Expecting and I just found out I don't qualify for short term disability. America is not pro-life/pro-birth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:is it either STD *or* maternity leave? Will you not be eligible for ML at all as a contractor? I'm having a truly hard time understanding.

While I understand that some people impeccably plan expanding their families, other people just "turn up pregnant." When the time comes, they have maternity leave or create something from leave / unpaid/ whatever.

Has no contractor at your company ever been pregnant? Is there anyone you can ask about their experience? I hope you get it all sorted.

I WFH on a specific assignment for a large company, so I have no colleagues to consult with, however, I’m trying to work with my HR now. My contract was only supposed to be 3 months but now it’s going on two years.

When I enrolled/started in July 2024 I wasn’t even dating my fiance, we had just been friends for many years. Given my age (34 at the time I first enrolled), the short duration of my contract, single with 0 prospects, and no desire for a relationship because of grief I didn’t even
think getting pregnant was a possibility… Heck I didn’t even see the point in enrolling period because I thought I wouldn’t be there long

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is it either STD *or* maternity leave? Will you not be eligible for ML at all as a contractor? I'm having a truly hard time understanding.

While I understand that some people impeccably plan expanding their families, other people just "turn up pregnant." When the time comes, they have maternity leave or create something from leave / unpaid/ whatever.

Has no contractor at your company ever been pregnant? Is there anyone you can ask about their experience? I hope you get it all sorted.

I WFH on a specific assignment for a large company, so I have no colleagues to consult with, however, I’m trying to work with my HR now. My contract was only supposed to be 3 months but now it’s going on two years.

When I enrolled/started in July 2024 I wasn’t even dating my fiance, we had just been friends for many years. Given my age (34 at the time I first enrolled), the short duration of my contract, single with 0 prospects, and no desire for a relationship because of grief I didn’t even
think getting pregnant was a possibility… Heck I didn’t even see the point in enrolling period because I thought I wouldn’t be there long

I get it. However, pregnancy is not the only reason to pay into short term disability. Consider that things in life could change at any moment and then plan accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is it either STD *or* maternity leave? Will you not be eligible for ML at all as a contractor? I'm having a truly hard time understanding.

While I understand that some people impeccably plan expanding their families, other people just "turn up pregnant." When the time comes, they have maternity leave or create something from leave / unpaid/ whatever.

Has no contractor at your company ever been pregnant? Is there anyone you can ask about their experience? I hope you get it all sorted.

I WFH on a specific assignment for a large company, so I have no colleagues to consult with, however, I’m trying to work with my HR now. My contract was only supposed to be 3 months but now it’s going on two years.

When I enrolled/started in July 2024 I wasn’t even dating my fiance, we had just been friends for many years. Given my age (34 at the time I first enrolled), the short duration of my contract, single with 0 prospects, and no desire for a relationship because of grief I didn’t even
think getting pregnant was a possibility… Heck I didn’t even see the point in enrolling period because I thought I wouldn’t be there long

I get it. However, pregnancy is not the only reason to pay into short term disability. Consider that things in life could change at any moment and then plan accordingly.

Right. That’s why I said because my contract was only supposed to be 3 months I didn’t see the need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand. Most jobs don't offer maternity leave, and you need to save your PTO, annual leave, and sick leave. I had to save mine up for years to get enough.

In Canada, you get a year. What you're describing is bad and the US should offer more.

It is ridiculous you would have to save for years given how easily and quickly people are laid off in the US.

But is it a year at 100% pay? I think most American think other countries are getting 6m or a year at full pay and the employee didn't have to pay into anything.

"In Canada, birth mothers are eligible for 15 weeks of EI maternity benefits at 55% of earnings (up to a max of $729/week in 2026). This is typically followed by parental leave (up to 40-69 weeks). Parental Leave: Can be shared between both parents to care for the child, with options for standard (55% pay) or extended (33% pay)."

