Long-Term Disability Protection

 

Long-Term Disability Protection

We insure our cars, our homes, and even our health. Why wouldn’t we insure our income?
Click this link to view the enrollment document as an Adobe PDF File

Consider these sobering statistics:

• Approximately 20 percent of the United States population currently suffers from a disability. (1)
• Three out of every ten workers between the ages of 35 and 65 will be disabled for at least 90 days. (2)
• One in seven people can expect to become disabled for at least five years before age 65. (3)

If you suffer from an extended illness or injury and can’t work, how will you pay the bills? Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage can help. If you become disabled and qualify for benefits, LTD coverage will pay you 60% of your monthly base salary up to a maximum of $12,000 per month.


The LSU System partners with The Hartford (4) to provide LTD coverage to help you continue to meet your family’s needs in the event of an extended illness or injury.

Is This Benefit For Me?
You are eligible to enroll if you are:

• An active Salaried Academic, Unclassified or Classified employee, and
• Working at 75% full-time employment or greater, and
• Appointed to a position for more than 120 days or one regular academic semester.

Enrolling is easy! If you apply within 30 days of your hire date, you are guaranteed coverage without medical examinations or lengthy paperwork. If you wait to enroll after the 30-day window, you must submit Evidence of Insurability and be approved for coverage by The Hartford.

To enroll or get more information, please contact your campus Human Resources Management Department.

How Much Coverage Is Available?
This benefit covers 60% of your monthly base salary up to a maximum of $12,000 per month. Calculate your disability benefit as follows: (MONTHLY SALARY) x (0.60) = (MAXIMUM BENEFIT)

Please note that disability benefits through The Hartford may be adjusted for other sources of income.

When Are Disability Benefits Paid?
Disability benefits are paid if you are considered disabled and you satisfy the waiting period of 90 days or the exhaustion of sick time (whichever is greater).

How Is Disability Defined?
The Hartford uses a dual definition of disability. You are considered disabled and eligible for benefits if either of the following qualifiers is met.

Occupation Qualifier
You are considered disabled if, during the waiting period and the first 24 months thereafter, you are unable to perform the material and substantial duties of your regular occupation due to a disability. After this period, you qualify for benefits if you continue to be unable to perform any occupation for which you are qualified by education, training or experience.

Earnings Qualifier
You are considered disabled if you are working in an occupation for which you are qualified by education, training or experience, but are unable to earn more than 80% of your pre-disability earnings due to an injury or sickness.

What if I Can Work During My Disability?
Total disability is not required during the waiting period. You can continue to work periodically for up to 45 days without beginning the waiting period again.

How Long Will I Receive Benefits if I Become Disabled?
Benefits will be paid until you are no longer considered disabled, or until you reach the maximum payable period (MPP).

Age at Disability	MPP
Age 61 or less	to Social Security Normal Retirement Age (SSNRA)
62	42 months or normal SSNRA
63	36 months or normal SSNRA
64	30 months or normal SSNRA
65	24 months or normal SSNRA
66	21 months or normal SSNRA
67	18 months or normal SSNRA
68	15 months or normal SSNRA
69+	12 months

4. The Hartford is The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including issuing companies Hartford Life Insurance Company, Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, and CNA Group Life Assurance Company (pending state approval of name change to “Hartford Life Group Insurance Company”).


Innovative Plan Features to Protect You
To ensure you have the protection you need in the event of a disability, the following benefits and services are included in LTD coverage through The Hartford:

Recurrent Disability
This benefit gives you the ability to return to work without worrying about restrictions should your disability relapse. If you return to work and become disabled again due to the same sickness or injury within six months, you will not have to satisfy a new waiting period in order to receive LTD benefits.

Waiver of Premium
If you become totally disabled and are receiving benefits under the policy, your premiums are waived. Keep in mind, you must continue to pay premiums during the waiting period.

Work Incentive Benefit
This benefit is intended to facilitate a comfortable and productive return to work. For up to 12 months after you return to work, your disability benefits plus your salary may equal 100% of your pre-disability earnings.

Survivor Benefit
If you were to die after satisfying the benefit-waiting period or after receiving a disability benefit, the same benefit is paid to your beneficiary for three months.

Catastrophic Disability Benefit
If you become disabled to the extent that you cannot take care of yourself (feeding, bathing, toileting, transferring, incontinence and/or dressing), The Hartford will increase your monthly benefit by 10%. More importantly, this additional benefit will not be adjusted for other sources of income. In addition, The Hartford will provide training and respite services for the family member who is serving as your care provider.

Social Security Assistance
When necessary, The Hartford will provide an advocate to help you apply for and secure Social Security disability benefits. The Hartford will then coordinate benefits with Social Security payments. The maximum amount payable to you in disability payments will be reduced by your family’s Social Security benefit. Please note that if you have not paid into Social Security in 5 of the last 10 years, you may not be eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits. Please contact Social Security directly to determine your benefit eligibility by calling 1-800-772-1213.

Is There a Benefit for Mental Health or Substance Abuse Disabilities?
Upon satisfying the waiting period, benefits are payable for mental health or substance abuse claims for 24 months. Confinement in a hospital or institution licensed to provide care and treatment for mental illness will not be counted as part of the mental health limitation.

Are There Any Benefit Exclusions?
LTD benefits are not payable for disabilities resulting from:

• Declared or undeclared acts of war.
• Suicide or self-inflicted injury or sickness.
• Commission or an attempt to commit a felony.
• Pre-existing conditions. If you have a condition for which you received medical treatment or advice in the 3 months prior to your coverage effective date, it is considered preexisting and will be excluded in the first 12 months of coverage. Following 12 consecutive months of coverage, such conditions will no longer be considered pre-existing.
• LTD benefits are not payable while incarcerated.

Quality Coverage at an Affordable Price
Your premium is based on your salary and the rate is guaranteed through December 31, 2005! Calculate your premium as follows: (MONTHLY SALARY) x ( 0.0053) = (MONTHLY COST)

Premium Examples
Monthly Salary	Monthly Premium	Monthly Salary	Monthly Premium
$2,000	$11.06	$3,500	$19.36
$2,500	$13.83	$4,000	$22.12
$3,000	$16.59	$4,500	$24.89

Premiums are paid through convenient payroll deduction and are paid with after-tax dollars, which means that the disability benefits you receive from The Hartford will not be reduced for taxes.

Hartford Life Group Insurance Company (pending state approval of name change from CNA Group Life Assurance Company) underwrites group Long Term Disability Insurance from CNA. The information provided here is for illustrative purposes only and is not a contract. It is intended to provide a general overview of the services described. Remember that only the insurance policy can give actual terms, coverage, amounts, conditions and exclusions.