Long and Short Term Disability
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About Disability Insurance
Wright State University offers disability insurance benefits to employees who are appointed to work at or above a 75% full-time equivalency basis. The university’s disability vendor is UNUM and there are two plan offerings:
- Long-Term Disability: 100% paid by Wright State
- Short-Term Disability: Voluntary coverage for employees to bridge the time between sick leave and Long-Term Disability
Long-Term Disability (LTD)
Wright State University’s long-term disability (LTD) plan provides financial protection for you by paying a portion of your income while you are disabled. It can help you pay your bills and protect your finances at a time when you have extra medical costs but don’t get a paycheck. The amount you receive is based on the amount you earned before your disability began.
LTD coverage is provided to full-time employees
- You must be unable to work for at least six months to be eligible for LTD
- Pays you 60% of your covered earnings - less other income benefits*
- Premium Rates: the university pays 100% of the premiums, so there is no direct contribution from you.
- Benefit Administrator: Unum
- Contact HR-Leave@wright.edu
OPERS and STRS offer disability benefits
- STRS—You must have at least ten years of Ohio service credit
- OPERS—You must have at least five years of Ohio service credit
- Benefits determined on service credit years
- A physician must certify you are unable to work for at least one year.
- Benefits are retroactive to the first of the month after the employee is no longer in an active pay status
Long-Term Disability Plan Document (PDF)
Long-Term Disability Claim Form (PDF)
*Other sources of income
- sick leave from the employer
- a worker’s compensation law
- an occupational disease law
- unemployment compensation law
- any other act or law with similar intent
- the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans
- the Railroad Retirement Act
Short Term Disability (STD)
The STD benefit, provided by Unum, protects employees against the loss of income for the first 26 weeks of a qualifying disability. This coverage will pay a benefit equal to 60% of an employee’s covered Wright State earnings at the time of disability (maximum benefit, $2,310 per week). This benefit may be reduced by other income benefits. Before collecting STD benefits, an employee must satisfy the elimination period following the date of the disability. This period ends on the later of the date the employee’s salary continuation is exhausted or 14 calendar days of continuous disability. This should run concurrently with Family Medical Leave (FMLA) as long as FMLA hours have not been exhausted.
Definitions
- Elimination period: This period ends on the later of the date the employee’s salary continuation is exhausted or 14 calendar days of continuous disability.
- Salary continuation: Paid leave provided by WSU to employees for their service, i.e. sick, vacation, compensation time, etc.
Eligibility
Before collecting STD benefits, an employee must satisfy the following:
- Full-time employees (75% FTE or higher) are eligible to apply for coverage during the annual Benefits Open Enrollment or during a qualifying life event;
- Enrolled in STD benefits through payroll deduction;
- Complete the elimination period following the date of the disability.
If you decided not to enroll upon your initial employment, the next opportunity is annually during Benefits Open Enrollment or within 31 days of a qualifying life event. For more information on this plan benefit, please review the Short-Term Disability Plan Document (PDF).
Enrolling
To elect coverage, please complete the Short Term Disability Enrollment Form (PDF) during either the annual Benefits Open Enrollment or during a qualifying life event.
Evidence of Insurability
Evidence of Insurability is required if electing at the annual Benefits Open Enrollment and during a qualifying event. This includes a review of your overall medical health including routine, planned, unplanned, or ongoing medical care or consultation, and may result in a declination of coverage. Evidence of Insurability is not required if elected during your initial employment.
Cost of Coverage
This is an employee-paid benefit through payroll deductions. The cost for this insurance is paid by the employee via payroll deductions. To calculate your monthly cost for this coverage, use the calculator below. Please note that the final cost may vary slightly due to rounding.
Short-Term Disability Calculator (XLSX)
Applying for STD Payments
Employees who are enrolled in the benefit should consider applying for STD payments for the following reasons:
- Employees who need to take a medical leave for themselves and have an amount of paid leave less than the amount needed for leave, or
- Employees who need to take a medical leave for themselves who have exhausted all paid leave before the commencement of leave.
To apply, the employee, employer (Human Resources), and physician must complete their sections of the application. These sections are submitted to Unum for review. Once the review is complete, Unum will notify the employee and employer of the status of the claim, approved through the benefit payment period, and benefit payment amounts (if approved).
To apply, please complete the Short-Term Disability Claim Form (PDF).
Please submit the employer portion of the form to hr-leave@wright.edu or via fax to 937-775-3040 for completion. Unum administers the status of the disability leave, the benefit payment approved through the period as well as the benefit payment amounts received during this time. Any inquiries surrounding your disability leave should be directed to Unum’s Benefits Center at:
- Toll-free: 1-800-858-6843
- Fax: 1-800-447-2498
FMLA and short-term disability run concurrently therefore, be sure to apply for both leave types to ensure there are minimal delays. If you have taken FMLA within the last 12 months and have exhausted the full 12 weeks, you do not have to request FMLA when requesting your short-term disability
Disclaimer: The benefits information contained in this site provides a summary for employees of Wright State. This information does not list all the provisions and does not supersede the individual provisions of our group insurance contracts, benefit plans and university policies that it describes. Similarly, the information presented does not guarantee that the university, the state of Ohio, and/or others responsible for these contracts, plans, programs, and policies will not make future changes in the provisions applicable to each.
