P8ASW

I am close to separating from the Navy and had a quick question. From the different Legacy carriers, is there any program in place when a pilot loses his medical? Say I worked for Delta/UAL/AA etc. and was unable to get my 1st class, would I end up on the street? Is there any kind of "workers comp" type compensation plan in place? I know there is private loss of license type insurance available if you lose your license permanently, but what about if you are going to be med down for 6 months, a year, decade etc?

Not that I anticipate it happening, but I am getting a bit older, would hate to give the military gig up, lose my medical and looking for a desk job somewhere.

Thanks!

Hilltopper89

Can't speak for others but UAL offers LTD coverage (long term disability) which would be loss of license due to medical. A long term illness could also be covered by sick days but only to the number you have accumulated. There are guys with full sick banks who could be down for months and still get paid.

They highly encourage folks to sign up for LTD. Most do and they make it difficult to decline. It's cheap by most standards: like $70/month. I'd imagine most other legacies would be quite similar. Cheers.

Pineapple Guy

Most everyone does. Delta's disability program pays 50% of pay until age 65 if you lose your medical. We also have a supplemental disability program we pay for, which is very inexpensive, that covers an additional 50% for the first year you're out.

Alan Shore

Delta has a disability program that is provided at no additional cost to each pilot. A pilot who is no longer able to work due to illness or having lost his FAA medical, once he runs out of sick leaves, receives 50% of his prior earnings (highest consecutive 12 months out of the last 36) until he can return to work or hits 65.

dalad

Wrong! DPMA (Delta Pilots Mutual Aid) is good for 2 years. I know, I've used one month of it and now have 23 months left to use if I go out again. You first use up all your sick leave, then go out on short term disability, and then long term status. DPMA does not cover 50% either, it gives you an amount that is pretty close to whole as it is not taxed. If you have loss of license it pays either an annuity when you come off short term disability or a lump sum. The switch from short term to long term is one year.

Alan Shore

I believe that it's good for 12 months per disabling event and a total of 24 months throughout a pilot's career.

dalad

That is correct. Another reason why loss of license insurance is important.

orvil

The bottom line is: Most legacies have some form of Long Term Disability and ways to cover Short Term Disability. Loss of license insurance is available. The important distinction is disability coverage that is based on loss of license and not social security disability.

EWRflyr

Specifics about the UAL LTD plan which is the former CAL plan:

First, the LTD plan is not an opt-in plan. It is an automatic enrollment plan. There are a few steps to OPT-OUT of it and is purposely hard to OPT-OUT so pilots don't make a mistake. It is insurance, plain and simple, but insurance that a pilot should have.

If a pilot loses his/her medical, there is a three-month waiting period for LTD to kick in. A pilot uses sick time and accrued vacation time to last until then. That is why it is recommended that pilots try to maintain at least three months of sick time in the sick bank at all times (about 250 hours).

The LTD plan pays 1026 hours a year, or 85.5 hours/mo X the current blended rate of the equipment you fly X 50%. This is roughly equivalent to your normal after-tax take home pay. LTD premiums are paid post-tax so the benefit is paid tax-free up to a maximum of $8,000/mo.

The LTD plan is an occupational disability plan. If you lose your medical you will continue to get paid until age 65 and can earn income from another source. The payment is offset by permanent SS disability benefits or by other income from United Airlines if they happen to apply. Note that should you be on LTD and the airline furloughs to above your seniority, LTD benefits will stop until furloughs are recalled to your seniority.

In addition, a pilot on LTD retains medical, dental and vision at current active pilot rates, but he/she will have to pay those premiums directly; they are not "payroll" deducted from the LTD check. Also, a pilot on LTD may continue to pass travel as current active pilots do.

The LTD premiums are based on income and will go up each year for increased longevity and pay. Every pilot pays the same LTD rate percentage though.

WaveRider

Does anyone have the extra loss of license insurance that ALPA sends mailers for? I think they just promote it, but if I remember, the more you pay in premiums, the more you get per month if you go out. I have not seen one of the flyers in the mail in quite awhile though.