Estes | Sort term and long term disability
- Thread starter BradBear
- Start date
Not sure of your health situation. But most of the life and disability types of coverage are easier to get without providing any proof of insurability when you first hire on. You can cancel coverage a lot easier than add it later. Even if you start with low limits on the life insurance and want to bump it up later you have to get checked out.
steercrazee
TB Veteran
- Credits
- 731
Several people have been let go after their short term disability ran out and they were not back to work yet. Estes does some low blows some times. Just be aware. Their insurance is not that great either. For a company their size and the money they brag about and how they are growing their insurance is weak.
In good health. Just didn’t know if maybe I was passing up something i should get.
Be honest with you that was the only thing I was questioning when leaving Abf.
The insurance provided by the union was exceptional. Anytime I had to go to Dr dentist or eye doctor they would always say, “ wow you have the best insurance I have ever seen
That’s sad that they would let people go over something like that.
steercrazee
TB Veteran
- Credits
- 731
Estes dental will pay for you a cleaning, but anything else you'd better dig deep in your pocket. The vision i believes pays $500 toward a new pair of glasses each year. The health is $20 or $25 co pay at a doctors office and $50 for specialists. Im not sure what the percentage is what you have to for a procedure, but every time i have to get something done im astonished at the amount i have to come up with and always ask the doc what the heck did the insurance pay. Don't get me wrong it's better than nothing, but with such a big company they could do way better for their workers. They could keep all their chapsticks and hats and cups and give us better insurance.
Its been my experience trucking related medical insurance doesnt pay :
:. Combined with the massive post Covid Nosebleed rates its hysterical.
I had a eye related failure of the retina a few months back that turned into a trauma call. Surgery to burn the fluid out and inject replacement etc. The whole thing generated 21000 dollars in 4 days flat. They fixed that problem but with some damage left over. I am 20 20 or closer to 2010 corrected. So they did a good job in a difficult situation.
Medicare on my end paid 3400, they wrote off except about 1500 which becomes my problem. The Trauma Center is about millions of dollars in the hole writing off unpaid bills to the point that if they dont get the gravy train again in about 100 days they will have to close. The State will not allow that to happen. So the gravy train continues.
I recently had a biopsy and its bad. So instead of spinning money as we say in the south it becomes hospice within a year at best.
Insurance? A scam. All the costs incurred is OFFLOADED ONTO YOU. Then bury you in a blizzard of bullshit paperwork denying everything you try to appeal or challenge.
You have owie. You pay.
Sure insurance will pay something. Gas money maybe.
Whats crazy is I spend my future making sure that Insurance does not get involved and that the billing is under control. Medical bills paid in good faith at a rate of about 10% per 100 every month means they cannot sue you. Yes they can try and send you to collections etc. But you document those checks going to them.
:. Combined with the massive post Covid Nosebleed rates its hysterical.I had a eye related failure of the retina a few months back that turned into a trauma call. Surgery to burn the fluid out and inject replacement etc. The whole thing generated 21000 dollars in 4 days flat. They fixed that problem but with some damage left over. I am 20 20 or closer to 2010 corrected. So they did a good job in a difficult situation.
Medicare on my end paid 3400, they wrote off except about 1500 which becomes my problem. The Trauma Center is about millions of dollars in the hole writing off unpaid bills to the point that if they dont get the gravy train again in about 100 days they will have to close. The State will not allow that to happen. So the gravy train continues.
I recently had a biopsy and its bad. So instead of spinning money as we say in the south it becomes hospice within a year at best.
Insurance? A scam. All the costs incurred is OFFLOADED ONTO YOU. Then bury you in a blizzard of bullshit paperwork denying everything you try to appeal or challenge.
You have owie. You pay.
Sure insurance will pay something. Gas money maybe.
Whats crazy is I spend my future making sure that Insurance does not get involved and that the billing is under control. Medical bills paid in good faith at a rate of about 10% per 100 every month means they cannot sue you. Yes they can try and send you to collections etc. But you document those checks going to them.
- Credits
- 649
Get the additional short term disability insurance. It’s not expensive and the company provided short term doesn’t pay much at all. I think $300 a week.
The additional long term is also cheap enough to just get and not think much about. I think it’s less than $5 a week.
The additional long term is also cheap enough to just get and not think much about. I think it’s less than $5 a week.
Part two. The ugly.
Hospitals now have taken a page from Dentists.
You show up, have something fixed like lipstick applied to the pig. Its a elective procedure.
But WAIT A MOMENT. BEFORE YOU SEE the DOC down the hall...
Pay us. now. Cash.
Outside of ER and Trauma Elective procedures are becoming a cash problem for you. That day. No money honey? No work done on the pig. And they will take that lipstick too. Go away etc.
Hospitals now have taken a page from Dentists.
You show up, have something fixed like lipstick applied to the pig. Its a elective procedure.
But WAIT A MOMENT. BEFORE YOU SEE the DOC down the hall...
Pay us. now. Cash.
Outside of ER and Trauma Elective procedures are becoming a cash problem for you. That day. No money honey? No work done on the pig. And they will take that lipstick too. Go away etc.
steercrazee
TB Veteran
- Credits
- 731
Medical bills are the number 1 cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. Our politicians could fix some of this if they tried ,but they rather spend money on other countries and their people than American's. I don't look forward to getting older and my body starts wearing out and the main reason is i don't know if i can afford to get it fixed right or just throw a bandaid on it.
Rounding3rd
TB Lurker
- Credits
- 532
How does Estes and other companies that fire people off due to injuries or sickness get around FMLA?
- Credits
- 649
Yeah you’re only protected by FMLA for 12 weeks
steercrazee
TB Veteran
- Credits
- 731
I don't know that they would fire you for an injury unless it happened off work and you had to be out more than 12 weeks. That 12 weeks is the key i believe. Ive seen many and i mean many people injured and they are put on light duty like sitting in the guard house waving at drivers as we come in and leave.
ABFretired
TB Lurker
- Credits
- 268
Because they can!Thats what you get for being an at-will employee with no bargain agreement to protect you!
Steward of the Rock
TB Veteran
- Credits
- 418
Not sure about how Estes does it, but it has been my experience that the ones that are working (light duty) were injured on the job (workers comp.), not an off-the-job illness or injury which would be short term disability.
- Credits
- 176
Saia has given drivers a year to return to work in the past, two I know personally (1st. Had a heart attack off duty 2nd. Got hit by a car on his way to work on motorcycle).
- Credits
- 649
Estes will give guys more than their 12 weeks. They supposedly have a scale based on length of service. We’ve had a few at my terminal out for about a year before. What I was saying in my post is they’re only FMLA protected for 12 weeks, anything past that is company discretion.
