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Voluntary Long Term Disability Insurance

The City offers a long-term disability policy through Sun Life, administered by Mosse & Mosse. This policy will allow employees to purchase voluntary Long Term Disability coverage.

Please read carefully the following description of your Sun Life Income Protection Plan insurance. Please refer to the full document for additional information on the LTD Plan.

Your Plan Eligibility

You are eligible for disability coverage if you are an active employee in the United States working a minimum of 20 hours per week. The date you are eligible for coverage is the later of: the plan effective date; or the day after you complete the waiting period.

Current Employees: Current employees may enroll at any time and will be required to complete an enrollment form and an evidence of insurability form. Your coverage will be medically underwritten, and will not begin until Unum determines that you qualify based on information you provide regarding your health history.

New Hires: You may apply for coverage without answering any medical questions or providing evidence of insurability if you apply for coverage within 31 days after your eligibility date. You will need to complete an enrollment form. You can apply any time during the year, however, if you apply more than 31 days after your eligibility date, your coverage will be medically underwritten, and your coverage will not begin until Unum determines that you qualify based on information you provide regarding your health history.

Sun Life LTD Enrollment Form
Evidence of Insurability Form

Benefit Amount

You may purchase a monthly benefit of 60% of your monthly earnings, but not to exceed a monthly maximum benefit of $10,000. The definition of earnings is your current salary.

The total benefit payable to you on a monthly basis (including all benefits provided under this plan) will not exceed 100% of your monthly earnings unless the excess amount is payable as a Cost of Living Adjustment. However, if you are participating in Sun Life's Rehabilitation and Return to Work Assistance program, the total benefit payable to you on a monthly basis (including all benefits provided under this plan) will not exceed 110% of your monthly earnings (unless the excess amount is payable as a Cost of Living Adjustment).

Elimination Period

The Elimination Period is the length of time of continuous disability, due to sickness or injury, which must be satisfied before you are eligible to receive benefits. Your Elimination Period is 90 days.

City of Somerville Long Term Disability Plan Outline

  • LTD monthly benefit is 60%of gross pay to a maximum of $10,000 per month. All benefits will be paid income tax-free, both federal and state, because the employees are paying the premium with post-tax payroll deductions.
  • Elimination Period: 90 Calendar days. This is the length of time that one has to be out of work due to a disability before collecting benefits.
  • Maximum Benefit Duration: benefits payable for disability to Social Security Retirement Age (age 60 and older follow ADEA schedule, see below)

Exclusions:

  • Intentional self-inflicted injury
  • War, declared or undeclared, or any act of war
  • Active participation in a riot, rebellion or insurrection
  • Committing or attempting to commit an assault, felony or other illegal act

Two-year limitation on benefits for:

  • Outpatient drug and alcohol abuse
  • Outpatient mental and nervous disorder

Residual/Partial Benefit: During elimination and benefit period, an employee showing a 20% or greater earnings loss due to disability is benefit eligible. In the elimination period, the days worked on partial basis count towards fulfillment of period. After the elimination period, the employee will receive partial benefits not to exceed 100% of pre-disability earnings.

Integration/Minimum benefit: the “double dip rule” - plan offsets with other forms of income including workers’ compensation, 111F, social security and retirement awards. The minimum benefit is $100 per month or 10% of the benefit.

Two Year Own Occupation: This is the definition of disability and states that employees are considered disabled if, due to injury or illness, they can no longer perform the duties of their own occupation for first 24 months of disability.

Survivor benefit: 3 months: If an employee passes after having collected disability benefits for at least six months, the employee’s beneficiary will receive a 3-month lump sum benefit.

One time waiver of 3/12 Pre-Existing Condition Clause for active employees: Active employees with a pre-existing condition that enroll during this one-time open enrollment will not have to fulfill a pre-existing condition clause and will be covered on the effective date of the plan. Employees must not be on any type of leave from work in order to enroll.

How much does the plan cost?

Below is an example of how to calculate your monthly cost. Rates are tailored specifically to each employee’s individual annual salary. Rates are also based on each employee’s age and employees will attain a new banded rate as they age.  Rates are guaranteed for at least 3 years from the effective date of the program.

Age

Band Rates
$0.083
25-29 $0.158
30-34 $0.285
35-39 $0.413
40-44 $0.623
45-49 $0.825
50-54 $0.938
55-59 $1.065
60-64 $1.080
65-69 $0.705
70+ $0.660

Formula for individual cost:

  • Annual Salary / $100 x Rate = Annual Premium
  • Annual Premium / 12 = Monthly Cost

Cost Example: Age 45, earning $50,000:

  • $50,000 / $100 x $0.825 = $412.50 Annual Cost
  • $412.50 / 12 = $34.38 Monthly Cost

Maximum Benefit Duration Schedule

Year of Birth Normal Retirement Age
Before 1938 Age 65
1938 Age 65 and 2 months
1939 Age 65 and 4 months
1940 Age 65 and 6 months
1941 Age 65 and 8 months
1942 Age 65 and 10 months
1943 through 1954 Age 66
1955 Age 66 and 2 months
1956 Age 66 and 4 months
1957 Age 66 and 6 months
1958 Age 66 and 8 months
1959 Age 66 and 10 months
After 1959 Age 67

Duration of Benefit Schedule - ADEA

Age at Disablement Duration of Benefit
Age 59 or less To age 65, but not less than 60 months
Age 60 60 months
Age 61 48 months
Age 62 42 months
Age 63 36 months
Age 64 30 months
Age 65 24 months
Age 66 21 months
Age 67 18 months
Age 68 15 months
Age 69 or older 12 months

*Maximum Benefit Period is SSNRA or ADEA whichever is greater


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