Disability

Disability insurance helps protect your income if you can't work and get your regular paycheck.

You may have Group Short Term Disability insurance or Group Long Term Disability insurance. What's the difference?

  • Short term disability insurance can help pay the bills if you become disabled and can't work for a short amount of time.
  • Long term disability insurance can help pay the bills if you become disabled and can't work for a longer amount of time.

 

 

Key Features
Replaces a portion of your pay when you miss work because of a covered disability
Partial benefit payments can continue after you return to work
If your disability returns within a period of time, benefits can resume with no waiting period
How Disability Insurance Works

Pregnancy
Pregnancy
How STD Insurance Helped Emma
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After giving birth, Emma missed six weeks of work to recover from her pregnancy, which also allowed her to be with her newborn. Fortunately, her Short Term Disability coverage paid a portion of her wages, which made it easier to handle expenses related to a new baby.

Emma's weekly earnings insured before the disability $950
Benefit percentage 60%
Weekly benefit amount $570
Benefit waiting period 7 days
Length of time Emma received benefits 5 weeks
Total Benefits Paid $2,850

Example is for illustrative purposes. Eligibility for benefits and amounts shown in this example may vary from any policy your employer may offer and may vary based upon your individual circumstances, policy definitions, waiting periods, exclusions and limitations. 

Car accident
Car Accident
How LTD Insurance Helped Robert
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A severe car accident left Robert with back injuries that kept him home for several months. His Long Term Disability coverage replaced part of his income, which he put toward his car payment, groceries and birthday presents for his children. LTD insurance also helped Robert return to work sooner than expected. The plan paid his employer to install an adjustable desk and other workplace modifications so Robert could work part-time while recovering and still receive a partial LTD benefit.

Benefits Paid When Robert Could Not Work
Robert monthly earnings insured before the disability $4,000
Benefit percentage 60%
Monthly benefit amount $2,400
Benefit waiting period 90 days
Length of time Robert received benefits 4 months
Benefits Paid During Total Disability $9,600

Benefits Paid While Robert Transitioned Back to Work
Reasonable Accommodation Benefit paid to the employer for adjustable desk $2,180
Robert's part-time monthly earnings after returning to work $2,200
Monthly benefit amount $1,800*
Length of partial disability 3 months
Benefits Paid During Partial Disability $5,400

Total Benefits Paid: $15,000

Example is for illustrative purposes. Eligibility for benefits and amounts shown in this example may vary from any policy your employer may offer and may vary based upon your individual circumstances, policy definitions, waiting periods, exclusions and limitations.

* Under the Return-to-Work incentive, for a period of time Robert's LTD benefit is not reduced until the amount of his work earnings, when added to his maximum LTD benefit, exceeds 100 percent of his insured predisability earnings. Robert's total income after working and collecting LTD benefits equaled his regular income of $4,000.

How Robert's Return-to-Work Incentive was calculated:

  • $2,200 part-time income + $2,400 LTD benefit = $4,600 combined income
  • $4,600 combined income - $4,000 predisability earnings = $600 benefit offset
  • $2,400 LTD benefit - $600 benefit offset = $1,800 LTD benefit payable
Cancer
Cancer
How LTD Insurance Helped DeAndre
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DeAndre was already managing a heart condition when his doctor diagnosed him with cancer. He could no longer work at his construction job. Going through chemotherapy drained him physically and financially. DeAndre also faced many unexpected expenses. He needed in-home care, a special diet and alternative medical treatment. He received Social Security disability income. Fortunately, DeAndre's Long Term Disability insurance also replaced some of his income. That meant he didn't have to tap into his hard-earned retirement savings.

DeAndre's monthly earnings insured before the disability $5,125
Benefit percentage 60%
Monthly benefit amount $3,075
Less Social Security disability income $1,450
LTD benefit amount payable $1,625
Benefit waiting period 90 days
Length of time DeAndre's received benefits 3 years, 2 months
Total Benefits Paid $61,750

Example is for illustrative purposes. Eligibility for benefits and amounts shown in this example may vary from any policy your employer may offer and may vary based upon your individual circumstances, policy definitions, waiting periods, exclusions and limitations.

