Short Term Disability

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Short Term Disability (STD) is voluntary insurance for City of Mesa full-time, active and part-time, benefit eligible employees and is insured and administered by Unum. STD benefits pay 66 2/3% of an employee's weekly base pay at the time a disability commenced (after waiting period) for a maximum of six months. For part-time employees, STD benefits pay 66 2/3% of an employees weekly budgeted hours. Please be aware during the first six months of coverage, pre-existing conditions may not be covered or may have limited benefits under this plan. Employees may contact Unum to file a claim by phone, 8am to 8pm EST (except holidays).

Short Term Disability Contact Information:

STD Plan administered by:	Unum
Address:	PO Box 100158, Columbia, SC 29202-3158
Group Number:	473015
Customer Service Number:	1.888.673.9940
Online Employee Portal:	www.unum.com

How to Calculate Your Monthly Premium & Weekly Benefit

The monthly cost and weekly benefit amounts can be calculated by using the following formula:

2024 UNUM Monthly Cost & Weekly Benefit Calculations
Plan Option Elimination/Waiting Period	Monthly Cost per $10 of Weekly Benefit
14 - Day	$0.675
29 - Day	$0.177
44 - Day	$0.146

	/ 52=		X .6667 =		/ 10 =		X		=
Your annual earnings		Your weekly earnings		Your benefit max = $2,000				Rate from above based on desired Waiting Period		Your Monthly Premium

To file a disability claim, contact Unum at 1 (888) 673-9940.

Know when it's time to file your claim: If you are scheduled to be out of work, such as an upcoming hospital stay, you will want to file your paperless-telephonic claim within 30 days of your last day worked. If your absence is unscheduled, call as soon as possible.

Have the following information ready:
• Your address
• Employer name (City of Mesa)
• Policy number 473015
• Last day of active full-time work
• Salary
• Nature of your claim
• Treating physician's name, address, phone and fax numbers
Make the call: Dial 1.888.673.9940 to file your telephonic claim with a Unum Disability Customer Service Representative

Following Up On a Claim

Unum will contact your physician to request additional information. If they don't receive a timely response from your physician's office, Unum may recommend that you contact your physician directly in order to expedite the request. Once your claim has been processed, you should call Unum directly with any questions you may have. Note that if your disability needs to be extended past the initial approval date, it is your responsibility to contact Unum and let them know that your status may need to be extended.

Managing Your Claim

Check your claim status, correspondence, and updates online - anytime. Unum has developed a secure and easy way for you to manage your disability claim online at www.unum.com/claims. Unum's secure web services allow you to access and make changes to your open claims as well as view updates and correspondence when they become available.

Unum's secure site helps eliminate delays and is simple to use. Here are a few main features of the site:

Sign up and submit your electronic disability authorization form.
Upload documents for disability claims from your personal computer.
Register for direct deposit of your claim payment.
Check claim status, correspondence and most recent payment information.
Verify and change personal information and monitor your claim progress.

You may also manage your claim with the Unum Customer App available for Apple and Android devices.

FAQs

Why should I consider Short-Term Disability (STD) Insurance?

Short-term disability insurance provides income replacement for non-job related injuries or illnesses that render you unable to work for a limited time period (up to 6 months). Enrolling in the City’s voluntary STD plan provides income replacement up to 66 2/3% of your base weekly salary to a maximum weekly benefit of $2,000 (reduced by any other income benefits you might receive for the same time period, such as sick pay).
What is the Waiting Period for Short-Term Disability benefits and is it work or calendar days that are counted?

The STD benefit waiting period (also known, as elimination period), is the number of calendar days before your short-term disability insurance can begin to pay benefits for time lost from work due to a disability (non-work related sickness or injury). It is best thought of as a “deductible” period for your STD policy. For example, let’s say you are enrolled in the 14-day waiting period STD plan and you are approved for disability benefits. Benefits will pay weekly from the fifteenth calendar day of disability and for your continuing period of disability up to a maximum of 26 weeks of disability.
Can I use sick pay to cover my time during the waiting period?

Yes, you can use sick then vacation pay to cover your time while you are in an STD waiting period. However, once STD benefits begin to pay (i.e., after the 14, 29 or 44 day of waiting period—depending on your plan election), you can no longer draw sick or vacation time. In other words, you cannot receive STD benefits and collect sick/vacation pay for the same calendar days/time.
Is my STD benefit payment taxable income?

No, benefit payments received for STD are not taxable income for Federal or State income tax purposes. Since you pay STD premium with after-tax dollars, your STD benefit payments are tax-free.
Are health insurance and retirement contributions deducted from my short-term disability check?

No. No healthcare premiums or retirement contributions are deducted from your short-term disability check. You will receive a direct invoice in the mail from the Payroll office for your medical, dental, vision, short-term disability and supplemental life insurance premiums. You must pay billed premiums by the specified due date. Any missed contributions to your Flexible Spending Accounts (either Health or Dependent Care) will need to be made up when you return to work. Once you return to work and start receiving a City paycheck, Employee Benefits will recalculate your FSA contributions to account for the missing contributions and you will see an increased contribution on your paycheck. You are not billed for any missed retirement contributions.

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