Mining for information

Do any of you who are/have been consultants know anything about short-term disability benefits for things like maternity? I'm working "for myself", and Cadbury doesn't give me any benefits, but I pay taxes to both NY and Connecticut (woo Self Employment Tax :P), and I thought that short-term disability was something paid by the state, not by the company.

I figure I might as well get whatever I'm due, right?