Navigating a health crisis with the help of Northwestern Mutual’s benefits
Matt, centralized supervision specialist, will never forget the gut-wrenching stomach pain that woke him one October night. Initially he hoped it would pass, but the pain didn’t dissipate. His wife convinced him to seek emergency care.
“I got out of the car at the hospital and was crying out loud in the worst pain,” Matt said.
The hospital staff wheeled Matt to a room where they gave him pain medication and performed a scan. The results revealed a gallstone that needed to be surgically removed immediately.
“During surgery they discovered my gallbladder developed gangrene and it was attacking me from the inside. If I had waited any longer, it would have killed me.”
The surgery was successful. Matt stayed in the hospital for a couple of days before he was discharged to recover at home.
A supportive team puts your mind at ease
Others in Matt’s position may be plagued with questions about how they’d afford their hospital bills or if they’d continue to receive an income while recovering from surgery. With his supportive NM team and the company’s health insurance and disability benefits, Matt’s mind was at ease.
The night before surgery, when the pain began, Matt messaged his manager to tell her he wasn’t doing well and to check in on him in the morning – which she did.
“I explained to her I needed surgery, and that I didn’t know when I’d be back. She wrote back to say, ‘take care of yourself, I’ll take care of work’ – which took a huge weight off my shoulders.”
Paycheck protection for health emergencies
NM provides disability benefits at no cost to eligible employees who cannot work for an extended period due to a disability. Because of this, Matt didn’t worry about work or money while he recovered.
“For her to say, ‘I’ve got this, don't worry about it,’ that's all you want to hear. It was the biggest deal to me.”
Matt is also thankful to have NM health insurance to cover much of the cost of his hospital bills.
“Having insurance is such a huge deal. Without it, I could have lost my house.”
Now healed from his surgery and feeling better than ever, Matt wishes he could tell his past self one thing. “Don’t wait to seek care. As Northwestern Mutual employees, we have insurance and it’s there for a reason. Your health is more important than anything else.”
Health emergencies happen. NM’s short-term disability insurance, which is offered free for all full- and part-time employees, ensures that when they do, you have one less thing to worry about. For more information on our benefits, visit our Culture page.