Short Term Disability Limbo

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Anonymous

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Anyone else reading CafePharma on Short Term Disability when layoffs announced on 12/2/10? I was (and still am). I called my manager to ask what happened with my position about 1 PM on the 2nd as he technically could not call me. I was told that I was cut. Subsequent to that I got the Severence Packet in the mail. I questioned whether I should do anything required in the packet by the time frames given as always in the past the company does not contact the representative during Short Term Disability. (Maybe my mistake was contacting my manager on 12/2.) I have tried to call HR on several occasions to get clarification and instructions and I have left messages with a brief explanation about my status and information to call me back, I have never been called back.

I have sent the computer back, sales material back, cell phone, etc., etc.. I was contacted about the company car, and I managed to hold onto it until 12/30, but that was all done thru contact that the company picking up the car made with LeasePlan (I think.) Just curious to see what others on Short Term Disability have gone thru during this time frame.

*Note - my short term (5th time in 2 years) is all related to my treatment for cancer and side effects related to therapy. Not to trivialize anyone else's use of short term disability, but I came back and worked at times when I should have remained out on disability, but didn't because that would have meant rolling short term into long term and long term means automatic separation from the company.
 






Contact a lawyer and federal Govt as you could file a law suit under the federal americans with disabilities act.

If company gave you time off under short term disability they were aware of your illness and deemed it as a disability under company guidelines.

You have a basis for a case as most attorneys will take a cut of the settlement. You can contact the feds directly as this wouldn't cost you anything and they will investigate case on your behalf.

Do some homework on this!!!!!!!!!
 


















I am also on STD and called manager to find out that I was displaced. I have not received my packet and was told that when people on STD come back they are immediately let go and no additional 60 day period will be added. Please let me know what you find out about this as well. I would like to know about the post about the disability act and what it covers if anyone knows. Have also talked to a friend that is an attorney and they said though not familiar with labor laws we should not have been let go or at least given the additional notice. Still have my Novartis stuff too.
 






Anonymous said:
I am also on STD and called manager to find out that I was displaced. I have not received my packet and was told that when people on STD come back they are immediately let go and no additional 60 day period will be added. Please let me know what you find out about this as well. I would like to know about the post about the disability act and what it covers if anyone knows. Have also talked to a friend that is an attorney and they said though not familiar with labor laws we should not have been let go or at least given the additional notice. Still have my Novartis stuff too.
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Here's your choices,

Extend your STD as long as possible
Convert over to LTD as soon as possible if STD isn't going to be enough
Git urself a 38special and head to EH
 






This is govt website which should enable you to get all info and answer any questions

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Anonymous said:
I am also on STD and called manager to find out that I was displaced. I have not received my packet and was told that when people on STD come back they are immediately let go and no additional 60 day period will be added. Please let me know what you find out about this as well. I would like to know about the post about the disability act and what it covers if anyone knows. Have also talked to a friend that is an attorney and they said though not familiar with labor laws we should not have been let go or at least given the additional notice. Still have my Novartis stuff too.
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Get MD to declare that you are Long term disabled and call into MetLife to get package and start process ASAP. Make sure you are LTD becausing faking it will be a crime

When mgr or HR calls tell then to contact Metlife disability as they are NOW HANDELING YOUR CASE!

Company must STOP all calls and contact to you even by mail. make sure you document who and when you called MetLife and get a claim #. Company can't get any medical info from you or MetLife under HIPPA

Again make sure its legit
 






Anonymous said:
Get MD to declare that you are Long term disabled and call into MetLife to get package and start process ASAP. Make sure you are LTD becausing faking it will be a crime

When mgr or HR calls tell then to contact Metlife disability as they are NOW HANDELING YOUR CASE!

Company must STOP all calls and contact to you even by mail. make sure you document who and when you called MetLife and get a claim #. Company can't get any medical info from you or MetLife under HIPPA

Again make sure its legit
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LTD you would lose the severance package I'd imagine so 2 years of like 75% pay
VS whatever the package is & 1 year of health bennies
 






LTD will pay you 60% of salary and last yrs bonus or 75% if you elect additional coverage when selecting yrly ins plans. This will go on until you are 65 or if you return to work. Your health ins, dental, eye are also continued until 65 and you pay monthly premiun at same amount you were paying when working.

You are also full vested for pension after 6 months of std switching to ltd. Company takes into account your yrs with the co. and projects dollar amount to what it would be if you stayed until 65. You can't cash in pension until 65 because if you did it would void your LTD payemnts and ins coverage.

Hope this helps
 






Thanks for the info and does help. I was also informed that if you get LTD you have to apply for SSDI. I don't think my disability would last longer than a few months or less than a year probably. But things can always change.
 






