Supplemental Short-Term Disability

I may have mentioned this before, since I have been on disability and medical leave so many times. Our company provides some supplemental benefits via The Hartford insurance company. My understanding is that the benefit is two-thirds of weekly salary, up to a $1,600 maximum. The maximum is also affected by what I receive from the State of California for short-term disability. Previously, California provided up to $1,357 per week so I received several hundred dollars per week. However, the state cap is now $1,620 per week so even though I filed a claim with The Harford, I pretty much ignored the process after finding out the maximum benefit was less than what the state offered.

Today, I received a call from The Hartford asking to confirm my disability end date. I provided it but asked why it mattered. The customer service representative (CRS) said I should have received some checks. While she was still on the phone, I checked all the unopened mail and found about $450 in checks. Strange. I looked at the statement closely and discovered that there is a minimum benefit of $50 per week. Even though I was paid more than the maximum benefit, the minimum benefit must still apply. It is not a lot of money, but it is better than $0.