Disability
Disability coverage continues a portion of your paycheck if a serious illness, injury or pregnancy keeps you from working. It's the companion to your life insurance benefit — together, they make up your protection benefits
MNPS offers short-term and long-term disability coverage through Dearborn National. Both plans are employee-paid. See the Plan Rates page for your cost.
Filing a Claim
If you become disabled and need to file a claim, contact Dearborn National at 1-800-348-4512.
You must be enrolled in a disability plan to receive disability benefits — so make sure your coverage is active before you need it.
Short-Term Disability
Short-term disability coverage bridges the gap between Sick Leave and long-term disability coverage.
- Benefits begin after a 14-day waiting period.
- Plan pays 60% of your weekly earnings, up to $1,150/week.
- Benefits continue up to 13 weeks or until long-term disability begins — whichever comes first.
Long-Term Disability
Long-term disability benefits pick up where short-term disability leaves off.
- Benefits begin after 90 days of total disability (waiting period).
- Plan replaces 60% of your earnings, up to $5,000 a month.
- Benefits continue until your disability ends or you reach normal Social Security retirement age, whichever comes first.
Note: If your disability begins at age 62 or older, your benefits duration may differ. See the official plan documents for more information.
Benefit Limits
Disability benefits will not be paid for any disability resulting from a pre-existing condition. A pre-existing condition is generally one you received treatment, advice or a prescription for in the 12 months before your coverage began — even if it wasn't formally diagnosed. This limit applies:
- For short-term disability: during your first 12 months of coverage
- For long-term disability: during your first 24 months of coverage, unless you had no treatment for that condition for 12 consecutive months after your coverage began
Benefits may also be reduced by other disability benefits you're eligible to receive, such as Social Security disability payments.
Do You Need Disability Coverage?
Ask yourself: Could you and your family manage financially if you couldn't work for weeks or months? If the answer is uncertain, disability coverage is worth considering.
When enrolling, keep in mind:
- You can elect short-term disability during any Annual Enrollment without answering health questions.
- If you waive long-term disability when first offered and choose to enroll later, you may need to answer medical questions and be approved before your coverage takes effect. You'll be notified during online enrollment if this applies to you.
