Combining Disability Features for Greater Flexibility

Your Choice Group Voluntary Disability insurance provides employees with the opportunity to purchase coverage at competitive group rates and allows them to tailor benefits to fit their personal needs.

Your Choice offers traditional Long Term Disability (LTD) combined with certain Short Term Disability (STD) features. As with our traditional LTD insurance, Your Choice pays a monthly benefit to eligible employees who are partially or totally disabled. But Your Choice also adds popular STD features and allows employees to choose the benefit waiting period, benefit amount in $100 increments and maximum benefit period most appropriate for their income protection needs. For employees, it’s all about choice.

For employers, it’s all about ease. Plan administration with Your Choice is simplified because one plan can meet all disability insurance needs. And with premiums paid by employees through payroll deductions, it’s easy for them to get the coverage they want without significantly impacting an employer’s bottom line.

For employees, it’s all about choice.

• Three Maximum Benefit Periods are available – Social Security Normal Retirement Age, 2 or 5 years.
• Six accident/sickness Benefit Waiting Periods are available – 0/7, 14/14, 30/30, 60/60, 90/90 and 180/180.
• Monthly Benefit Amounts may be selected in $100 increments, from as little as $200 up to the lesser of $8,000 or 60% of predisability earnings.

Your Choice coverage includes the most sought-after disability insurance features.

• 90-Day Preexisting Condition Waiver
  For the first 90 days of disability, benefits are paid even if the employee has a preexisting condition.
• Lifetime Security Benefit
  The LTD benefits are extended beyond the regular Maximum Benefit Period for individuals who are severely disabled.¹
• Family Care Expenses Adjustment
  Disabled employees faced with the added expense of family care when returning to work may receive combined income from LTD benefits and work earnings in excess of 100% of indexed predisability earnings during the first 12 months immediately after a disabled employee’s return to work.
• Reasonable Accommodation Expense Benefit
  Subject to The Standard’s prior approval, a portion of an employer’s expenses from work-site modifications that result in a disabled employee’s return to work are paid.
• Rehabilitation Plan Provision
  Subject to The Standard’s prior approval, expenses from training and education, family (child and elder) care and job-search are paid.
• Return to Work Incentive
  For the first 12 months after returning to work, the employee’s LTD benefit will not be reduced by work earnings until work earnings plus the LTD benefit exceed 100% of predisability earnings.
• Survivor Benefit
  Payment to specified dependents of the insured are made to help address a family’s financial need in the event of the disabled employee’s death.
• Employee Assistance Program
  Offered through Horizon Behavioral Health, this benefit is automatically included with LTD coverage for groups with 10 to 2,499 insured employees.

Employers may include these additional options.

• First Day Hospital Benefit
  The Benefit Waiting Period will be satisfied if an insured employee is admitted as a hospital inpatient for at least four hours.²
• Dependent Education Benefit
  A monthly benefit will be provided for disabled employees who have children or a spouse enrolled, full time, in an accredited institution beyond high school.
• Occupational Exclusion
  This cost-saving feature may be added to limit coverage only to disabilities that occur off the job.