I don't know where you work, but don't they offer some sort of short term disability plan?

And for anybody else reading, sign up for the STD as a new hire. They make it nearly impossible to sign up for it after that.

 

Also don't forget that say you do the LOM insurance and you start a different job because lets face it $24k/year isn't enough. they don't pay the $24k on top of what you earn at your different job. they split the difference. So you get a job a Home depot at $8/hr. they will only pay the difference of what you make at home depot and what you selected for your plan. And then there is also STD and LTD which goes into pay and I have no clue if LOM is paid on top of that or only after that is used up or what the case is. Lots of gotchas and isn't as simple as they made it sound previously

 

Yes that's what I meant. Definitely keep the 30 day. I think the 7 day is $$ but use it one time and you just paid for it.

 

We do have optional short term disability. I am covered, and most pilots seem to as well (it's a couple hundo per year). But it only pays 50% (yes, that is common and expected), and it only goes 6 months. There is then long-term disability, which is more expensive. That would be used to cover months 6-12. And as someone else mentioned, if you work another job, the benefits are reduced -- you won't earn more than 50% of your airline salary unless you have a job that pays more than that, at which point all disability would cease to pay out, under most plans at least.

Someday I'll have savings to absorb a 50% pay cut; I don't at this time. I suspect some others don't as well. So it just seems that a "loss of medical" plan would be more useful if it kicked in right away, when someone needs coverage the most. Yes that would probably affect disability benefits (they often reduce if you're multi-covered), but even a few-month period of coverage at close to original salary would help the vast majority of medically-challenged pilots bridge the gap till the FAA gives them back their medical (it was four months when it happened to me). In any event, after a year, I would hope that I wasn't still living off of 50% disability coverage. The loss of medical insurance is more of a "beyond one year" extension of short- and long-term disability, it seems. And like those plans, it doesn't pay anywhere near your original salary. So realistically, after a few weeks/months, most folks are going to have a new job or be in school, etc. I suspect, at which point the coverage wouldn't do a lot of good, depending on the details of the plan (i.e. if it reduces when you earn outside income, as most seem to do).

Might be good for some folks, of course.

 

Do you have to pay for your LTD?

SkyWest pays for the LTD and those benefits are taxed, and it cover months 7-24.. I believe you get 55% of your pay. STD pays 60% of pay and is tax free.

I went in for a medical a few years back feeling great and then didn't get to work again for nearly 4 months. Fortunately I had the 7 day STD plan an it paid out more than I'll ever pay in premiums until age 65. Getting the medical denied was a complete surprise.

 

You said: "Seriously? Regional airlines don't offer medical insurance?" Sometimes regional folks get talked down to by folks at the big boys and/or guys headed to the big boys (maybe that is or isn't you, as a military guy), and it gets old. Maybe that wasn't your intent. If not, I apologize. But even the lowest of the low offer some form of medical coverage. The "employer mandate" of the affordable care act says so. If you're dabbling in joining the 121 regional world, I assume you've visited "careers" sections of airline websites, and you'd see that our employers -- who have thousands of employees -- offer some form of health insurance, just as any other employer in America.

 

Yeah, some airlines don't cover the LTD premiums, unfortunately. I declined it with the logic that our 7-day through 6-month STD would cover the vast majority of medical-certificate-losses, and that beyond month-6 I'd move on to something else.

My medical issue sounds similar to yours -- went it expecting to walk out with medical in hand. Instead, it was a phone call to the boss saying "take me off the schedule..." Not ideal, ha.

 

It's a brochure nothing more. Tell me how long till the plan pays? Is there a max payout? Is it paid monthly?

You can sign on sapa promises but I think I will get all of the information first.

 

That was absolutely not my intent. I am transitioning to the civilian industry and am currently doing my research. Admittedly, I have focused on the majors but am absolutely not above or opposed to going to a regional if needed. I assumed that they offer medical insurance which is why I was confused by the earlier post.

Sorry for the thread derail. Carry-on!

 

Unexpected things can happen, no matter what your age is! The cost is definitely worth the piece of mind in my opinion. Sign up window is January 1st-31st for those of us at SkyWest. I will be signing up.