Important facts about benefits in Florida...what I learned and you should know

"Life is like a camera. Focus on what's important, capture the good times, develops from the negatives and if things don't work out, just take another shot. "

-unknown 

Anyone who lives in the state of Florida this information is pertinent to you. I am going through the journey of understanding the importance of taking advantage of the benefits that a full-time job offers you. When I got my first job as an occupational therapist I had no idea about benefits. I did not understand the importance of applying for short-term and long-term disability. I did not understand the benefits of choosing insurance with a higher premium. For an educated person I felt so uneducated and confused. Since I don't want to see another person go through the stress and emotional distress I encountered below are some tips for any person who is new to working a full time job with benefits. 

 

Understand laws in place for long-term and short-term disability:

To qualify for short-term benefits, a claimant must have a specified amount of past employment or earnings and be disabled. ( www.ssa.gov)

Basically depending on where you work you will qualify for company paid short term disability after you have worked a certain amount of time. It can range from as little as 30 days to up to a year. This makes sense because getting short-term disability benefits is an expense that your employer will have to take on. 

What happens if you fall outside of the guidelines?...Hold that thought. I will get back to that. 

 Apply for all the benefits when you start a new job. 

This is just my opinion and recommendation. If you are young, single, and you are taking care of yourself  then this is really for you. Prioritize what is important to you. Although you may have youth by your side. Accidents can and do happen. 

Before you sign up for your benefits you can call your insurance company and find out what your co-pay and deductible will be. Before this incident I didnt really understand how insurance worked in an emergency situation. Since I had surgery I met my deductible/ out of pocket costs. Now instead of paying a co-pay for each therapy visit I am covered with no more out of pocket costs. Don't get me wrong I have a hospital bill but having insurance cut a large amount of debt I would have to pay without it. 

If you fall into a situation where you did not purchase short or long-term disability ahead of time, in the state of Florida you may encounter eligibility issues for company paid disability benefits. This is exactly what happened to me. Had I chosen to pay into my short-term disability I would have been covered for up to 10 weeks. However I was not prepared for this injury and am now experiencing financial set backs. If I could  go back in time I would add  short-term disability with the regular benefits. 

Aside from those facts I learned about local and national organizations that help families. 

www.salvationarmyusa.org

USA.gov

Needhelppayingbills.com

These are just a few websites that can lead you to assistance if you fall into hard times. However if you are able to save money for a rainy day that may be your best bet. I was told by a friend that the standard she heard was to save enough money to hold you over 6 months. For most people this may not be realistic but saving anything can determine the severity of your situation. 

As for me I just have to return to my job due to lack of knowledge regarding my benefit package. If I should ever experience any other injury I now have a better basis of understanding. I have learned a lot through my journey. I now know about my benefits  and its importance. Now it's your turn to learn about yours. 

Take away message:

Inform yourself! Make wise choices! Most importantly get insurance! You don't want to go through a situation where your livelyhood is at stake and your savings is non-existent. Plan ahead. You'll thank yourself later. 

Check out your insurance  company website. Get informed Below are just a handful of commonly known ones:

Blue Cross Blue Shield (Florida Blue)

https://www.bcbsfl.com

Aetna

www.aetna.com

United Healthcare 

www.uhc.com

Humana

https://www.humana.com/

Cigna

www.cigna.com 

ObamaCare

https://www.healthcare.gov

I did not take advantage of all the benefits I could have had but luckily through my journey of recovery I have learned a lot. Although  this has been life changing I have been granted a second chance in life. 

Any suggestions for posts? Any questions? Please comment or message me.