties due to the injury you received.
Should You Apply if You Meet these Requirements?
If you do qualify for short-term disability, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t apply. You’re not going to be able to work for a set amount of time, and you will need some form of income to cover your medical bills and monthly financial obligations. Even if you cannot return to work by the time your short-term disability payments end, you will still have had that money to help you every month.
If you need help applying for short-term disability or other workers’ compensation benefits, the team at Maximum Orthopedics is here to help. Contact us today.
Posted in: Blog, Workers Compensation Benefits