Short-term Disability Insurance
Short Term Disability insurance can help pay benefits if you become disabled and can’t work for a short amount of time. This coverage replaces a portion of your income when you can’t work because of a qualifying disability, including injury, physical disease, pregnancy or mental disorder.
You may receive weekly benefits that replace a specified percentage of your eligible earnings. Benefits begin after the short waiting period explained below. You may also receive help returning to work if you need accommodations.
What Your Benefit Provides
Short-term Disability:
60 percent of your eligible earnings, up to a maximum benefit of $500 per week. Plan minimum $10 per week.
Short-term Disability Upgrade:
60 percent of your eligible earnings, up to a maximum benefit of $500 per week. Plan minimum $10 per week.
Benefit Waiting Period
Short-term Disability:
- 30 days for accidental injury
- 30 days for physical disease, pregnancy or mental disorder
Short-term Disability Upgrade:
- 15 days for accidental injury
- 15 days for physical disease, pregnancy or mental disorder
How Long Your Benefits Last
Short-term Disability:
22 Weeks
Short-term Disability Upgrade:
24 Weeks
Requests for coverage increases require that you answer health questions. Submit a medical history statement for approval online at standard.com/mhs.
You’ll be automatically enrolled in the base plan if you don’t elect coverage and the policy becomes effective. See the Important Details section for more information, including requirements, exclusions, limitations and definitions.
Additional Features
Return to Work Incentive
You will remain eligible for STD Benefits while you are working if you meet the definition of disability. Your work earnings will not be deducted from your STD disability benefit, which is the benefit payable to you while you are working. Instead you will receive a STD proportionate benefit which is equal to your STD benefit, multiplied by your loss of earnings, divided by your indexed predisability earnings. Refer to your Certificate of Insurance for additional details.
Evaluate What Makes Sense For You
As you consider Short Term Disability insurance, think about the expenses you would need to cover if you became disabled:
- Housing costs
- Utilities
- Groceries
- Medical bills
- Car insurance
- Child care costs
Your employer provides you with a basic level of disability insurance. Will that be enough for you? If not, you have the option to enroll in an enhanced level of disability insurance.
To estimate your insurance needs, you’ll need to consider your unique circumstances. Use our online calculator at standard.com/disability/needs.
How Much Your Coverage Costs
Short-term Disability: $9.84
Short-term Disability Upgrade: $15.83
Eligibility Requirements
A minimum number of eligible employees must apply and qualify for the plan before the coverage can become effective. If this requirement is not met, this plan will not become effective.
To be eligible for coverage, you must be:
- A regular part-time Payroll Code B, E, F or L employee of Miami-Dade Public Schools who is a member of Bargaining Unit 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 9.
Part-time Employment: at least 10 hours weekly - A citizen or resident of the United States or Canada
Temporary and seasonal employees, full-time members of the armed forces, leased employees and independent contractors are not eligible.
Employee Coverage Effective Date
To become insured you must:
- Meet the eligibility requirements listed above
- Serve an eligibility waiting period,*
- Apply for coverage and agree to pay premium
- Receive medical underwriting approval (if applicable)
- Be actively at work (able to perform all normal duties of your job) on the day before the scheduled effective date of insurance
*If you are already a member on the group policy effective date, you are eligible on that date. If you become a member after the group policy effective date, you are eligible on the first day of the calendar month following the first payroll deduction as a member.
If you are not actively at work on the day before the scheduled effective date of insurance, your insurance will not become effective until the day after you complete one full day of active work as an eligible employee.
All late applications (applying 31 days after becoming eligible), requests for coverage increases and reinstatements are subject to medical underwriting approval. Employees eligible but not insured under the prior short term disability insurance plan are also subject to medical underwriting approval for buy-up coverage**. Please contact your human resources representative or plan administrator for more information regarding the requirements that must be satisfied for your insurance to become effective.
**Note: Evidence of insurability is not required during an approved open enrollment period.
Definition of Disability
You will be considered disabled if, as a result of physical disease, injury, pregnancy or mental disorder:
- You are unable to perform with reasonable continuity the material duties of your own occupation, or
- You are unable to earn more than 80 percent of your predisability earnings when you work for your employer
Tools and Resources
Exclusions
Subject to state variations, you are not covered for a disability caused or contributed to by any of the following:
- 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)
Limitations
Short 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
- Eligible to receive benefits for your disability under a workers’ compensation law or similar law
- Receiving sick-leave pay, annual or personal leave pay, severance pay or other salary continuation (including donated amounts) from your employer
When Your Benefits End
Your Short Term Disability benefits end automatically on the date any of the following occur:
- You are no longer disabled
- Your maximum benefit period ends
- Long term disability benefits become payable to you under a long term disability plan issued by The Standard
- You pass away
Deductible Income
Your benefits will be reduced if you have deductible income, which is income you receive or are eligible to receive while receiving Short Term Disability benefits. Deductible income includes:
- Amounts under unemployment compensation law
- Amounts under any state disability income benefit law or similar law
- Earnings from work activity while you are disabled.
- Earnings or compensation included in your predisability earnings which you receive or are eligible to receive while Short Term Disability benefits are payable
- Any amount you receive by compromise, settlement or other method as a result of a claim for any of the above
When Your Insurance Ends
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 (or your employer’s coverage under 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
Group Insurance Certificate
Office of Risk and Benefits Management
1501 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Suite 335
Miami, Florida 33132
Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
www.dadeschools.net
305-995-7129
FBMC Service Center
Mon - Fri, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET
1-855-MDC-PS4U (1-855-632-7748)