If you are an eligible employee, you have the opportunity to help protect yourself and your family by purchasing Voluntary STD coverage through The Standard via convenient reduction of sick leave or PTO hours, similar to the deductions made for your Long Term Disability insurance. The Voluntary STD plan offered by Hennepin County through The Standard has great flexibility allowing you to select the coverage which best fit your individual needs. You may select one of the five options listed below. Please note that premiums and coverage will vary depending on the option selected.

Option 1:

Your weekly benefit is a flat benefit of $250. The minimum weekly benefit you will receive is $100. You must be continuously disabled for the 7 day benefit waiting period before benefits become payable. Benefits may continue during your disability for up to 90 days minus the length of the benefit waiting period.

Options 2-5:

Your weekly benefit is 60% of your insured earnings. The maximum weekly benefit is $2,000. The minimum benefit is $100. Your benefit waiting period is a period you select which can be 7, 14, 30 or 45 days. Benefits may continue during your disability for up to 90 days minus the length of the benefit waiting period.

Please Note: You must exhaust all but 80 hours of accrued paid leave and satisfy the benefit waiting period before STD benefits may be payable.

If you enroll when first eligible and your STD claim is approved by The Standard, STD benefits become payable at the later of exhaustion of all but 80 hours of your accrued paid leave* or the end of your elected benefit waiting period. No benefits are payable for or during the benefit waiting period. You may satifsy your benefit waiting period while receiving pay from your accrued paid leave* balance.

Late Entrant Penalty

The late entrant penalty will apply in the following situations:

1. If you do not apply for Voluntary STD coverage when you are initially eligible;
2. If you change your election to a lesser waiting period (ie, 14-day waiting period to 7-day waiting period); or
3. Change your election to a greater maximum benefit (Option 1 to Option 2 only)

If the late entrant penalty applies, then during the first year you are insured under the new election, the benefit waiting period for a disability caused by physical disease, substance abuse, pregnancy or mental disorder will be 60 days from the date of your disability, regardless of the benefit waiting period you elected. This is known as a late entrant penalty. The late entrant penalty does not apply to a disability resulting from an accidental injury.

Please note that your coverage is contingent upon your continued employment with Hennepin County and the continuation of this plan.

For help deciding which plan to enroll in please visit out Enrollment Tips page.

For answers to commonly asked questions, costs, exclusions, limitations and reductions, please review the Group Short Term Disability Insurance Booklet and Short Term Disability Certificate.

* Accrued paid leave is sick leave, vacation pay, PTO, comp time, deferred holidays and banked special leave without pay hours.

Claim form:

Short Term Disability Insurance Claim Packet

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