Adoption insurance question

[colliesr]

What is the name of your state? NC
My husband and I are in the process of adopting a child from Vietnam (waiting for a referral). I am looking for some answers about disability insurance and adoption coverage. Many of my colleagues purchase disability insurance coverage in case they get pregnant. The coverage helps to pay the bills while out on maternity leave. Our disability insurance is handled by Wellington Benefits, there coverage is with American Fidelity. I have been told by Wellington Benefits that disability insurance would not cover me when the rest of our adoption process is complete. I was told that because I would not be physically disabled the coverage would not count. I need to know if this practice is discriminatory or not. There are hundreds of people who choose to create their families through adoption because of infertility or feeling that adoption is the best for their family. I feel that they are saying that adoption is not an "acceptable" way to create my family. This practice also makes me feel that disability insurance companies are "punishing" people who are not able to have birth children. Is there any way to get around this or to force coverage?

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by colliesr

What is the name of your state? NC
My husband and I are in the process of adopting a child from Vietnam (waiting for a referral). I am looking for some answers about disability insurance and adoption coverage. Many of my colleagues purchase disability insurance coverage in case they get pregnant. The coverage helps to pay the bills while out on maternity leave. Our disability insurance is handled by Wellington Benefits, there coverage is with American Fidelity. I have been told by Wellington Benefits that disability insurance would not cover me when the rest of our adoption process is complete. I was told that because I would not be physically disabled the coverage would not count. I need to know if this practice is discriminatory or not. There are hundreds of people who choose to create their families through adoption because of infertility or feeling that adoption is the best for their family. I feel that they are saying that adoption is not an "acceptable" way to create my family. This practice also makes me feel that disability insurance companies are "punishing" people who are not able to have birth children. Is there any way to get around this or to force coverage?

Sorry, but no.

However, you have signficant tax benefits available to you as a result of adopting a child, that people who give birth do not have.

[nextwife]

No - you are not entitled to disability. As stated, there are tax incentives, which international adoptive families can use/

You ARE can use whatever vacation time you may have, if ok with your employer. I saved vacation time for two years before our adoption.

Some employers also offer Adoption Assistance plans as an employee benefit.

Frankly, the lack of paid time off had a lot to do with which international program we ultimately ended up choosing. We first looked into a program in Brazil - but neither of us could afford five weeks in-country co-habitation with the child before completion. So we found a program with very limited in-country time and used most of our saved up vacation time after she came home.

[colliesr]

Thank you for the information. We are adopting through Vietnam which may require up to 3 weeks for us to stay. That is why the disability insurance coverage would be nice. We do know about the tax information and will definitely be taking advantage of it.

Unfortunately, over the last 13 years I have been teaching I have had walking pneumonia a few times and a family sickness/death, so I really don't have a lot of sick time saved. The way things are looking even if we get a referral soon we probably won't be able to travel until later March/April. If it is that close to the end of school I may have enough days by then. We do have a program where people can donate leave time to us, so that is another option I'm looking into.

Thanks!

[colliesr]

I want to thank you for answering my original question. I now have more questions.

I was told that I would need to be physically disabled and under a doctor's care in order for the coverage to be activated. I know that with an adoption I would not be "physically disabled", but it is still beneficial to the child and the new parents to take "maternity leave" when bringing home the child. Because we are considering an international adoption we would need to travel to Vietnam and adoption agencies recommend 6-12 weeks time home with the child for bonding and adjustment.

now have more questions and thought I would ask as many people as possible for information. I am being treated for depression and have been for the last 11 years. I take medication in order to help me control the symptoms and problems caused by depression. It is not advised that a woman become pregnant while taking medication. This would mean for me to become pregnant I would need to go off of my medication for about six months before I could try to get pregnant. As I stated, I have been treating my depression successfully for the past 11 years with medication so, going off of the medication is not an option for me.

Now that you have some background here is my question. Since getting pregnant is not an option, aren't I under a doctor's care for my depression? Doesn't that mean that disability insurance should cover me during that time I need to be out of work?

Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated. If you need more information from me, feel free to contact me through this email address.

[nextwife]

You are adopting, not getting pregnant, thus your up-to-now, under-control depression is irrelevant. You do NOT want to start raising questions about your parenting ability by claiming your depression makes you too disabled to work! Too disabled could be interpreted as too disabled to parent.

The time to determine how one takes the time off needed to complete one's adoption is BEFORE they select a program. Becoming an adoptive parent is NOT a disability.

[colliesr]

That's what I was thinking too. Our secretary at school was "trying" to help. That is why I wanted to get some more advice before I made further inquiries into the insurance. No more questions.

Thank you.