Long-Term Disability Insurance

Long-term disability provides income replacement benefits after an injury, sickness, or pregnancy results in your continuous disability for more than 180 days. It is an optional coverage offered by the University and provided through MetLife.

Note: This coverage is not available to you if you are a faculty or P&A staff member who works at least 67% time in an appointment of at least nine months in duration. You are covered by the Academic Disability Program.

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Eligibility and Enrollment

As a newly eligible employee, you may enroll online in MyU within 30 days of employment without providing medical evidence of insurability. Your coverage will become effective the first day of the month following your first day of employment.

You can select an amount of at least $300, up to $5,000, or 60% of your monthly covered compensation, whichever is less. The amount must be in units of $100.

You may also enroll during the annual Open Enrollment in November, and your new coverage will be effective on January 1 of the new plan year.

Covered compensation includes your base salary, augmentation, increment, commutation, Regents' Professor Stipend, and Duluth additional instruction. All other earnings are excluded. 

Coverage Benefits

Coverage continues as long as you are certified disabled by MetLife. The maximum period that you are eligible to receive benefits is up to your Social Security normal retirement age.

Pre-existing Condition Exclusion

Even though you do not need to prove you are in good health, the policy does contain a pre-existing condition exclusion. That means you would not have coverage for any pre-existing medical condition for the first 24 months after the insurance or increase in insurance takes effect.

A pre-existing medical condition is any disability that is caused by or results from an injury, sickness, or pregnancy, which occurred during the 12 months before the date your coverage began or was increased.

This exclusion also applies to disabilities which were diagnosed, or for which medical care was received, during this 12-month period before the date your coverage began or was increased.

Making a Coverage Change

You can choose to decrease the amount or cancel disability coverage only during Open Enrollment with the coverage change effective the following January 1.

If you wish to enroll again or increase the amount of coverage, you will need to wait until the next Open Enrollment. The new insurance amount will be subject to the pre-existing condition exclusion.

Filing a Claim

For claims prior to January 1, 2025, file a claim with Unum:

If you are absent or expect to be absent from work due to sickness or pregnancy or for an accidental injury after January 1, 2025, please report your absence on or after January 1st by contacting MetLife. This page will be updated with contact information closer to January 1, 2025.

Rates

You pay 100% of the cost of the long-term disability insurance. Because you pay the premium with after-tax payroll contributions, the benefits you receive are not subject to FICA, federal, and state taxes.

You may select any amount shown up to the lesser of your Maximum Monthly Benefit Amount or $5,000. The cost of coverage depends on the monthly benefit amount you select.

Determine your maximum benefit amount

To find your Maximum Monthly Benefit Amount:

  • multiple your annual covered compensation by 60%;
  • divide that amount by 12 (months); and
  • round down to the nearest $100

The Maximum Monthly Benefit Amount from All Sources is the most you could expect to receive from the combination of long-term disability benefits and all other sources of deductible income, such as Social Security, employer's retirement plan, and workers’ compensation. The minimum benefit payable under the plan would be $300 or 15% of the benefit purchased, whichever is greater.

Maximum Monthly Benefit from All Sources2024 and 2025 Rate Per Pay Period
$300$1.01
400$1.35
500$1.69
600$2.03
700$2.37
800$2.70
900$3.04
1,000$3.38
1,100$3.72
1,200$4.06
1,300$4.39
1,400$4.73
1,500$5.07
1,600$5.41
1,700$5.75
1,800$6.08
1,900$6.42
2,000$6.76
2,100$7.10
2,200$7.44
2,300$7.77
2,400$8.11
2,500$8.45
2,600$8.79
2,700$9.13
2,800$9.46
2,900$9.80
3,000$10.14
3,100$10.48
3,200$10.82
3,300$11.15
3,400$11.49
3,500$11.83
3,600$12.17
3,700$12.51
3,800$12.84
3,900$13.18
4,000$13.52
4,100$13.86
4,200$14.30
4,300$14.53
4,400$14.87
4,500$15.21
4,600$15.55
4,700$15.89
4,800$16.22
4,900$16.56
5,000$16.90

 

Returning to Work

UReturn is the designated office to serve all employees (including faculty and staff) with any disability or medical condition requiring accommodations or adjustments. UReturn obtains and confidentially maintains medical documents, certifies eligibility for services, recommends adjustments or reasonable accommodations, and develops plans for the provision of these for employees with illness or injury. As a neutral party, Access Consultants assist employees and their supervisors in implementing appropriate accommodations/adjustments.

UReturn offers a confidential, voluntary, and neutral service to assist you in a successful return to work. To schedule a meeting with a UReturn Specialist, please call 612-624-3316 or 612-626-1333 (V/TTY), or 218-726-7725 in Duluth.

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