There are some things you should do immediately to protect yourself and your family. If these things are done soon enough, and correctly, they help you financially survive sudden, unexpected disability.
1. Check to see if your employer has any of the following benefits. If so, sign up for them now:
- Short Term disability insurance plan
- Long term disability plan
- Paid sick leave
3. Check out your options on health insurance. How long will your group medical plan keep you covered? Do you have other options for health insurance, such as adding yourself to a spouse's plan? You can't afford to be without health insurance, especially now that your medical bills are likely to skyrocket!
4. If money is urgently tight even after you start insurance disability payments, check on your life insurance policy. Permanent life insurance plans (not term plans) have guaranteed cash and loan values that the policy owner can use when needed. These insurance plans would usually be ones that you purchase individually, not usually group plans through your job. Also, many pension or retirement plans allow a disabled person to start getting retirement benefits early in the case of disability. So, check your retirement or pension plan, too.
5. If you fear becoming behind on mortgage payments, check with groups like Hardest Hit Alabama for potential temporary help paying your mortgage.
6. If things get really right and you need help getting food or paying utility bills, contact your county's Department of Health and Human Services. You can also dial 211 on your telephone to be connected to a referral service for emergency needs and services.
7. If you are not able to keep health insurance, ask your doctor what your options are. If your doctor can't or won't continue to see you without insurance, you may need to get established with one of the community free clinics in your area. This may take some persistent effort on your part but this should be a priority which allows you to get at least basic medical care and keeps you in prescription medications. If you can't get into a free community clinic, contact your local health department.
I am often asked whether Social Security has any temporary or emergency help for disabled individuals? The answer, unfortunately, is no. You must go through their process, wait for their decision and then wait for them to process your payment.
There are some things we recommend that you consider BEFORE you become disabled. These include:
- Buy long term disability insurance through your employer if possible. Sometimes it is available but optional and some employers require you to pay for it. You can't get it after you need it, of course, so consider getting on it before you need it.
- Save a little consistently out of every paycheck. Put money in some form of safe, guaranteed savings account and grow the account against the day you may really need the money to save your house, car or provide other necessities during a disability. Avoid the eternal temptation to dip into the savings for non-emergencies.
If you are recently disabled with a long-term disability (expected to last 12 months or more), call the Forsythe Firm in Huntsville. We may be able to give you some free guidance on Social Security disability, which is often the biggest source of disability funds available. It costs nothing to speak with us.
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The Forsythe Firm
7027 Old Madison Pike - Suite 108
Huntsville, AL 35806
"Across from Bridge Street"
CALL (256) 799-0297
SOCIAL SECRITY JUSTICE
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