Disability insurance question?

[pkg-king]

Hello all,
After a coworker had an unfortunate mishap at home and missed a considerable amount of work I started to think about our disability insurance coverage and if it would be wise to purchase a policy on my own for lost wages due to an injury off the job. Our center is covered by a disabilty policy through the union that only pays out a paltry $250 a week for fulltime employees, that is a joke and a disgrace on the unions part. I wunder if the areas of the country where hourlies are covered under the UPS Health care plan get a better disability benefit? I was wondering if anyone can give any advice or premium amounts on a personal disability policy. Thanks.

[trplnkl]

Originally Posted by pkg-king

Hello all,
After a coworker had an unfortunate mishap at home and missed a considerable amount of work I started to think about our disability insurance coverage and if it would be wise to purchase a policy on my own for lost wages due to an injury off the job. Our center is covered by a disabilty policy through the union that only pays out a paltry $250 a week for fulltime employees, that is a joke and a disgrace on the unions part. I wunder if the areas of the country where hourlies are covered under the UPS Health care plan get a better disability benefit? I was wondering if anyone can give any advice or premium amounts on a personal disability policy. Thanks.

You call it a joke and a disgrace when someone gives you $250 a week and you have paid zero premiums? Give me a break, call Aflac.

[feeder53]

I take out my own policy, and I believe it is a good idea. As far as how much the UPS plan pays....If you do not contribute and you get $250.00 per week...thats better than nothing. I am responsible for myself......

[pkg-king]

Originally Posted by trplnkl

You call it a joke and a disgrace when someone gives you $250 a week and you have paid zero premiums? Give me a break, call Aflac.

Trplnkl I could not disagree with you more! It is the unions responsibility to negotiate with the company for the funds needed to provide us with insurance coverage, including disability, that will protect us and our families. In this instance they have failed miserable. Nobody thinks about disability insurance until it is too late. At that July 4th picnic while playing volleyball and you blow out your knee how happy are you going to be collecting $250 week for 5 months?

[UpstateNYUPSer]

I have Combined, have had it since I started at UPS, and it has come in handy on many occasions. I had trigger finger surgery last month (I had scheduled it on a Friday knowing that I was on vacation the following week) and not only did I receive my vacation pay and had the surgery paid for through the Teamsters I received a check from Combined for $333 ($30 day for 11 days). Combined and Aflac are basically the same.

I pay roughly $100/month for my 3 policies through Combined and I am covered 24/7 for injuries and sickness, whether on the job or not.

[ups79]

Originally Posted by pkg-king

Trplnkl I could not disagree with you more! It is the unions responsibility to negotiate with the company for the funds needed to provide us with insurance coverage, including disability, that will protect us and our families. In this instance they have failed miserable. Nobody thinks about disability insurance until it is too late. At that July 4th picnic while playing volleyball and you blow out your knee how happy are you going to be collecting $250 week for 5 months?

If you wish to make it priority on the next contract suggest it to your union. However be prepared to give up a portion of your salary. Damn man how deep do you really think UPS'S pockets are?

[UpstateNYUPSer]

At $4/gallon ($5 for diesel) they (pockets) are not nearly as deep as they may have once been.

[Johney]

Originally Posted by pkg-king

Trplnkl I could not disagree with you more! It is the unions responsibility to negotiate with the company for the funds needed to provide us with insurance coverage, including disability, that will protect us and our families. In this instance they have failed miserable. Nobody thinks about disability insurance until it is too late. At that July 4th picnic while playing volleyball and you blow out your knee how happy are you going to be collecting $250 week for 5 months?

Please remember it's $250 a week PLUS your insurance coverage paid for the time you are out. Now I may be wrong but I think COBRA payments are around $225 a week. Now do you really think it's all that bad for free?

Several posters seem to be under the common misimpression that Disability Coverage is paid for by UPS, and that the employees pay no premiums. It's a free gift from UPS to us and we should be thankful. The implication is that all our benefits are free and paid for by a generous UPS. Many people also believe government provided benefits are free too, and the Democratic Party is the "Party of Compassion" because they want to give us all higher and higher benefits. Unlike the cruel, heartless, and inhumane Republicans, who claim these benefits are actually being paid for by we the taxpayers, and aren't free at all.

Actually, your entire compensation package is paid for by you, the employee, not your employer. You earned it by doing work all week long. It is paid to you in the form of a payroll check, a Pension Fund contribution, a Health & Welfare Fund conribution, a Social Security contribution, and a few other things. This total payment package is subject to negotiation between the Union and the Company, both as to the total amount owed, and as to how the total will be split amongst the various benefits. UPS is not a charity, (though they do make charitable donations, but that is another matter entirely.) Every benefit you get, in whatever form paid, is a benefit you earned. Or more precisely, "you" the employees collectively, earned, since these are group benefits. They are payments in lieu of wages.

What confuses people is that shippers pay their bills to UPS exclusively. Shippers don't pay a portion to UPS and a portion to the Union (or to the hourly workers directly.) Thus, while a portion of the revenue is ours, and we'll get it in a few days, it is in UPS' hands initially. When UPS cuts you a paycheck, they are not giving you a charitable gift. They are settling up with you by giving you your cut of the revenue.

All contributions to Pension and Health & Welfare Funds are the employee's money that is initially in the hands of UPS, but is legally due the employee. The employees have just instructed the Payroll Department to direct a portion of their money due, to the funds, instead of including in in their paycheck. It's like when an employee gives the Payroll Department a dues checkoff authorization. It doesn't mean UPS is paying your dues to the Union out of their own pocket. (Which would be illegal.) It means they are taking a portion of the money they owe you and sending it directly to the Union, to save time and effort. If they sent it to you in the form of a slightly bigger paycheck, you would then have to make the extra effort to pay your dues yourself by seperate check. UPS is just cutting out the middleman when they send your contributions directly to the Union, the IRS, state and local government, the Pension Plan, the H & W Plan, etc.

Here in New England we contribute $7.16 per hour to our H & W plan. This amounts to $286 a week for a 40-hour week, ($14,900 per year.) This is our money. We earned it. A portion of that contribution pays for our Disability Coverage. When someone becomes eligible for Disability Pay, (or any other benefit,) they are drawing from a fund financed by their years of contributions, and those of their fellow workers. UPS just handles the logistics and takes a big tax deduction for their effort. End of lesson. Class dismissed.

I pay roughly $100/month for my 3 policies through Combined and I am covered 24/7 for injuries and sickness, whether on the job or not.[/quote]


You're a smart man. I too took out supplemental insurance from Met Life for long care. If you don't have it get it. The loss of income can be devastating. And yes, check out
Aflac too.