Disability Benefits
Illness and Short Term Disability Insurance
We don’t like to think about our health and safety in these terms, but it’s important to recognize that we are more likely to be hurt or injured in an accident than we are likely to die suddenly. You and your family continue to require income even when you can’t work. So you and your local parish, school or agency work together to provide opportunities to replace a portion of your income for those times when you are unable to work.
BRIEF ILLNESSES
When you need to take a few days off for illness, your local parish, school or agency provides sick days. Sick days vary, so please consult with your supervisor for details of your plan.
ELIGIBILITY FOR THE SHORT TERM DISABILITY PLAN
Full-time employees working at least 30 or more hours per week in a school year or calendar year may elect the Voluntary Short Term Disability Plan. This plan is available as a purchase option. The Short Term Disability Plan is designed to lessen the financial impact of any non-work-related illness or injury that prevents you from working. You may purchase this coverage during the annual benefits enrollment (typically around October 15 – November 15) each year.
BENEFITS
The Short Term Disability benefit is 60 percent of your base pay and may begin as early as the 16th or 31st day of disability depending on the plan you select. If the disability continues beyond 90 calendar days, then you may qualify for Long Term Disability benefits.
YOUR COSTS
You pay the full cost of the short term disability plan. The cost varies for each person and is determined by your age and pay and may include a medical review. Your premiums are paid directly to Dunn and Associates through convenient deductions from your personal checking account.
Long Term Disability Insurance
The Long Term Disability Plan provides income replacement if you become ill or injured (non-work-related) and are unable to work.
ELIGIBILITY FOR THE LONG TERM DISABILITY PLAN (LTD)
Full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week during a school or calendar year are eligible for the Long Term Disability Plan. If you are eligible,we provide this plan automatically at no cost.
BENEFITS
After 90 calendar days of disability, you may be eligible to receive LTD benefits. Your LTD benefit is 60% of your base pay up to a maximum benefit of $5,000 per month. Until your LTD benefit begins, you may use your sick days, vacation time and any short-term disability benefits to replace your income. If you are age 69.5 or older, long-term disability benefits are limited to 12 months. There is also a 24-month limit for mental/nervous claims, alcohol/substance abuse claims, and special conditions such as musculo-skeletal and corrective disorders of the neck and back, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome and environmental allergic illness.
YOUR COSTS
Your parish, school or agency pays the full cost of the long term disability plan.
Issues to Consider
OFFSETS
Short Term Disability and Long Term Disability benefits are offset (i.e. reduced) by any other income you receive, including Social Security disability. If you are receiving Social Security retirement benefits, your disability benefits will also be offset by any Social Security and Archdiocesan Lay Retirement Plan benefits.
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
A pre-existing condition is a sickness or injury for which you receive or should have received medical treatment, consultation, care, services, prescribed drugs or medicines within the three months before your LTD eligibility begins. Therefore, if you become disabled because of a pre-existing condition (as described above), your disability benefits may not begin after 90 days. If you become disabled after you have performed the material duties of your occupation for 12 consecutive months, there will not be a limitation because of a pre-existing condition.
WORK-RELATED DISABILITIES
If you suffer a work-related illness or injury, please notify your supervisor immediately.
Getting More Information
To find out more about the products and disability insurance coverage, please contact Katie Franics, our insurance agent, at (317) 552-0357 or by email at k.francis@walkerhughes.com.
