TLC for mom and baby

MESSA’s long-term disability protects mom, saves baby

After trying to conceive for years, which included experiencing a miscarriage and undergoing infertility treatment, imagine the excitement Andrea and Todd Hess felt when a nurse called to tell them they were going to have a baby.

“We all shouted for joy,” said Andrea, who has a 6-year-old son, Jax, and two stepchildren, Nevin, 15, and Niah, 18. “It was really amazing to hear the nurse say, ‘You’re pregnant.’”

Just a few months later, Andrea, a 5th-grade teacher at Crosswell-Lexington Middle School, was on full bed rest, dealing with serious complications, while protected by MESSA’s Group Negotiated Long Term Disability (LTD) insurance.

“If it wasn’t for the long-term disability, I was afraid I was going to lose her,” said Andrea, who gave birth to her daughter, Ivy, on Oct. 10. “I had to completely rest, like not get out of bed. I think that’s why she’s here today — because I was able to rest and keep my job.”

MESSA LTD coverage is a negotiated benefit that provides protection against income loss during an eligible period of a member’s total disability. Benefits begin after satisfying a waiting period.

About two months into her pregnancy, Andrea was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a severe form of morning sickness that causes extreme nausea and vomiting. HG can lead to dehydration, weight loss and electrolyte imbalances, making it significantly more serious than typical morning sickness. HG is a rare condition that affects 1% to 3% of pregnancies. It usually occurs in the first trimester and can last for several weeks or even months. For Andrea, it lasted her entire pregnancy.

“It was pretty extreme,” said Andrea, who lost 20 pounds during her pregnancy. “I had to go to the hospital all of the time to get an IV for fluids and nausea medication. I had to go every couple of weeks. Sometimes I couldn’t even keep water down.”

Weeks into her first trimester, she began vomiting five times a day, which quickly escalated to nearly 20 times daily. Extremely weak and fatigued, Andrea struggled to keep food down. She could barely get out of bed. And when she did, she was either at the hospital getting fluids or lying on her bathroom floor.

To complicate matters, Ivy had intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), a condition in which the fetus doesn’t grow as expected.

Ivy, who weighed 4 pounds and 14 ounces at birth, was measuring small in the womb and her lungs weren’t functioning properly.

The best course of action to protect Ivy was six months of total bed rest for Andrea.

And if all of that wasn’t enough to worry about, Andrea’s 12 weeks of FMLA were coming to an end. Needing extra time off work, Andrea considered requesting unpaid leave.

Before making that request, Andrea met with her Michigan Education Association UniServ director, Melissa Williams, and her MESSA field representative, Rahshaan Watson, who told her that the Crosswell-Lexington Education Association had negotiated MESSA LTD insurance. Soon after, Andrea applied for LTD and was approved.

MESSA’s LTD covers 100% of Andrea’s medical insurance and paid 66 2/3% of her income. If Andrea would’ve taken unpaid leave, she would have had the extra financial burden of paying for COBRA to cover her medical expenses.

“It was like a cushion that caught me to help me through it,” Andrea said.

Six months of total bed rest is challenging, both emotionally and physically. Andrea passed the time reading more than 30 romance novels and Freida McFadden thrillers.

Todd said the benefit gave him and the whole family peace of mind.

“It relieved a lot of stress,” Todd said. “We have four kids, and the kids are all in different things, so you can just imagine the stress level and how busy everybody is.”

Andrea said she’s grateful for MESSA’s LTD because it gave her the peace of mind she needed to deliver Ivy.

“She’s a miracle,” Andrea said. “I believe if I hadn’t been on bedrest, I may have lost my daughter. So, to be able to be on long-term disability with MESSA, that was a huge relief for me and my family.”