The University of Minnesota provides paid medical leave and long-term disability benefits to faculty and academic professional and administrative (P&A) employees who are unable to perform their work duties due to a certified mental or physical health condition. These benefits are provided through the Academic Disability Program.

Eligibility

Faculty and Professional and Administrative (P&A) employees who hold a 67% time or greater appointment for not less than nine months during a calendar year are eligible (with some exceptions) to participate in the Academic Disability Program.

The eligible job classifications are:

• 94XX series (excluding visiting, adjunct, or clinical employees from outside the University
• 93XX series
• 96XX series
• 97XX series (excluding 9755 - research specialist, 9756 - clinical preceptor, and 9757 - industrial fellow)

Program Benefits

The University of Minnesota and Standard Insurance Company (The Standard) administer the Academic Disability Program under the following plan and policy.

The Academic Disability Plan (plan document 645269-A)

A self-insured plan that pays benefits biweekly through the University's payroll for the first twelve months of disability.

Group Long Term Disability Insurance Policy (policy 645270-A)

An insured long-term disability policy that pays a monthly disability benefit directly from The Standard beginning with the second year of disability. Benefits may be paid up to Social Security retirement age, with continued certification of disability.

The Academic Disability Program provides several integrated benefits to replace part of your earnings and to ensure continued health coverage during a period of partial or total disability. These benefits include:

• Medical Leave Benefit – income replacement during months 1-3
• Disability Benefit – income replacement during months 4-12
• Long-term Disability Benefit – income replacement from month 13 to retirement age
• Subsidized Health Coverage
• Faculty Retirement Plan Contribution
• Life Insurance Waiver of Premium
• Return to Work Assistance through UReturn

Medical Leave Benefit

Medical leave is available through your department for up to three calendar months of partial or total disability. You are required to call the claims administrator, Standard Insurance Company (The Standard) at 1-888-414-0377 after 14 days of disability to file a claim for medical leave benefits. The Standard will contact your health care provider directly and is responsible for certifying your disability status. With continued certification by The Standard, you will be eligible to receive full salary from your department for up to three months.

Delay in contacting The Standard or in providing required documentation may result in a suspension of paid benefits during your medical leave.

Disability Benefit (self-insured by the University)

If your leave of absence is greater than three months, the University provides a disability benefit that replaces 66 2/3 percent to 100 percent of your income during months 4 through twelve, depending on your years of service with the University. The disability benefit is based on your average predisability earnings* and is paid according to the following schedule:

Years of Service	Percent of Income Replaced by Disability Benefit
	Month 4 through 6	Month 7 through 9	Month 10 through day 365
Less than 2 years of service	66 2/3%	66 2/3%	66 2/3%
2 to 10 years of service	100%	66 2/3%	66 2/3%
More than 10 years of service – 9 month appointments	100%	100%	66 2/3%
More than 10 years of service – 12 month appointments	100%	100%	100%

*Predisability earnings include, but are not limited to basic salary, augmentation, increment, commutation, summer research, summer teaching, and certain lifetime awards.

The base benefit of 66 2/3 percent covers salaries up to $225,000 per year with a maximum biweekly benefit of $5,769.23 (or $12,500 monthly). The University pays the full premium for your disability benefit; therefore, the resulting benefit is considered taxable income.

Adjustments to the disability benefit may be made to correct any overpayment of salary that occurs while you are on medical or disability leave.

Long-term Disability Benefit (insured by The Standard)

The Standard will assume responsibility for claim benefit payments beginning with the second year of disability. The long-term disability benefit will be paid directly to you on a monthly basis. You may choose one of three payment options: check, direct deposit, or debit card. Long-term disability benefits may be paid to Social Security Normal Retirement Age with continued certification of disability. (See Termination of Benefits to determine your normal retirement age.)

Subsidized Health Coverage

You are eligible to remain in the University's health plan (UPlan) indefinitely while you are disabled. Depending on your years of service, the University may continue to subsidize your medical, dental, and life insurance coverage for a period of time according to the chart below. The subsidy is the portion of the total cost of your medical, dental, and life insurance coverage that the University contributes, and is based on the rate contributed for similarly situated, active employees. After your subsidy period expires, you may remain in the UPlan by paying the full cost of the coverage.

	Coverage during Medical Leave	Coverage during Academic Disability	Coverage during Academic Long Term Disability with The Standard
Members with less than 2 years of service	3 months	None	None
Members with 2 to 10 years of service	3 months	9 months	None
Members with more than 10 years of service	3 months	9 months	365 days

During the first year of disability, the employee-paid portion of your coverage will be deducted from the disability benefit paid through the University payroll. If you are eligible for a second year of subsidy, you will be billed directly from Employee Benefits for the employee cost of your coverage. When the subsidy ends, your coverage will be transferred to the medical and dental plan administrators. They will bill you directly on a monthly basis for the full cost of your coverage. If you are on a partial disability, you may continue to qualify for subsidized coverage if you are working 50 percent time or greater of a 100 percent appointment.

Faculty Retirement Plan Contribution

In general, your Faculty Retirement Plan contribution is based on the level of your disability benefit. If you are on an active appointment and are participating in the Faculty Retirement Plan at the onset of disability, you will continue to receive a full contribution to your retirement account while you are on claim. If you are on an active appointment and on a partial disability, you will continue to contribute based on your work earnings and the Academic Disability Program will contribute the remaining amount to equal a full contribution of 15.5% of predisability salary.

Contributions during the first year of disability are made through the University payroll system and are included under Employer Paid Benefits on your pay statement. If you are working part-time, contributions made by you and the University will be included under Before-Tax Deductions and the remaining contribution from the disability program will be included under Employer Paid Benefits.

Beginning with the second year of disability, contributions are made monthly by the Academic Disability Program and are deposited directly with your investment company.

Life Insurance Waiver of Premium

The basic life insurance policy under the UPlan includes a disability benefit in the form of a premium waiver. If you become totally disabled, all premiums for basic life, additional life, spouse/same-sex domestic partner life, and child life insurance coverage in force at the onset of disability will be waived following a six-month waiting period. Subject to continuous total disability, this coverage will remain in force until age 70 without further payment of premium.

If you have a terminal condition (defined as a condition caused by sickness or accident that directly results in a life expectancy of 12 months or less), you may be eligible for an accelerated payment of the benefits provided under this group policy.

Return to Work Assistance through UReturn

UReturn is the designated University office to serve employees with a disability or medical condition requiring accommodations or 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 (v) or 612-626-1333 (v/tty), or 218-722-5232 in Duluth.

Confidentiality

The University takes its responsibility for confidentiality very seriously. Within the Office of Human Resources, disability records are maintained in Employee Benefits and are not included with personnel files.

When you apply for disability benefits, the medical information that you and your health care provider submit may be shared with other pertinent parties. By signing the Authorization to Obtain Information form from The Standard, you are consenting to this release of information.

Disclaimer

While the principal features of the Academic Disability Program are described here, these descriptions are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the group disability polices and University policy governing sick and disability leaves.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information. In the event of an error, the plan document for the Academic Disability Plan (policy 645269-A) and the certificate of coverage for the Group Long Term Disability Insurance Policy (645270-A) will govern. These documents can be viewed at  http://www.standard.com/mybenefits/uminn/academic_dis.html.

The Sick & Disability Leaves for Academic Employees administrative policy is located at  http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/policies/leaves/sickdisleaves.html