Macalester offers the following disability insurance in the event of a qualifying disability. If you are disabled by a condition that was treated within the last 3 months, or caused a prior disability within the last 12 months, it may be subject to a pre-existing condition exclusion.
Contact Employment Services for enrollment and enrollment changes.
| Insurance | Group | Minimum FTE | Paid By | Coverage Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Term Disability | Staff and Faculty | 0.75 FTE | Macalester | Greater than 90 days |
| Short Term Disability | Staff | 0.50 FTE | Employee | Less than 90 days |
| Short Term Emergency Leave | Faculty | See Short Term Emergency Leave | ||
Long-Term Disability Insurance
Macalester provides long‐term disability (LTD) insurance for you through Sun Life Insurance Company. Macalester pays 100% of the premium for you. Employees with full-time employee benefit status (0.75 FTE or greater) are automatically enrolled in the LTD program.
Long-Term Disability Plan Highlights
| Group | Waiting Period | Benefit Amount | Maximum Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty | 90 days | 60% of basic monthly earnings | $10,000 per month |
| Staff (Non-CBU) | 90 days | 60% of basic monthly earnings | $10,000 per month |
| Staff (CBU) | 90 days | 66 2/3% of basic monthly earnings | $10,000 per month |
- Benefit amounts could be reduced by deductible sources of income and disability earnings.
- Benefit duration is to age 67 when a qualifying disability occurs before age 62. Disabilities occurring after age 62 have limited benefit durations. Your certificate contains more detailed information.
- Some disabilities may not be covered and some disabilities may have limited coverage under this plan. Refer to your certificate for more information about plan limitations and exclusions.
- Rehabilitation and Return to Work Assistance: When you participate in this program as a disabled employee, an additional 10% of your gross disability payment may be paid to you up to $1,000 maximum per month.
- Dependent Care Expense Benefit: While participating in the Rehabilitation and Return to Work Assistance program, you may receive additional payments to cover certain dependent care expenses.
Short-Term Disability Insurance
Macalester offers staff members an optional short‐term disability plan through Sun Life Financial. Staff members with a .5 FTE and above are eligible for this benefit. This plan is paid by you and intended to cover qualifying disabilities due to accidents and illnesses off the job. This plan provides total and partial disability protection (as defined in the contract) and is portable with the benefits not integrated with other income sources. Short Term Disability plan highlights include:
You can design your own benefit to meet your needs:
- Select the duration of coverage. Options are: 12 weeks, 11 weeks or 9 weeks
- Select coverage up to 60% of your basic weekly earnings in increments of $10. Maximum benefits are $1,500 per week.
- Select the amount of time disabled before the benefit starts. Options are: 8 days, 15 days or 30 days.
Should I elect Short-Term Disability Insurance?
If your combined sick and vacation balance is higher than 465 hours (pro-rated per FTE), short-term disability insurance would not provide a great deal of benefit for you. If your sick leave balance is less than 465 hours, you may want to elect short-term disability insurance and elect a waiting period in alignment with your available sick and vacation balances. Please contact Employment Services for assistance in enrolling in Short-Term Disability Insurance.
Employee Premiums
- The premiums for this benefit are paid by you and are deducted from your paycheck through payroll deduction.
- Calculate your cost by dividing your weekly benefit by 10 and multiplying the result by the rate found in the chart below. Follow the example below to determine your monthly cost.
| Choice 1 | Choice 2 | Choice 3 | |
| Benefit Period | 12 weeks | 11 weeks | 9 weeks |
| Benefit Maximum | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| Benefit start | 8th day | 15th day | 30th day |
| Your Age | Rate | Rate | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-24 | $.652 | $.458 | $.174 |
| 25-29 | $.688 | $.514 | $.247 |
| 30-34 | $.570 | $.426 | $.194 |
| 35-39 | $.422 | $.325 | $.142 |
| 40-44 | $.305 | $.244 | $.107 |
| 45-49 | $.325 | $.263 | $.117 |
| 50-54 | $.394 | $.319 | $.142 |
| 55-59 | $.507 | $.403 | $.181 |
| 60-64 | $.609 | $.477 | $.215 |
| 65-69 | $.651 | $.544 | $.248 |
| 70+ | $.640 | $.574 | $.265 |
Calculate Your Monthly Premium
| Example | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Benefit (60% of earnings) |
Divided by 10 | Multiplied by rate | = | Monthly cost |
| $350 | /10 = 35 | x $0.40 | = | $14.00 |