Benefits » Other Insurance » Short-Term Disability Insurance
LANS offers two disability plans, Short Term and Supplemental, to help protect you against a total loss of income if you are unable to work due to pregnancy, disabling injury, or illness.
The LANS Retirement Plan offers Permanent Disability benefits if your disability is permanent or expected to last 12 consecutive months or longer.
LANS employees are automatically enrolled in a Short-Term Disability plan that provides basic short-term benefits coverage for nonwork-related disabilities, including pregnancy, disabling injury, or illness. You must be under a doctor's direct and continuous care. (Note: LANS's Short-Term Disability plan carries no restrictions for preexisting conditions.)
LANS pays the entire cost of your coverage for Short-Term Disability.
| Short-Term Disability | |
|---|---|
| Pays | For how long? |
| 55% of your eligible earnings, up to $800/month (max.)* |
Up to 6 months (max.) |
* This is the month before to your disability date.
You also have the option of adding Supplemental insurance for broader coverage.
While on a disability-related leave, you may continue your insurance coverage by paying premiums directly to the Lab's Payroll Office.
Note: Before you take any kind of leave without pay, please contact the Lab's Benefits Office at 505-667-1806 to ensure your insurance(s) remain active.
If you decide to be covered by Short-Term Disability alone, the waiting period before benefits start is automatically a minimum of seven days. (A waiting period is the time from the day you are unable to work due to an injury, illness, or pregnancy until the day the disability benefits start. In general, you must use your accrued sick leave first, then supplement any remaining portion of the waiting period with vacation leave and/or leave without pay.)
Employees enrolled only in Short-Term Disability (without any Supplemental Disability Insurance) do not have an option to change the 7-day waiting period. This option is only available with Supplemental Insurance.
LANS's disability plans allow employees to stay at work or return to work (SAW/RTW) on a part-time basis while still receiving partial disability benefits. The SAW/RTW provisions allow you to work and collect partial benefits in several ways. Benefits will be payable if the amount you earn from working is less than or equal to 80% of your original salary.
If you receive disability benefits from Social Security, contact them at 1-800-772-1213 regarding RTW benefits for which you may be eligible.
Please contact your Disability Coordinator for an explanation on how the disability plans replace wages you lose while unable to work when on maternity leave.
This is only an overview of the Short-Term Disability insurance plan. For more information on Short-Term Disability insurance, refer to the Short Term Insurance Benefit Program Summary (pdf).
Questions? Contact the Lab's Benefits Office at 505-667-1806.