Any NetJet pilot currently on LTD plan pass 36 months

[hawkerfun]

I would like to know if there is any NetJets pilots out on LTD and what happens at 36 months? LTD keeps going does it not? I had a friend that I lost contact with that was told by Aetna that after a year of being on LTD they had to apply for Social Security Disability. They got it and then they got LTD until 65 years old. So what is happening to are NetJet Brother & Sisters that are on LTD?
The Union is offering a Medical Policy BUT of the company policy keeps going after 36 months which I have heard that IT DOES.

So those out on LTD I would like to here from you.

 

[CE750Driver]

You are terminated at 36 months. How could you go past it?

 

[Grizz]

NetJets has two separate disability options after 6 months of short term disability. One is Long Term disability. The other is loss of medical.

Long term disability is for the more serious conditions that truly make someone disabled and unable to work. That policy goes out to roughly age 65. it is paid by an insurance carrier via a policy NetJets pays for.

The loss of medical coverage is just what it says. Loss of medical clearance to fly. It ends at 36 months of total disability when the pilot is removed from the NetJets seniority list. It is self-insured by NetJets.

The union plan is designed to fill the gap in our coverage for a medical condition that grounds a pilot but is not serious enough to qualify as a true "disability." Type 1 diabetes would be a good example. The union plan extends payments starting at 3 years and continues usually to normal retirement age.

Once again - another reason I'm glad to be a member of NJASAP.

 

[T-1GUY]

Nevermind..

 

[hawkerfun]

Summary
We conducted a vocational review which consisted of a transferable skills analysis bases upon your education, training work experience, capabilities, and restrictions and limitations. It was determined that you posses the functional capacity to perform duties of a Cargo-and-Ramp-Services Manager, Flight Control Manager and Senior Reservations Agent. Since you posses the functional capacity to perform these alternative occupations, you do satisfy the group policy requirements as outlined above. Therefore, we are unable to approve your claim.

 

[Grizz]

Thus the need for the supplemental union policy hawkerfun. The insurance carrier for the company paid LTD policy thinks that any job is good enough and therefore denies coverage. At which point, the company loss of medical coverage kicks in until the 36 month point. we needed something to fill the gap between 36 months and normal retirement age. NJASAP volunteers and Executive Board made that happen.

 

[hawkerfun]

If you get on Soocial Security Disability Benefits. you have NetJets LTD until 65. That is why I was hoping the Pilots that where not flying would speak out. If you do work your you generate a 1099 or a w-2 before your 65 you will paid your full amount depending how much you make. or your wife make;-)

 

[hawkerfun]

The summary above come from a loss of medical Insurance policy. The Insurance carrier dropped every thing then this person was excepted by Social Security Disability

 

[Grizz]

I'm not sure what your point is hawkerfun.

 

[T-1GUY]

Grizz,

It's my understanding that the LTD only pays for the first 24 months (This period includes the 6 month STD period as the 24 month clock starts from the date of the Disability.), if you are unable to do a similar job (ie I fly airplanes and cannot do that at this time). However, after 24 months, the criteria changes to: can you do ANY job? If it is decided that you can do any employment, then the policy will not cover you. This is my understanding of the coverage.

 

[Grizz]

Not sure about that part T-1. I never got past the 2 year point. I do know that any denial of coverage under the LTD policy automatically reverts back to the contractually required loss of medical coverage for the first 36 months. After that, pilots used to be on their own. Now they will have coverage under this new union plan.

 

[hawkerfun]

you needed to talk to a pilot who has been and has had loss of medical, Insurance AND did not get SS disability. I have talked to these pilots and it is an eye opener and the summary above is standered in are industery as to the job that the Insurance companies think a pilot can do if they can not fly. We do not have to make what we where making it only has to be about 50-60% of your pay. And the job does not have to be available it just has to be in your town, so if you live in never never land with no airport around then your safe.

So if you get SS Disabibility The NetJet plan will keep paying until you are 65.

 

[jtf]

There are many policies out there that are supposedly loss of medical. They are marketed as loss of medical (and charge accordingly), but the fine print is still the fine print and it ends up screwing the policy holder later when it is time to collect. I spent a lot of time looking for a true loss of medical policy and really couldn't find anything that I was looking for (continued payments to at least age 65) that was a true loss of medical. I was glad to see the union was also trying to make this happen. Most that I found were using the social security definition which says if you can do any job, you don't get paid. I've already got that coverage included with my employment at NJA. I haven't had a chance to look at the fine print of the union made policy yet to determine if I will be purchasing it or not. If it includes something about the ability to do "similar" jobs or any kind of job as reasons for non payment, I will not be buying in. The devil is in the details and I will be using a magnifying glass to see every last one of them before my money is flowing in for it.

As far as the Long Term being transferred to social security, I really don't know. My father had his long term that transferred to social security after about 2 years and they ended up telling him he was out of luck since he could now do some form of work. I guess beating cancer isn't always such a great thing once your job is gone and your insurance tells you to pound sand after you have recovered.

 

[hawkerfun]

Thank you JTF. The NetJets pilots need to know this.

 

[hawkerfun]

and UNDERSTAND

 

[jtf]

I finally had a chance to check out the info on the new union offered insurance. It very specifically says it pays out to your full social security age in the event you are unable to hold a medical with the FAA. The only question I really have that I want to hear answered before I sign on the dotted line is whether or not they can make you work any job and then only pay you the difference between what you earn and the 66 2/3 percent of the salary you were covered. I would probably want to do something, but I sure wouldn't want to be forced to do anything.

 

[Grizz]

jtf - the answer TA gave on that is that there is a reduction in benefits when you work. But the decrease is always less than what you make in your new job. They want to incentivize your desire to work.