Long-term disability insurance

Who is eligible?

The SEBB Program provides basic long-term disability (LTD) insurance to all SEBB-eligible school employees. If you are eligible for SEBB benefits, you will automatically be enrolled in basic LTD insurance coverage, even if you waive SEBB medical coverage. Basic and supplemental LTD insurance are not available to employees eligible for benefits under WAC 182-31-130.

What is basic (employer-paid) LTD insurance?

LTD insurance helps protect you from the financial risk of lost earnings due to serious injury or illness. When you enroll in LTD coverage, it pays a percentage of your monthly earnings to you if you become disabled.

The SEBB Program's school employee benefits package includes basic LTD insurance at no cost to you if you are eligible for SEBB benefits. It provides:

• Benefit: 60 percent of the first $667 of your predisability earnings (your monthly base pay), reduced by any deductible income.
• Minimum: $100/month
• Maximum: $400/month

Benefits start after the benefit-waiting period, which is the longer of:

• 90 days
• The period of sick leave (excluding shared leave) for which you are eligible under your employer’s sick leave, paid time off (PTO), or other salaried continuation plan (excluding vacation leave), and/or
• The period of Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave for which you are receiving benefits.

Benefits continue during disability up to the maximum benefit period. The maximum benefit period is determined by your age when disability begins.

What is supplemental (employee-paid) LTD insurance?

If you are eligible for SEBB benefits, you can add to your basic coverage by purchasing supplemental LTD for yourself.

Supplemental LTD provides:

• Benefit: 60 percent of the first $16,667 of your predisability earnings, reduced by any deductible income
• Minimum: Greater of $100/month or 10% of LTD benefit before reduction by deductible income
• Maximum: $10,000/month

Benefits start after the benefit-waiting period, which is the longer of:

• 90 days
• The period of sick leave (excluding shared leave) for which you are eligible under your employer’s sick leave, paid time off (PTO), or other salaried continuation plan (excluding vacation leave), and/or
• The period of Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave for which you are receiving benefits.

Benefits continue during disability up to the maximum benefit period. The maximum benefit period is determined by your age when disability begins.

How do I enroll?

During the first annual open enrollment and within 31 days of becoming eligible for benefits, you will enroll online using SEBB My Account under the Additional benefits tab.

If you are unable to enroll online, complete the Long-term disability enrollment/change form and submit it to your payroll or benefits office.

If applying for supplemental coverage after 31 days of becoming eligible for benefits, complete the Long-term disability enrollment/change form.

For questions about enrollment, contact your payroll or benefits office. If you have specific questions about a claim, contact Standard Insurance Company at 1-833-229-4177 beginning January 1, 2020.

How long do I have to enroll in supplemental LTD?

You may enroll in supplemental (employee-paid) LTD insurance during the SEBB Program’s open enrollment period, October 1 through November 15, 2019, and during the 2020 plan year, without providing evidence of insurability.

Starting January 1, 2021, if you apply for supplemental LTD coverage after 31 days of becoming eligible for SEBB benefits, you must provide evidence of insurability and The Standard Insurance Company must approve your request before your insurance becomes effective.

What is the definition of a disability?

Disability is defined as being unable to perform with reasonable continuity the duties of your own occupation as a result of sickness, injury, or pregnancy during the benefit waiting period and the first 24 months for which long-term disability benefits are payable. During this period, you are considered partially disabled if you are working but unable to earn more than 80 percent of your indexed predisability earnings.

After the first 24 months, disability as a result of sickness, injury, or pregnancy means being unable to perform with reasonable continuity the material duties of any gainful occupation for which you are reasonably able through education, training, or experience. During this period, you are considered partially disabled if you are working but unable to earn more than 60 percent of your indexed predisability earnings in that occupation and in all other occupations for which you are reasonably suited.

What is the maximum benefit period?

For both basic LTD and supplemental LTD coverage, the “maximum benefit period” means the benefit duration, which is based on your age when the disability begins.

*SSNRA is Social Security Normal Retirement Age, your normal retirement age under the Federal Social Security Act as amended.