What are the chances of becoming disabled?

1 in 4 20 year olds

1 in 4
20-Year-Olds

will become disabled before reaching age 67.

1 in 5 Americans

1 in 5 Americans

— 56 million people — live with a disability.

1 in 10 Americans

1 in 10 Americans

live with a severe disability.

 

Source: Basic Facts, U.S. Social Security Administration, June 2016

Estimate your disability insurance needs

How Much Disability Insurance Do I Need?

How much income would your family need to replace if you could no longer work because of a disability?

Estimate Disability Insurance Needs

Short Term Disability Insurance

 

Long Term Disability Insurance

 

Individual disability insurance

Individual Disability Insurance

Paying the bills if you’re disabled and can’t work isn’t something most of us think about. But you can buy your own income protection insurance and protect what matters to you.

Learn More About Individual Disability Insurance
Employee Assistance Program

Employee Assistance Program

Many people struggle with problems both inside and outside of work. But the Employee Assistance Program is here to help — whether or not you’ve filed a claim. You can get support for family, work or personal issues. The program also assists with emotional, financial and medical challenges. Check to see if you have disability coverage and EAP.1

Health Advocate

Health Advocacy

Taking care of medical needs can burden anyone, but Health Advocacy offers relief. This service provides Personal Health Advocates to help you cope with health-care headaches. Advocates explain medical plans, make sense of doctor bills, compare services, schedule appointments and more.2

How can you prepare for the unexpected?

Ask your HR manager if your employer has a disability plan and how you can enroll.

Legal

1 Ask your employer if the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is included with your Long Term Disability (LTD) policy. Not available with Short Term Disability (STD) insurance. The EAP service is provided through an arrangement with Morneau Shepell, which is not affiliated with The Standard, to groups of 10 – 2,499 covered employees. This service is only available while insured under The Standard’s LTD policy. The Standard may change providers or terminate service at any time. Morneau Shepell is solely responsible for providing and administering the service.

2 Ask your employer if a Health Advocacy Solution is provided with your disability insurance. Standard Insurance Company offers Health Advocacy Select with STD insurance and makes Health Advocacy Enhanced available as a more robust service employers can add along with STD insurance products. Health Advocacy Enhanced is available with LTD policies offered by Standard Insurance Company and The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York. Health Advocacy Solutions are provided through an arrangement with Health Advocate which is not affiliated with either insurance company. Health Advocate is solely responsible for providing and administering the included services. This service is only available while insured under the applicable insurance policy. The Standard may change providers or terminate service at any time. Health Advocate does not replace health insurance coverage, provide medical care or recommend treatment.

The products and coverages have exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits and terms under which they may be continued in force or terminated. Please contact your HR representative for additional information, including costs and complete details of coverage.

Group Short Term Disability Insurance underwritten by Standard Insurance Company is provided under policy form numbers: GP190-STD/S399, GP399-STD, GP399-STD/TRUST, GP899-STD/A300, GP399-STD/ASSOC, GP209-STD, GP414-STD, and GP411-STD.

Group Short Term Disability Insurance underwritten by The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York is provided under policy form number: GPNY0500-STD. This policy provides SHORT TERM DISAILITY insurance only. It does NOT provide basic hospital, basic medical or major medical insurance as defined by the New York State Department of Financial Services.

Group Long Term Disability Insurance underwritten by Standard Insurance Company is provided under policy form numbers: GP190-LTD/S399, GP399-LTD/TRUST, GP190-LTD/ASSOC/S399, GP190-LTD/TRUST/S399, GP899-LTD, GP411-LTD, GP209-LTD.

Group Long Term Disability Insurance underwritten by The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York is provided under policy form number: GPNY0500-LTD. This policy provides LONG TERM DISABILITY insurance only. It does NOT provide basic hospital, basic medical or major medical insurance as defined by the New York State Department of Financial Services.

The Standard is a marketing name for Standard Insurance Company (Portland, Oregon), licensed in all states except New York, and The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York (White Plains, New York), licensed only in New York. Products and availability vary by state and are solely the responsibility of the applicable insurance company.

© 2020 StanCorp Financial Group, Inc.