Long Term Disability insurance can help pay the bills if you become disabled and can’t work for an extended period. That could be a few months or several years. This coverage helps replace part of your paycheck. That can help you protect your lifestyle and savings.  You can get help returning to work when you’re ready. This Long Term Disability coverage includes incentives and assistance to help you get back to work. The Standard may also help pay the costs of modifying your workplace to accommodate your needs.

60% of your eligible earnings, up to a maximum benefit of $7,500 per month. Plan minimum per month: The greater of $100 or 10 percent of the Long Term Disability benefit.

This is the amount per month you would receive if you experience a qualifying disability. Eligible earnings are your monthly insured predisability earnings, as defined by the group policy. Your monthly benefit will be reduced by deductible income. Please see the Important Details section for a list of deductible income sources.

180 days.

If you experience a qualifying disability, your benefit waiting period is the length of time you must be continuously disabled before you can begin receiving your monthly benefit.

Until age 67

Depending on your age at the time of disability, your benefits may be subject to a different schedule. Refer to the Maximum Benefit Period table in the Important Details section for specifics. 

This is the maximum length of time you could be eligible to receive disability benefits for a continuous disability.

Help With Returning To Work

This plan provides incentives to help you get back to work. For instance, you’ll get help paying for some of the expenses associated with participating in an approved rehabilitation plan.

If a worksite modification would enable you to return to work, the coverage can help your employer make approved modifications.

You may also be eligible to receive an additional benefit of 10 percent of your predisability earnings for participating in an approved rehabilitation plan, subject to the plan maximum.

Survivors Benefit

If you die while receiving benefits, your survivor may be eligible to receive a one-time additional payment.

Family Care Expense Benefit

Applies if you are disabled, have returned to work and continue to receive Long Term Disability benefits. For 24 months, a portion of qualified expenses (up to $250 per dependent or $500 per family, per month) is deducted from your work earnings.

Getting by without a paycheck isn’t easy, especially for an extended period of time. Make sure you have enough financial protection to help you cover your housing costs, utilities and other bills.

To estimate your insurance needs, you’ll need to consider your unique circumstances. Use our online calculator at standard.com/disability/needs.

Because this insurance is offered through Miami-Dade County Public Schools, you’ll have access to competitive group rates that may be more affordable than those available through

individual insurance. You’ll also have the convenience of having your premium deducted directly from your paycheck.

Note: Your monthly rate is 0.651 percent of your insured monthly earnings.

To estimate your monthly premium use the calculator below.

Subject to state variations, you are not covered for a disability caused or contributed to by any of the following:

• Your committing or attempting to commit an assault or felony, or your active participation in a violent disorder or riot
• An intentionally self-inflicted injury, while sane or insane
• War or any act of war (declared or undeclared, and any substantial armed conflict between organized forces of a military nature)
• The loss of your professional or occupational license or certification
• A preexisting condition or the medical or surgical treatment of a preexisting condition unless on the date you become disabled, you have been continuously insured under the group policy for the exclusion period and you have been actively at work for at least one full day after the end of the exclusion period

A preexisting condition is a mental or physical condition whether or not diagnosed or misdiagnosed during the 90-day period just before your insurance becomes effective:

• For which you or a reasonably prudent person would have consulted a physician or other licensed medical professional; received medical treatment, services or advice; undergone diagnostic procedures, including self-administered procedures; or taken prescribed drugs or medications
• Which, as a result of any medical examination, including routine examination, was discovered or suspected

Long Term Disability benefits are not payable for any period when you are:

• Not under the ongoing care of a physician in the appropriate specialty, as determined by The Standard
• Not participating in good faith in a plan, program or course of medical treatment or vocational training or education approved by The Standard, unless your disability prevents you from participating
• Confined for any reason in a penal or correctional institution
• Able to work during the 24 month own occupation period and earn at least 20 percent of your indexed predisability earnings, but you elect not to work. During the 24 month own occupation period the responsibility to work is limited to work in your own occupation; thereafter, the responsibility to work includes work in any occupation.

In addition, the length of time you can receive Long Term Disability payments will be limited if:

• You reside outside of the United States or Canada
• Your disability is caused or contributed to by mental disorders, substance abuse or the environment, chronic fatigue conditions, chronic pain conditions, carpal tunnel or repetitive motion syndrome, temporomandibular joint disorder or craniomandibular joint disorder.

Your Long Term Disability benefits end automatically on the date any of the following occur:

• You are no longer disabled
• You maximum benefit period ends
• Benefits become payable under any other disability insurance plan under which you become insured through employment during a period of temporary recovery
• You fail to provide proof of continued disability and entitlement to benefits
• You pass away

Your benefits will be reduced if you have deductible income, which is income you receive or are eligible to receive while receiving Long Term Disability benefits. Deductible income includes:

• Sick pay, annual or personal leave pay, severance pay or other forms of salary continuation (including donated amounts) paid to you by your employer that exceeds 100 percent of your indexed predisability earnings when added to your Long Term Disability benefit
• Benefits under any workers’ compensation law or similar law
• Amounts under unemployment compensation law
• Social Security disability or retirement benefits, including benefits for your spouse and children
• Amounts because of your disability from any other group insurance
• Any disability or retirement benefits you received or are eligible to receive from your employer’s retirement plan
• Benefits under any state disability income benefit law or similar law
• Earnings from work activity while you are disabled, plus the earnings you could receive if you work as much as your disability allows
• Earnings or compensation included in your predisability earnings which you receive or are eligible to receive while Long Term Disability benefits are payable
• Amounts due from or on behalf of a third party because of your disability, whether by judgment, settlement or other method
• Any amount you receive by compromise, settlement or other method as a result of a claim for any of the above

Your insurance ends automatically when any of the following occur:

• The date the last period ends for which a premium was paid
• The date your employment terminates
• The date the group policy terminates
• The date you cease to meet the eligibility requirements (insurance may continue for limited periods under certain circumstances)
• The date Miami-Dade County Public Schools ends participation in the group policy

If coverage becomes effective, and you become insured, you will receive a group insurance certificate containing a detailed description of the insurance coverage, including the definitions, exclusions, limitations, reductions and terminating events. The controlling provisions will be in the group policy. The information present in this summary does not modify the group policy, certificate or the insurance coverage in any way.