Income Insurance HELP!!

[Columbia River Mariner]

Please read and reply if you use or enjoy MONEY!
I was recently hurt on the job. I was off for about two months. I had purchased short term (90 days) and long term (past 90) disability insurance from my employer. The problem is that short term almost never covers on the job injury (read the fine print!) My income suddenly dropped to $35 per day. (maintenance under jones act). My employer offers no "light duty" so I had NO WORK! I was able to cash out some sick time and vacation and make my bills until i was cleared and returned to work.....Lucky me! My question then is this, as mariners we cant get workmens comp, unemployment isnt an option, I would be very reluctant to sue an employer for two months pay, especially with the black-balling i have seen in the industry! IS THERE AN INSURANCE THAT ONE CAN GET TO COVER SUCH AN EVENT? My two months off work cost me almost 12000 bucks and all my accrued leave time.

[dougpine]

You can get insurance for just about anything, but have you done all you can with regard to your existing policies? Almost never? Is is a for sure in your case? If the insurance you already have won't cover you, you might want to stop by an insurance agent's office and have a chat. Also, have you spoken with a competent Jones Act attorney, just so you know you've covered all your bases? Did your employer cover all your medical costs?

[Columbia River Mariner]

thanks for your reply, many good points! As for speaking to a lawyer, sure. I bet i have a case. the problem lies when you want to continue working for an employer which you have sued. Also its more and more common to see potential employers to ask if you have ever "sought damages". A major injury would merit legal action, my post is about the little injury. It seems that a 2 or 3 month loss of work will cripple the average joe with a wife and kid or 2 that need his income. Maint. under jones act is below poverty by a large margin. So the employer pays medical bills, great.....but what about the rest? Is there an affordable/sensible option to be proactive? I will tell you when I got hurt i thought my temporary disablility had my back, I was blown away to find out it didnt cover work injuries. Its also a sad statement that so many employers pay only Maint.

[Shellback]

http://www.aflac.com/individuals/default.aspx

Aflac is one..I have a seperate disability ins also, but I will have to dig out the info on it..

It pays you so much per day while in the hospital, so much for emergency room ..and a certain amount per day while you recover..it's just a supplemental insurance and I think mine runs 25.00 a month....

[Columbia River Mariner]

This is my point! look into AFLAC, they DO NOT cover you for on the job injury! read the fine print. thats why i posted this thread, if you get hurt and employer pays only maintenence, you are screwed with most short term disability providers.

[seahawk]

I have a neighbor who got cancer he had aflac. They paid his morgage car note and gave money for eats, but on the same note I also know that two different employers may have same insurance company but totally different policys. Also insurance companys put a price on a persons life. My sister inlaw had breast cancer and after awhile the radiation and medicine bills where to much for the company. The insurance company litterely told her they could not affored to pay for treatment anymore and would not pay to have operation to remove the cancer. Husband had to come up with 10000 dollars and send her to Mexico to have the operation done. Insurance companys are a big rip off all around the major cities there are free clinics wait you pay for them with your tax dollars or the doctor visit cost 50 or 100 and you pay as you need them. I remember paying 200 every pay check even if i did not use them.

[dougpine]

It is a shame your company does not seem to value its employees enough that they could not find something for you to do while you were not fit for duty on the boats.

I know from personal experience a few companies that will bend over backward to find "light duty" or shoreside work for an injured employee. This does a number of positive things: it creates goodwill between employer and employee, it increases employee retention, it creates loyalty (ie, retention), it goes a long way to protect the company from the costs of litigation around the injury, and it is good for the community in general because that employee is still earning a paycheck and (presumably) spending that paycheck.

[john]

Another promblem is many companies are starting to require pre-employment physicals that can be very strenuos. While called "pre-employment" physicals many companies require tthem to be taken prior to returning from any medical leave. At my previous company we had an AB who had been working for the company for 20 years... he had a very minor injury at home and asked the Captain for an extra week off. Little did we know he would have to take the physical to get back to work.... which he failed.

[dougpine]

My last pre-employment physical probably saved my life. I did get the job, but learned some other interesting stuff as a result.

[Columbia River Mariner]

I agree with all that! I know that a lic. is getting harder to get, people are starting to retire as retirement savings recover, I hope i live to see the economy pick up enough so that employers need to 1)pay well 2)Treat us like an asset instead of a liability

[seahawk]

The requierments for getting a license is getting harder and harder so they can say that there is no qualified personnel so they can hire foreigners and pay them pennies. I worked for a company that got a contract down in Mexico and we had to have two Mexican nationals on the boat as far as the contract. They got paid 15 dollars a day and when it got time to get paid the man would come down to the boat to pay the men in cash and sometimes he said that he got robbed before he got down to the boat.I have been told before 9/11 companies were pushing the govt. to hire Filipinos for the same jobs US Mariners do and pay them pennies a day. after 9/11 the govt. said no due to National Security you only hire US personnel. I can't remember for sure the name of the inspection company but I talked to a Filipino and he told me that he was working for a inspection company and they paid for the rental car and the apartment. For 6 months while in the US. I had to ask how much he got paid by the hour. He told me 10 an hour for a job that usually pays 16-20 dollars an hour.I love working on boats especially the ocean but its not for everyone .