TDI: health insurance ?

CynRO12

Hi ladies,
I apologize if this topic has been exhausted but I got a couple questions.
First, if your the one carrying the health insurance for your family, how does it get paid when you go out on maternity leave? Do you come back to your job and your first few pay checks go directly to the health insurance provider? (We have united health care)
Second, it states very clearly on the TDI website that they don't cover maternity leave, yet with a Dr note they will? So if you go out earlier, apply for TDI, does it cont after the babies are born too?
What is the total length of time (in your experience) that TDI paid? I assume the clock starts once your dr writes you out?
My company is made up of 7 people, and they don't cover maternity leave. I want to make sure I know everything and prepare financially!!

Thanks

HTBaby13

My understanding is If you live and work in Rhode Island , And meet certain eligibility criteria , You can get both TDI for the first 6 weeks --8 weeks for a c section While recovering from birth . and then tci for a month after that For bonding as of January 1, 2014 --if your eligible .

I have to pay for health insurance while I am on maternity leave by writing a check to my employer. What I'm not sure is if you're out if this applies to you because your employer has so few people. You also may have to have worked and paid into the system for certain amount of time. I hope you have some sort of HR person at your workplace . There is an email contact at the State department which governs TDI and TCI where you can email them questions . Good luck!

CynRO12

Thank you so much! Now I have a place to start from to gather all this info. And talk to the right people.

HTBaby13

TDI is not health insurance .

bewilderingstar

Okay TDI is for the entire time your doctor has you out of work. If it's deemed MEDICALLY NECESSARY then it's covered under TDI. 

For example:

I am going out of work this Friday at 38wks and will not be returning until cleared after the baby is born. This is usually at 8wks for vaginal birth, 12wks for c-section. TDI will cover this because the doctor has not released me back to work. 

You AND your DH/SO can also go under TCI (temporary caregiver insurance) for one month for bonding with the baby. 

You are correct where TDI does not cover maternity leave, but they do cover medically necessary leave because you are having a baby. Those are two different things.

You will need to talk to the person in charge of health insurance for when you go out on maternity leave. Usually you will pay for the insurance out of pocket while you are out, kind of like COBRA.

You can always call up the state and ask questions too. I sent an email and someone called me back within 5 days. It was pretty awesome.

Good luck!!