Bentley provides full-time employees with long term disability (LTD) insurance as partial replacement in the event of extended illness/disability of six months or more.
Eligibility
Full-time faculty and staff are eligible.
Waiting Period
Faculty and staff are enrolled as of the first of the month following date of hire.
Plan Provisions
Plan benefits begin after an employee has been disabled and absent from work for at least six months (180 consecutive days) and has exhausted all accrued sick time, personal time and vacation time. An employee who meets this criteria will be paid 40% of base salary in effect as of the date of disability. An employee who has elected to increase their coverage to a 60% level through payroll deduction contributions may be eligible for benefits equal to 60% of salary. This election must be made within 31 days of eligibility or medical information will be required for consideration. Long-term disability benefits require the completion documentation, and a claim must be approved by the insurance carrier before benefits can begin. If the medical information does not satisfy the carrier's definition of long-term disability, benefits will be denied.
Benefit Period
Benefits are paid monthly during the length of the disability. All employees receive a certificate of insurance which describes the benefit periods and restrictions in more detail.
Plan Administration
The plan will be administered through an LTD application to Human Resources containing information from the attending physician concerning diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Human Resources provides this information, as well as information about the physical requirements of the employee's job, to the LTD insurance carrier which makes the final decision regarding the claim. LTD is paid in the form of a monthly check from the insurance carrier. Benefits continue during LTD, but in theabsence of a Bentley paycheck, employees are billed at home for their contributions. Health and dental benefits continue for a maximum of 2 years provided contributions are made monthly, then COBRA coverage applies. Sick and vacation time does not accrue during LTD. An employee collecting Workers' Compensation benefits may apply for LTD benefits, but benefits would be offset by any amount received under Workers' Compensation.
This policy may be amended at any time.
Updated October 2008