Disability and Life Insurance

Self ^ | 4/16/18 | washi

[Washi]

I have questions concerning short and long term disability, life insurance and employment.

The questions will require a lot of set-up and will contain a lot of personal information. If you don't feel like reading to the end and providing your best guest as to serious answers, please don't feel pressured to stick around.

I have cancer.

Back in the fall of 2016, I was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer; by that time, the initial tumor was 14cm long, and 7cm in both height and width, and other tumors had spread to my femurs, pelvic bone and spine.

During the surgeries to remove the kidney and spinal tumor, I went on short term disability with my employer.

After that, because my job allowed me to perform my duties remotely, I was allowed, by my gracious employer, to work from home, full time.

"Working from home" is great if you're allowed, but it ain't no picnic.

As time goes by, it is harder and harder to get the motivation to spend eight hours a day to perform work related tasks, while also dealing with family issues, deteriorating health, endless doctor's appointments, etc.

Keep in mind that cancer, especially to bones is extremely painful. My pain medications, when properly controlling my pain, make me very fatigued, drowsy, and make it hard to concentrate.

In May of 2017, my doctors told me that my pelvic and left femur bone tumors had become so bad that they presented a fracture risk in that area. So my left hip and femur bones were rebuilt with surgical bone cement and metal rods.

Since that surgery, I've never really been as mobile on my left side as I feel I should be. Additionally I now have innumerable, small tumors in my lungs and another tumor on my lumbar spine that is, again, likely compressing my spine and causing new, severe, nerve pain from my left hip on down.

I'm typing this from my hospital bed where my doctors are attempting to treat me for the spinal compression issue I described above. Two of my doctors were finally kind enough to give me prognoses just a couple of days ago, in hospital.

The neurosurgeon guessed six months. The radiation oncologist guess two to twelve months. I'm guessing I have more time than that, but, Damn it, Jim, I'm a software engineer.

I don't think I can, or want to, work, even from home any longer. However, I am the sole bread-winner and provider for two adult sons, a preteen son, and my stay at home wife.

In my head, I see myself going on short-term disability at work for as long as I can and then moving to long-term disability for as long as that is allowed, and hopefully dying from the cancer while I am still considered "employed" and my wife can collect my life insurance.

Is that even a possible scenario?

Can my wife collect my life insurance benefits if I'm on Long-term disability?

I'd like to ask the H.R. officer at work how it all works, but am worried that If he/she and my employer learn of my intentions, to try and collect on all of these benefits, they will try to cut their losses by firing me for some other "cause".

[Wuli]

Usually life insurance an employer provides is not an item an individual can sell in a “reverse life insurance” transaction. The employer has a group policy, individuals do not usually have their own policy-certificates under such plans. They remain covered, while employed, under the group policy - they cannot “reverse life insurance” their part of it.

[Wuli]

“Another challenge to staying employed may be the amount of sick leave you have with your employer. This is another area of inquiry with HR as they may have sick leave sharing available from other employees who would volunteer time from their sick leave bank for you.”

I’m glad you brought that point up for Washi. It’s a great type of program.

One of my brothers works for an outfit with “sharing” a possible option with sick leave and vacation time. When his wife at the time (she died) was in very critical condition for many months, he just about lived at the hospital and employees at his company were able to donate to him sick-days and vacation days of theirs. He was very impressed and grateful to the employer and all the employees who helped him through that process.

[Wuli]

“Most life policies have a terminal illness clause that allows you to collect the vast majority of your death benefit before you pass.”

I would hesitate to use the term “most” in describing how often life insurance policies have the ability to collect some or all of a death benefit prematurely. Some do and likely just as many do not. Some do not have it at all. Some have it integral to the benefit, and some allow it only as a rider.

The term I’d be looking for in a description of your employer’s life insurance benefit is “accelerated death benefits”.

Frankly, not meaning to be too negative on this, but I think this coverage is found more often in individual life insurance plans/policies, than with employers’ group policies.

[Acewipe]

It’s been mentioned a couple of times here, but please immediately check with Social Security about getting disability benefits. Check this link - don’t want to give you false hope because I’m no SS expert - but the info in the link appears to say that you may qualify given your conditions:

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/social-security-disability-process-cancer-patients.html

Side note: I’m very sorry to hear your story, and the fact that you are more concerned with your wife’s well-being is so commendable.

Re: treatments - I hear commercials all the time for “stereotactic radiosurgery” that focuses beams on tumors vs. traditional modalities. Perhaps worth a look into that if none of your doctors have ever mentioned it. But regardless, please immediately check into the Social Security disability question.

[wildbill]

I doubt your company would react to whatever benefits you apply for by firing you. I’m assuming that your group benefits are insured by a third party insurance company and not by your employer as a self-insurer.

First, they seem pretty compassionate by letting you work at home so you can collect full employment checks.

Second, they risk a humongous lawsuit by trying shennanigans to beat you out of your group insurance benefits which would doubtless affect the attitudes of other employees who share the same group benefits. The general purpose of group insurance benefits is to maintain employee loyalty so any move in that regard would be appear to be counter-intuitive.

Third, depending on how big your company is, any benefits paid to you by the third party insurance company would not likely harm your company financially. If they are self-insured they probably have a written policy on regulations for short-term and long-term disability and when you can/should/must take those benefits. Your HR department should give you a copy.

[Albion Wilde]

Any insights to offer, esteemed freeper Jeff Head?

[ViLaLuz]

Been praying for you and your situation and found this. https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-cancer.html ...I wanted to share it with you as you make your preparations.