Disability Insurance FAQ
You can elect short-term disability insurance when you sign up for your benefits as a new hire or during open enrollment; or when you have a qualifying event during the plan year.
You can view the premiums that are being deducted from your paycheck for various benefits through your Employee Dashboard in UNE Compass, including viewing your short-term disability premiums. From your Employee Dashboard in UNE Compass, select “Pay Information,” and then “Deductions History.” If applicable, navigate to the Short-Term Disability Insurance option to view the premiums you’ve paid.
Because the level of benefit is pre-elected in $50 increments and remains at this level until you make a different election, it may be more important to determine how much short term disability coverage you need now rather than how much coverage you have had in the past. However, if you need to know the weekly benefit you currently have for short-term disability coverage, please contact HR Benefits Team at (207) 602-2834 for this information.
Under the short-term disability plan you can insure to a maximum of 70% of your regular salary (excluding temporary stipends and overloads). No one may carry a weekly benefit more than $750 per week. To calculate your maximum weekly benefit, take your annual salary and multiply by .70 then divide by 52 weeks. Or take your hourly rate and multiply it by your regularly budgeted hours (even if you may often work more hours), and multiply by .70. Round these results down to the nearest $50 increment to get your maximum eligible weekly benefit. You may elect coverage in $50 increments up to the calculated amount or $750 whichever is less.
Under the short-term disability plan you can insure to a maximum of 70% of your regular salary (excluding temporary stipends and overloads) up to a maximum of $750 per week. However, you do not have to insure at the maximum allowable coverage. You may elect coverage in $50 increments up to your personal allowable maximum.
There are two components to short term disability coverage: coverage for accidents and coverage for illnesses. Typically when you elect coverage at the time you are hired and elect your other benefits, the “elimination period,” or the period of time from the onset of disability to the period when your insurance will be paying your weekly benefit, is 14 days. If you newly elect short term disability coverage during open enrollment, the elimination period for accident coverage will remain at 14 days but the elimination period for illness will become 60 days for the first 12 months after the effective date of the election. After the 12 month period has been met the elimination period for accidents and illnesses will again become 14 days.
After you have determined the weekly benefit that you want to elect, divide the weekly benefit by 10, then multiply by the rate based on your age category. This is the monthly premium you need to pay if you are a 12-month faculty or professional staff member. If you are paid on other terms, contact your Human Resources Representative.
Long-term disability (LTD) insurance begins after you have been continuously disabled according to the plan's definition for the period of time defined by the plan and the plan administrator determines that the illness or injury meets the plan's definition.
Depending on the plan, LTD benefits can last for a predetermined length of time, or until you reach a certain age.
LTD benefits end on the earliest of the following dates:
- When you are no longer disabled according to your plan's definition.
- When you stop working for the company for any reason other than a covered disability.
- When you've reached the plan's age or time limit for LTD plan benefits.
- When you die.
Your total benefit for a long-term disability will replace a percentage of your monthly pay. The total benefit generally includes Social Security disability benefits, disability pension benefits, and other sources of income. UNE’s plan assures regular full-time employees 50% of their income up to a $7,500/month maximum.
When you are ill or injured, contact your manager and Human Resources as soon as possible. You need to learn how to apply for benefits, and whether you need to provide proof of your continuing disability from time to time.