Originally Posted by
FangsF15
I hope you aren't on LTD this long, but a couple things if you exhaust DPMA. If you have the ALPA insurances that kick in at that point, realize the $50k lump sum has to be paid back pro-rata if you return before 36 months after getting the check (48 months-ish after getting sick). So I recommend putting that $50k in a savings account, and only paying yourself 1/36th ($1388.88) per month. Also, if you qualify for the "critical illness" insurance, there is a relatively short timeframe to apply for it. It's only a couple thousand bucks, but still, don't miss out if you qualify.
Also for after DPMA runs out, the "Pilot Enhanced Disability Benefit", which shows in the lower right corner of your "Self Service" page, is a pain to get paid. It was new in C15, and only a handful of folks have gotten it. I had to ask around for months, and no-one seemed to know anything about it. Finally, the ALPA R&I committee guys hooked me up. The 40 hours I had only paid out at about half my hourly rate though. Haven't gotten a good answer as to why.
Good to know, that benefit was touted as a sick bank saver. It was half of half (1/4 paid in diability bennefits) of your unused sick time up to 40 hours. Did it work as advertised?
From NN 15-04:
Disability Account
Beginning with our current sick leave year (2015/2016), a pilot who uses less than 80 hours of sick leave in the sick leave year will have 50% of his unused sick hours below 80 hours (up to 40 hours in any single, completed sick leave year) credited to a new disability account. This new account will allow a pilot who goes on disability to extend his period of full pay before dropping to 50% on disability pay only. A pilot would be eligible to use hours in his disability account to provide “enhanced disability benefits”. For example, if a pilot has 80 hours in his account, he would be eligible to receive 40 hours of pay at his current rate on top of his LTD benefit upon exhaustion of the DPMA benefit.