Your Pregnancy Disability Benefits Checklist

Disability Insurance as Part of Your Birth Plan

If you purchased disability insurance before becoming pregnant and haven’t considered it in your birth plan, take note. Disability insurance can pack some powerful perks, and all benefits are paid directly to you, not to a doctor, hospital, or employer. While each plan differs by provider and plan type, let’s review a general list of things you should look for to maximize your disability insurance.

Start with the Basics

If you’re planning to use your disability insurance for maternity leave, there’s some important terminology to know. Understanding these terms now will help you during claim filing time when you’ll likely be foggy from “brain on baby.”

Terms to Know	Definitions
First Day of Disability	Also known as your delivery date.
Elimination Period/Benefits Begin	The number of days beginning with the first day of disability (delivery date!) before any benefit is payable. A typical elimination period is 7 or 14 days, and your plan doesn’t begin paying you until your elimination period is complete.
Benefit Period	The timeframe for which benefits are payable after the elimination period ends. Your doctor will determine your disability period.

A Hypothetical Example

Say you have your baby on October 1, this is considered the first day of your disability. If you have a 14-day elimination period, your policy won’t begin paying until your elimination period is complete. So, with an October 1 delivery, your benefit period begins October 15.

Your benefit period is the duration for which benefits are payable after the elimination period ends. As an example, say your benefit period is 6 weeks for a natural birth and 8 weeks for a caesarian birth. If you deliver by caesarian and have a 14-day elimination period, you’d begin receiving payments from your policy October 15 and would be paid through November 27, when the benefit period ends.

It’s important to know that each disability policy varies, and you should review your plan to understand exactly how it works.

Review Your Plan for Possible Benefits

Now that you have a better understanding of general terminology, it’s smart to look at your policy in advance to see what benefits may be payable as a result of childbirth. You may also consider reviewing the claim filing forms before you deliver and filling out the portions you can so it’s one less thing to worry about after delivery.

Below are some benefits to look for.

Benefits	Definitions
Physician Expense Benefit	Pays a lump sum if you see a doctor due to an injury or sickness. Tip! For many plans, you can file a benefit for your initial diagnosis visit or when you first saw your Obstetrician and confirmed you were pregnant.
Disability Benefit	Pays a lump sum upfront for the number of weeks you will be on disability minus your elimination period. If a disability is to be extended, an updated form is required, and payments will be made based on the schedule in your policy.
Hospital Confinement Benefit	Pays a daily benefit for each day you stay as a patient in a hospital¹ due to a sickness – in this case, that’s your delivery. Refer to your plan to see if this benefit is included

It is important to know if you are taken out of work due to disability before your delivery date, e.g. you are put on bed rest, or after your routine pregnancy benefit period is over, you may submit updated Physician forms to receive possible additional benefits.

Sweeten Your Maternity Leave

You’ve made a smart decision to include disability insurance as part of your family’s financial plan. After all, the more prepared you can be, the better. As we’ve all discovered, there will be many circumstances we could’ve never planned for, including a global pandemic. Maternity leave is intended for healing from the physical effects of childbirth, but also a time for bonding and relishing special moments. The little steps you’ve taken to review your benefits now will hopefully help lessen your worry and make the time even sweeter with your newborn baby.

Ready to File an American Fidelity Disability Claim?

If you have American Fidelity Disability Income Insurance, the fastest way to file a disability claim is through your online account, or on our app, AFmobile^®.

Log in to your online account
Download AFmobile from the App Store^® or Google Play™

Remember, the elimination period begins with your date of delivery so filing early may seem practical, but your delivery date needs to be confirmed.

For more details on how to file a claim, including required documentation and a step-by-step instructional video, visit our disability insurance claim page or review this article.

This blog is up to date as of July 2020 and has not been updated for changes in the law, administration or current events.