Unlike health insurance, disability insurance (also referred to as income protection) provides cash that can pay bills or other expenses. Insurance carriers pay you based on your annual income and could pay on top of your benefits from FMLA, sick days, sick bank. They pay over the summer, holidays and weekends. Plans like those offer guaranteed acceptance within the first year of a new teacher’s hire date, regardless of if you are vested in state retirement or not. Health insurance will only pay doctors and hospitals while income protection pays you directly.

If you need to take leave from work for an extended period, FMLA will protect your job for up to 12 weeks in a 12 month period. The program can be used when you or a family member has a medical issue. However, FMLA might not offer paid leave, income protection does.

The Hartford is the only insurance carrier that offers affordable coverage for spouses, with rates averaging $5.00 to $30.00 depending on the spouse’s age and salary as well as the policy holder’s pay schedule. ​

The best option is to start an Income Protection Program with Aflac or a similar carrier. The average pay for those covered is $3000 to $6000.  Apply for the program a full year prior to the birth of your baby. The Hartford policy pays for bed rest and complications of pregnancy when applied 10 months prior to the birth of the baby or before pregnancy-related complications arise.

Critical Illness Insurance can replace your income when you are not working. If you are diagnosed or being treated for a covered illness, you will never have to worry about where your next paycheck is coming from. Plans can pay you a lump sum cash benefit on the date you are diagnosed with a covered illness and will pay you on top of your sick leave. In addition, Sickness Indemnity can pay you for doctor’s visits, exams, hospital stays, and surgeries.