The University provides long term disability insurance at no cost to regular eligible employees. This insurance provides that an employee who has been disabled for six months and who is determined by the insurance carrier to meet the contract definition of disability will receive 60 percent of the pre-disability monthly salary, up to the current maximum monthly benefit allowed, for as long as the disability continues, or until age 65 to 70, depending upon when the disability begins.

This monthly income level may be offset by any income benefits from Social Security and workers' compensation insurance. [Retirement contribution protection for the qualified disabled employee is provided through a monthly annuity premium paid by the long term disability insurance carrier to the disabled employee's Group Retirement Annuity.]

A person who is on total disability is no longer an employee of the University and, therefore, all other employee benefits cease at the time of termination of employment. According to the provisions of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), medical insurance for persons qualified by the Social Security Administration to receive total disability benefits may be continued for 29 months, at the employee's expense. Long term disability payments are taxable for Federal Income Tax (FIT) but not FICA.

Pre-Disability Salary

Defined as the salary earned in the month immediately prior to the date of disability. For the faculty member on a two quarter sabbatical receiving half salary for each quarter, pre-disability salary will still be based on the salary month prior to the disability, not the full salary.

Partial Disability

Benefits are also provided for a person who is confirmed by the long term disability insurance carrier as having a partial disability. "Partial disability" is defined within the long term insurance carrier plan booklet and contract. The long term insurance carrier will replace a portion of the employee's lost pre-disability salary, based on the stated formulas, after the completion of the six month waiting period.

Employees are eligible for the disability benefit after six months of continuous employment (not interrupted by termination and reinstatement) in a regularly budgeted position in which the employee works a minimum of 30 hours per week (.75 FTE).

Temporary employees and employees scheduled to work fewer than 30 hours per week are not eligible for this long term disability insurance benefit. Disabilities of a shorter duration are covered under the provisions of the Sick Pay Policy, Short Term Disability Leave and Extended Short Term Disability Leave.