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US translators - disability insurance?
Thread poster: Daina Jauntirans
Daina Jauntirans
Daina Jauntirans  Identity Verified
Local time: 19:10
German to English
+ ...
May 11, 2007

Yesterday, I talked with an agent about disability insurance through the company that deals with the ATA - Mutual of Omaha. Everything seemed standard until she mentioned one curious requirement (relayed to her by the underwriter) - if you have a home office, you have to work outside the home 25% of the time to qualify for disability insurance. Does anyone know the reason for this? Have you run across this requirement with other companies?

I'm going to check with other companies to ... See more
Yesterday, I talked with an agent about disability insurance through the company that deals with the ATA - Mutual of Omaha. Everything seemed standard until she mentioned one curious requirement (relayed to her by the underwriter) - if you have a home office, you have to work outside the home 25% of the time to qualify for disability insurance. Does anyone know the reason for this? Have you run across this requirement with other companies?

I'm going to check with other companies to see if they also require this. I don't work outside the home 25% of the time - I suppose I could take a laptop to a cafe one day a week, but then how would I prove I "worked outside the home"?

Inquiring minds want to know! ▲ Collapse
 
Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 17:10
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
This is so ridiculous... May 11, 2007

Thanks for the information, Daina!
So, a person has an OFFICE (a registered business, it shouldn't matter where this office is located), however, to qualify for the insurance the person has to be OUT OF THE OFFICE for 1.25 days a week? Are they insuring disabilities only that are limiting a person's mobility? Interesting...

Please keep us posted and thanks again for bringing this up!

Best,

Nicole
 
Irene N
Irene N
United States
Local time: 19:10
English to Russian
+ ...
Go interpreting! May 11, 2007

I have no idea why the requirement is set but looks like for the tr/int the problem does not exist.
 
Daina Jauntirans
Daina Jauntirans  Identity Verified
Local time: 19:10
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Well, I'm not an interpreter May 11, 2007

and while that's a fine profession, it's not what I'm suited to. It would follow, though, that interpreters would frequently be out on assignment, so the problem wouldn't exist for them.

I did find this article:
http://tinyurl.com/2jtyds

Didn't really answer my questions, though. I still can't understand the rationale. I'll keep researching and post what I find.
 
Daina Jauntirans
Daina Jauntirans  Identity Verified
Local time: 19:10
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Driving = risk factor? May 11, 2007

Nicole Schnell wrote:

Are they insuring disabilities only that are limiting a person's mobility? Interesting...



I did mention to the agent that working at home eliminates the need to drive a lot, which must be a huge risk factor in disability cases! I guess that doesn't count in our favor
 
Daina Jauntirans
Daina Jauntirans  Identity Verified
Local time: 19:10
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
More information May 30, 2007

Hello,

I just found out that State Farm offers disability insurance without the 25% work-outside-the-home requirement.

I think I will contact Mutual of Omaha again to find out more background about this policy. If this really is their general requirement, I will contact the ATA and encourage them to look around for another disability insurance provider to recommend. I can imagine that this requirement would prevent many translators from obtaining this type of insuranc... See more
Hello,

I just found out that State Farm offers disability insurance without the 25% work-outside-the-home requirement.

I think I will contact Mutual of Omaha again to find out more background about this policy. If this really is their general requirement, I will contact the ATA and encourage them to look around for another disability insurance provider to recommend. I can imagine that this requirement would prevent many translators from obtaining this type of insurance from Mutual of Omaha. ▲ Collapse
 


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US translators - disability insurance?







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