The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has far-reaching consequences. The virus’s aftermath has altered nearly every part of our lives, raising multiple questions for professionals who already are receiving individual disability and/or long-term disability benefits or are filing a claim.
Many have asked if their disability insurance would cover them if they contract COVID-19. As is often the case, the answer is a qualified yes. Coronavirus may be covered by short-term disability if you cannot work due to a medical quarantine; long-term disability insurance may cover prolonged COVID and other problems that prevent you from working. Talk to an expert from The Law Office of Nancy L. Cavey today to learn more.
Does short-term disability insurance cover COVID?
Short-term disability insurance will cover COVID-19 and other coronavirus-related ailments only if you cannot work for a clear medical reason, such as a quarantine. You cannot receive disability payments if you are sick but can still fulfill your job duties. In more formal terms, to receive COVID disability compensation, you must have a confirmed medical restriction.
An employer generally offers short-term disability insurance as part of a group disability plan. Short-term disability payments are usually paid for less than a year.
Disability for COVID quarantine
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may be eligible for short-term disability benefits if a doctor or other healthcare professional orders you to self-isolate, rendering you unable to do your job. For example, if a nurse was diagnosed with COVID-19 and could not perform their nursing duties due to the need to self-isolate, they would be eligible for short-term disability payments. If you have COVID and can continue working, you will not be eligible for short-term disability.
Does long-term disability insurance cover COVID?
Unless you suffer long-term consequences from your COVID-19 infection, you will likely not receive long-term disability insurance benefits due to the coronavirus. To be eligible for long-term disability benefits due to coronavirus, you must meet the same criteria as for short-term benefits: you must be unable to work due to a definite medical condition that a doctor or other medical practitioner has validated.
It is also worth noting that a social quarantine is not the same as a medical quarantine. It is not a medical quarantine if your city, state, or federal government mandates everyone to work from home. Restaurant workers, for example, who cannot work because their state has ordered all eateries to close will be denied disability compensation even if their firm remains closed for many months. But, if you are laid off, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits.