Anonymous said:
LTD will pay you 60% of salary and last yrs bonus or 75% if you elect additional coverage when selecting yrly ins plans. This will go on until you are 65 or if you return to work. Your health ins, dental, eye are also continued until 65 and you pay monthly premiun at same amount you were paying when working.
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Actually the 60% and 75% figures are wrong. It is 50% if you have not elected to add to the basic long term disability package which Novartis picks up. If you elected to pay a bit more each month, it is about $25 more per month for me, it kicks up the long term disability payout up to 67%. Note this includes bonus payout too and that is calculated based upon several years of bonus payout. So for someone earning an average annual total compensation of $90,000 over the past several years, the LTD payout per year if you have 50% coverage is $45,000 and at 67% is approximately $60,000.
 






Anonymous said:
Actually the 60% and 75% figures are wrong. It is 50% if you have not elected to add to the basic long term disability package which Novartis picks up. If you elected to pay a bit more each month, it is about $25 more per month for me, it kicks up the long term disability payout up to 67%. Note this includes bonus payout too and that is calculated based upon several years of bonus payout. So for someone earning an average annual total compensation of $90,000 over the past several years, the LTD payout per year if you have 50% coverage is $45,000 and at 67% is approximately $60,000.
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Is this for a max of 24 mo ?
 






Metlife is aware of what's happened at NVS, a spike in claims for std/ltd over the last couple of years. A friend knows someone at ML and good chance anyone who is getting std/ltd is going to get subjected to more reviews, they going back to claims since 2008. They paid out more than budget and time to get some back. Insurance cos always win.
 






Anonymous said:
Is this for a max of 24 mo ?
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LTD is typically projected to run for 24 months at which time there is a review of your case. The LTD program that Novartis (and other companies) have is different from Social Security Disability in that with Social Security Disability you are disabled if you cannot engage in any gainful employment and the initial determination is that this is expected to last for at least one year. With the LTD program that Novartis has, you can roll over from STD to LTD if your STD impairment continues beyond the 6 month STD cap (12 months in California). After 2 years your case is revisited unless there is a medical reason to reevaluate earlier or to let it continue longer.

Examples - accident resulting in paralysis from the waist down preventing usual rep work without significant considerations given to you. Your LTD would likely be continued until you reach retirement age.

On the other hand, if you went out on STD for a significant disability such as multiple fractures, perhaps including your back, but there is no peripheral deficit or spinal cord injury, you would be granted LTD but your case would be revisited. Likely after 2 years, but maybe sooner.

The downside of all this is that on STD, your job waits for you; on LTD, you are severed from the company the day you go on LTD. While you can certainly reapply to work at Novartis when you are cleared to return to work, but there are no guarantees or obligation to take you back.
 






Anonymous said:
Metlife is aware of what's happened at NVS, a spike in claims for std/ltd over the last couple of years. A friend knows someone at ML and good chance anyone who is getting std/ltd is going to get subjected to more reviews, they going back to claims since 2008. They paid out more than budget and time to get some back. Insurance cos always win.
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If they deny your claim do they get to take back all paid out? Am I going to jail?
 






Anonymous said:
LTD is typically projected to run for 24 months at which time there is a review of your case. The LTD program that Novartis (and other companies) have is different from Social Security Disability in that with Social Security Disability you are disabled if you cannot engage in any gainful employment and the initial determination is that this is expected to last for at least one year. With the LTD program that Novartis has, you can roll over from STD to LTD if your STD impairment continues beyond the 6 month STD cap (12 months in California). After 2 years your case is revisited unless there is a medical reason to reevaluate earlier or to let it continue longer.

Examples - accident resulting in paralysis from the waist down preventing usual rep work without significant considerations given to you. Your LTD would likely be continued until you reach retirement age.

On the other hand, if you went out on STD for a significant disability such as multiple fractures, perhaps including your back, but there is no peripheral deficit or spinal cord injury, you would be granted LTD but your case would be revisited. Likely after 2 years, but maybe sooner.

The downside of all this is that on STD, your job waits for you; on LTD, you are severed from the company the day you go on LTD. While you can certainly reapply to work at Novartis when you are cleared to return to work, but there are no guarantees or obligation to take you back.
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Butt do I gotz to pay dem Taxez on da money they be sendin even tho I be feelin just fine?
 












Anonymous said:
STD stops on Feb 7 if you were displaced. You have to be on STD 26 weeks before you can go on LTD. When employment stops, so does STD.
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I'm not soo sure about this.... I think if you're already on short term disability they can't terminate you...They can't contact you... The mistake that was made was you proactively reaching out to find out if you were displaced.
 






If you went on STD after Dec 2 or notification, you cannot collect past Feb 7 which means no matter what disease, ailment, stroke, etc, the company will not pay STD beyond Feb 7. If you are permanently disabled, the best you can get is Social Security Disability Income which takes a long time no matter if you paid for disability insurance or not. A great way to treat employees with TRUE disabilities eh?
 






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