Short-Term Disability Texas

Short-term disability insurance is available at The Texas Income Protection PlanSM (TIPP) for eligible applicants whose income has been affected by a temporary injury, medical illness, or pregnancy. However, disability coverage will only cover a certain percentage of your paycheck after you get sidelined by force of circumstance.

The Texas short-term disability program helps families avoid bankruptcy. But, as you may know, medical bills and job loss have pushed countless employees closer to the edge.

The disability application process is quite straightforward as long as you prepare all the documents to support your application for an illness or injury claim. For instance, you must submit your medical record, a copy of the medical insurance (if any), and other documents.

Short-term disability vs. long-term disability

As the term suggests, short-term disability only covers temporary insurance coverage. Long-term disability, meanwhile, will enable you to receive a benefit if you sustain a lifetime injury or a chronic illness.

The Social Security benefit will kick in once your application gets approved. However, long-term disability only covers injuries or illnesses that last more than a year, which will significantly reduce your ability to earn income.

In the short-term disability process, you will lose your privilege to receive financial help once you regain your ability to earn an income. Alternatively, you will no longer get aid after five months, which is the coverage period.

The most common issues in short-term disability insurance are pregnancy, cancer, work-related or non-work-related injuries, musculoskeletal diseases, and mental health disorders. However, you should not mistake it for life insurance since you pay a premium. Meanwhile, the workers’ compensation will only cover work-related injuries or sickness.

What qualifies as a short-term disability?

The short-term disability is designed for Americans to weather the storm in case of sudden injury or illness that sidelines them from work. You can get disability coverage or disability insurance, where a portion of your income will be covered for as long as five months.

You will be eligible for disability insurance if you are an active employee. However, this coverage is not transferable to your family members or those who have already retired.

First, you must use up all your sick leave or complete your 30-day waiting period. If your company offers extended sick leave, sick leave pool, or donated sick leave, you must also exhaust these before applying for short-term disability insurance.

What options does Texas offer?

Once the Texas Income Protection Plan kicks in, you will receive:

•     A maximum of $6,600 a month for workers who receive an income of over $10,000 monthly
•     No less than ten percent of an employee’s income if you are already getting compensation, Social Security benefits, and disability retirement benefits.

The eligible employee will receive the benefit at taxpayer expense.

The program also has a “preexisting condition clause” if you are already dealing with a medical condition at least three months before the short-term disability coverage date.

You must show medical evidence proving that you have been undergoing medical treatment in those three months, sought medical advice, or received healthcare services. Also, you must present your prescription for medication to treat a lingering illness or injury.

For the “preexisting condition clause,” the short-term disability insurance will not cover the specific condition for the first 6 months after your enrollment. Once the six-month grace period is over, you will still go through the waiting period before the disability process will begin to pay you the insurance benefits.

Am I still eligible for help with a short-term disability?

You will be eligible for this short-term disability insurance during your first employment month without proof of insurability. However, you can later apply through proof of insurability once you have a QLE or qualifying life event, such as birth, summer enrollment, or marriage.

During the summer enrollment, the disability coverage will start the next month after the approval of your application.

You can also enroll for short-term disability during your hire or rehire process without proof of insurability. The coverage of your disability insurance will begin immediately once you get approval.

You can also drop by your local Social Security office to see if you are eligible for any other benefit if Texas rejects your disability application.

Where can I go to receive disability benefits?

You must submit your application for disability insurance and coverage within 12 months after the first day of your injury or illness.

However, your short-term disability coverage will be significantly lesser if you already received compensation from your employer, insurance company, Social Security, and other benefits for your injury or illness.

You can take advantage of the online services of the Employees Retirement System of Texas. You can also call their customer service from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. The self-service portal is quite easy to navigate, but Trajector can help facilitate your claim.

How can Trajector help me?

Trajector is a for-profit company serving the underserved and underprivileged sector secure short term disability insurance. Unfortunately, countless individuals are not even aware of the existence of the Texas Income Protection Plan and how it provides them with a lifeline should they lose their income due to unforeseen circumstances.

And that’s where Trajector comes in. We will walk you through the whole disability process and boost your chances of your disability benefits application getting approved by preparing all the necessary documents and cutting through the bureaucracy.

Email us at [email protected] for more information about our online and offline services. You may also visit us at 410 SW 140th Terrace, Newberry, FL 32669.