Whereas I had 12 weeks paid at my salary (175k), which is more than that. I could have then taken extra leave LWOP and still come out ahead of the Canadian leave. I'm not saying Canada's is bad, it's just that it's not what most Americans think. Paying into STD is cheaper than paying higher taxes to get paid leave. My maternity leave was from saving my annual and sick leave btw, not from my employer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The birth of the child will be a qualifying life event and you should be able to enroll then.

DP. That may not retroactively extend the benefits.

I'm not sure if disability works like true health insurance and prevents penalties for preexisting conditions.

You are correct; enrolling at the time of the baby’s birth will do nothing for OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If that timing is true, and I would encourage you to write a justification and ask your doctor to send it to the short-term disability insurance company. If what you’re saying is true then there is no way you could have known you were pregnant until the enrollment window began.

You think that will make a difference since they go based on conception or the last missed period? I'll still try, though, because as you said, I didn't know I was pregnant until open enrollment started.

This seems rather gender discriminatory. Are there any pre-existing condition exclusions in their fine print? If not, I would make an eloquent fuss about this.

The language and contract provisions that OP is running into are very standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how far along were you on November 23?

8 weeks. I took a pregnancy test on 11/1, but because they go off missed period (October 25) or time of conception (October 10-11), I don't qualify.

Right. Because they don’t want people finding out they’re pregnant during open enrollment, and then signing up. Which frankly sounds like exactly what you did.

Short Term Disability insurance is insurance. It’s for things you don’t know are coming up, and also (because the US kinda sucks) for having babies.

Don’t turn it down in the future. It’s there in case you need it - whether you’re with the employer for a month, or for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ no one finds out they are pregnant at their doctors appointment. It sounds like you knew you were pregnant, signed up for a short-term disability, delayed your doctors appointment a few weeks and are trying to get sympathy for attempting to game the system. You knew your company did not offer short-term disability. And you got pregnant knowing this and thought you could just sign up before it came to light. I mean it stinks for sure but I also understand the insurance company’s point of view

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how far along were you on November 23?

8 weeks. I took a pregnancy test on 11/1, but because they go off missed period (October 25) or time of conception (October 10-11), I don't qualify.

Right. Because they don’t want people finding out they’re pregnant during open enrollment, and then signing up. Which frankly sounds like exactly what you did.

Short Term Disability insurance is insurance. It’s for things you don’t know are coming up, and also (because the US kinda sucks) for having babies.

Don’t turn it down in the future. It’s there in case you need it - whether you’re with the employer for a month, or for decades.

You make it sound like she did something nefarious. Finding out that you’re pregnant a few days into open enrollment is just pure bad luck. If she’s due July 4th, that timeline makes sense. Going based off a last missed period, which happened to be only a couple of days prior to open enrollment, is again, bad luck, not something fraudulent like you’re making it out to be.

[Anonymous]

They can’t stop you from taking fmla.

[Anonymous]

I dependent contractors do not qualify for FMLA. If OP works for a jobshopper company then perhaps as their employee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dependent contractors do not qualify for FMLA. If OP works for a jobshopper company then perhaps as their employee.

I’m a W-2 contractor, so I qualify for FMLA. The unpaid part is the issue.

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to follow but I don't understand. Open enrollment in Oct/Nov would have been for 2026. OP found out she was pregnant in Nov 2025. She did not have STD at the time she found out she was pregnant. Why would insurance cover her now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm trying to follow but I don't understand. Open enrollment in Oct/Nov would have been for 2026. OP found out she was pregnant in Nov 2025. She did not have STD at the time she found out she was pregnant. Why would insurance cover her now?

Open enrollment started 10/27/25.
Took a pregnancy test 11/1/25.
Due 7/4/26.

STD was denied even though she didn’t know she was pregnant when open enrollment started.

[Anonymous]

Well, OP, now you know your privilege to have never had to plan ahead for care or coverage. Hard lesson learned.