Return To Work As A Self-Employed Person -- Impact On Benefits

Group Life Insurance

If you are considered to be a returning employee, the life insurance continued through your employer will work the same as it did when you were employed before your disability leave.

If you are considered to be a new hire, look at the terms of the new insurance policy. There may be a provision waiving premiums for disability. At the least, you should be able to convert it to an individual policy of the same or a lower amount.

Long Term Disability Insurance from your employer

If you stopped receiving income from disability insurance when you returned to work without an agreement about what would happen if you didn't make it at the new job, then the odds are the payments will not be started again. However, if your policy provided a trial work period, or if you negotiated with the insurance company before returning to work about this very situation, your income may start again.

Also, if you leave within six months of returning to work, if the plan included a Recurring Disabilities Provision, there may be a chance to get benefits started again.

Depending on whether you are considered to be a new hire or a continuing employee, you may qualify for new benefits under the employer's long term disability insurance. Generally, a Long Term Disability plan for a new hire will have a Pre-Existing Condition Waiting Period and will not provide any benefits if you leave work in the first year or two of coverage for the same condition that you were treated for prior to getting the Long Term Disability coverage.

To learn more, see Long Term Disability.

Health Insurance:

If you converted your employer's group health insurance to an individual policy

Leaving work again has no effect on the coverage.

If you qualified for insurance by returning to work, you will be entitled to continue the coverage under COBRA.

To learn more, see COBRA.

Health Insurance:

If you continued your health insurance under COBRA and you became eligible for health insurance again from the employer

Whether or not you took the new health insurance, your COBRA should have ended when you became eligible for your employer's health insurance. The fact that you now leave the new job does not affect the termination of your right to COBRA.

There will probably be COBRA continuation all over again from employer's current plan, and possibly a right to convert employer's health insurance to individual coverage.

If you continued your health insurance from your employer under COBRA but did not become eligible for health insurance from your employer when you returned to work

Going to work without becoming eligible for health insurance from that employer does not affect your COBRA coverage. Thus, it does not matter whether or not you continue to work.

Your COBRA coverage will stay in force until the time limit runs out or you become eligible under another employer's health insurance or you become eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. Keep in mind that when COBRA runs out, HIPAA permits a conversion to individual health insurance.

For more information, see HIPAA not covered under current employer ''" COBRA is time limited and whether you stay or not with this employer will have no effect on how long you can keep the prior employer's COBRA. Remember when COBRA runs out, HIPAA permits a conversion. and COBRA

Covered under current employer's health plan: There will probably be COBRA Continuation all over again for this health plan, assuming your employer comes under either the federal COBRA law or a state Continuation law

be no benefits available if you leave work for the same condition that disabled you earlier.

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