When a person cannot work because of a disabling medical condition, short-term disability benefits could replace their lost wages. Short-term disability benefits generally come through a plan provided by employers or through disability policy an individual purchases from an insurance company.
California residents have access to short-term disability benefits through a state program. State Disability Insurance, or simply SDI. Benefits through the California program are limited to no longer than 52 weeks. However, you may hear about short-term disability renewal and wonder how that could be possible.
The best way to explain what renewing short-term disability means is by looking at the SDI program. This article explains SDI and the disability claim renewal process associated with it. Feel free to contact the disability professionals at Sackett and Associates for answers to your questions or for representation.
Overview of the SDI program
Most people working in California have coverage through the SDI program. Some employers elect to opt out of the program by covering their workers through a short-term disability plan they set up for them.
You must have a disability to apply for SDI benefits. The program defines a disability as a physical or mental condition that prevents you from working for at least seven days. Conditions include the following:
- Illnesses and injuries that are not work-related.
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth
- Surgery
- Drug or alcohol abuse treatment
The medical condition causing you to be disabled cannot be the result of an accident or other work-related situation. A state workers’ compensation program exists in California and other states to provide medical coverage and lost wages to workers injured at their jobs or through job-related circumstances.
The physician or other medical practitioner caring for you must certify that you cannot work because of physical or mental condition. The certification is part of the application process, so SDI benefits cannot be granted without it.
You must remain under the care of a physician or other type of medical practitioner for the entire duration that you are disabled and receiving SDI benefits. Your doctor plays an essential role not only in your ability to be initially approved for SDI but also in case you require a disability benefits extension.
SDI Benefits Payment Period Renewal And Extension
SDI is a short-term disability program, so you cannot receive disability benefits for longer than 52 weeks. The certification required from your doctor includes an estimate of the time needed for you to recover and return to work. The SDI benefits automatically stop when the estimated recovery date arrives.
If your doctor decides that you need more time to recover than the estimated recovery date, a disability benefits extension can be granted. Before reaching the estimated recovery date that your doctor included in the certification submitted as part of the SDI application, you will receive a supplementary certificate form.
The form should arrive with what should be your last SDI payment. Have your doctor fill out the form and submit it to the state to request an extension of the benefits.
If you return to work after receiving SDI benefits, continued disability coverage may be available. You may discover that you cannot do your job because the disability continues to affect you.
As long as you did not receive benefits for the entire 52 weeks, you could be entitled to continued disability coverage for the remaining weeks. The disability claim renewal process you follow depends on the following:
- If you worked for more than 60 days at your regular job, you must file a new claim. The new claim, if approved, gives you a new 52-week benefit period.
- If you returned to work part-time or with light-duty restrictions, the prior SDI claim may be extended for the balance of the 52-day period, provided you prove that you did not do your regular work.
- If you returned to work for less than 60 days and must stop because of the same medical condition, you may continue receiving SDI through the original claim without a new 7-day waiting period.
A continuation of treatment by your healthcare provider could enhance the chance of success of your efforts to obtain short-term disability renewal after returning to work.
Contact A Disability Attorney
Individuals in need of disability benefits for conditions lasting long than 52 weeks should consider the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs. The SSDI and SSI programs administered by the Social Security Administration provide disability benefits for long-term disabilities.
Learn more about the benefits available through the SDI program in California and the two federal programs, SSDI and SSI, from the disability professionals at Sackett and Associates. They have been helping people with disabilities in California obtain disability benefits for more than 45 years. Contact Sackett Law today for a free consultation and claim review.
Source:
Leave A Comment