Question:
If you want Short Term Disability, does my HR dept. have to know what for?

Can I just say that I'm having abdominal surgery and leave it at that? Also, how soon should I tell them I need the insurance. I'm having my pre-op appt. on Oct. 1st and surgery on the 23rd. I Live in Washington if that helps and I work for a large firm (200 employees).    — Kris T. (posted on August 6, 2001)

August 6, 2001
I was on STD in January for an unrelated surgery. The only thing they required from me was note from the doctor stating how long I needed to be off. Nowhere on the letter was there anything about what procedure I was having done, just a couple lines stating I needed to be from this date to that date. Everything went smoothly. Good luck!
   — Diana M.

August 6, 2001
You should check with your HR. Every company has different policies. I have taken 2 STD that were both of very short duration (less then 2 weeks each) and no one asked a thing. However, I believe the longer the STD the more info you or your Doctor will have to provide. My benefits book clearly outlines what is expected to satisfy STD policies. If I do not follow this policy I could be denied STD benefits. Just make sure you know before hand what your companies STD policies. As for your insurance, if you are already approved for WLS you shouldn't have to tell anyone at your company that you need the insurance. Your insurance company and the health facility you have your surgery at will take care of the billing and then notify you of the costs you are responsible for. No one at your work place should have knowledge of what type of surgery you are having unless you want to tell them yourself. It's like taking a vacation. You have to request the time off but you don't have to tell anyone where you are going or what you are going to do.
   — Susan M.

August 6, 2001
It probably depends largely on the STD insurer. My STD insurer was UNUM and on the paperwork my doctor filled out it asked for a diagnosis, which of course was morbid obesity. I started my STD paperwork about a month before the surgery with my HR department and it turned out that they could have denied me if I had started it any later. My HR department did not need to know what kind of surgery I had though, I just put down surgery on their paperwork. After my doctor's office filled out the UNUM paperwork, they faxed it back to me and then I faxed it to UNUM so I know exactly what was put on there. My checks from UNUM started arriving 3 weeks after my surgery. The first week was the waiting period, the first check for the second week arrived the Friday of the third week. I thought that was a long time for the checks to start. Anyway, they approved 6 weeks even though the doctor requested 8. I had a Lap and was glad I had 6 weeks to work out all the eating, drinking, and exercising issues before going back to work.
   — Lori W.

August 10, 2001
I am a Human Resource consultant and to the best of my knowledge you do NOT have to disclose to anyone at work what type of surgery you are having. It is Dr./patient privledge. The insurance company and STD provider will know but they will only give very generic info to the company. I know b/c I have tried to find out in certain "suspicious" cases with unreliable employees. Good luck!
   — [Anonymous]