Short Term Disability Benefit Procedures

These procedures are for eligible faculty and administrative employees.

Prerequisite

To apply for the College's Short Term Disability (STD) benefit, the employee must be absent from work due to a disabling medical condition for more than 10 consecutive days.

It's very important that the employee keep the supervisor informed when absent from work, and for both the employee and the supervisor to keep the Benefits Office informed.

Notification

Either the employee or the employee's supervisor must notify the Benefits Office of a disabling medical condition as soon as the information is known. Notification may be made by telephone at (215) 751-8035, or by email to . The Benefits Office will then notify the Payroll Office via a Personnel Action Form with copies to the Budget Office, the employee's supervisor, and the employee's Benefit File.

Application

An Attending Physician's Statement of Medical Condition form must be completed by the employee's physician, and the employee must complete the top portion of the form. Completed forms are then submitted to the Benefits Office. When it is not possible for the employee to complete this form (because of hospitalization, for example), the employee's representative should complete it.

If the disabling medical condition indicates that the employee will be out for a long duration, a new form must be provided on a regular basis. Typically, this will be every 3-4 weeks. However, new forms may be required every 2-3 weeks. It is important to provide new medical certification to the Benefits Office as close or prior to the expiration of the earlier medical certification as possible so that the employee does not experience a break in the College's STD payments.

When necessary, the form can be faxed to the Benefits Office at (215) 972-6307.

Retroactive applications for STD (submitted after the employee has returned to work) will be denied.

Application Checklist

The following 2 forms must be completed and sent to the Benefits Office to complete the employee's initial application for IPB:

• Attending Physician's Statement of Medical Condition form 
• Certification of Health Care Provider Form

Retroactive medical certifications are not acceptable.

Claiming STD Benefits

STD Benefits are not paid automatically. The employee must follow the claims process to receive STD benefits, and prove the continuing inability to work due to a disabling medical condition whenever asked to do so.

The Benefits Office will send the employee a letter detailing the STD benefits, and the employee's obligations under the program. The employee and the attending physician must complete the forms. The employee's certification is required, and the attending physician must present objective data to support the claim that the employee is medically unable to work.

It is the employee's responsibility to see that the physician returns the forms to the Benefits Office in a timely manner. Approval of the STD claim and receipt of benefits may be delayed or denied if the necessary documentation is not provided in a timely fashion.

Benefit Claim Evaluation

The Benefits Office will evaluate the employee's claim and approve or deny STD payments based on whether the medical condition is covered under the program. The employee and the attending physician may be asked to provide additional information necessary to determine eligibility for the STD.  The College reserves the right to require you to undergo an independent medical examination (IME), at the College's expense, as a part of the process of evaluating an initial or continuing claim for benefits.

Payments & Medical Benefits

STD benefits are paid at 100% of the employee's base pay rate and begin immediately. The maximum length of STD is 26 weeks. Employees who are approved for short term disability will remain in the Colleges' medical plans. Deductions will continue to be taken if applicable.

STD and Family & Medical Leave

Under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employees can receive up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for specific reasons outlined in the employee handbook. To be eligible for FMLA you must have at least (12) months of continuous service and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the preceding (12) months prior to applying for FMLA.

Time on STD counts as part of the annual allotment of the 12 weeks of FMLA. The employee should contact the Benefits Office in cases where the STD benefits end and the employee plans to continue on FMLA.

Return to Work Part-Time

If an employee is able to return to work on a part-time basis, the attending physician must complete a fitness for duty form, indicating any restrictions or accommodations, the number of hours per day or days per week the individual can work, and the anticipated date that the employee may return to work on a full-time basis. The completed form should be returned to the Benefits Office at least one week prior to the employee's return to work.

Return to Work Full-Time

To return to work full-time, the employee's attending physician must complete a fitness for duty form, indicating any work limitations imposed or accommodations needed, due to the employee's medical condition. The completed form is then sent to the Benefits Office at least one week prior to the employee's return to work.

STD and Workers' Compensation

Administrative employees receiving workers compensation payments are not eligible for, and may NOT use STD benefits. Faculty members who have a compensable workers' compensation claim will be put on STD and must then sign over all workers' compensation checks to the College. Please see the Workers' Compensation Procedures booklet for additional information.

Request for an Independent Medical Examination

The Benefits Office may request at any time that the employee using the College's STD program meet with a physician for an independent medical examination (IME). If this occurs, the full cost of the examination is paid by the Benefits Office. The Benefits Office will make this request through a letter sent directly to the employee.

To continue the College's STD benefits, the appointment for the IME must be made within the time frame indicated in the letter, and the employee must keep the appointment.

Long Term Disability

When an employee is not expected to be able to return to work at the expiration of the College's STD, the employee may wish to apply for Long Term Disability benefits, if eligible. Generally, the application process begins after three months of absence due to disability. The employee should contact the Benefits Office directly. Prerequisites to receiving LTD benefits include: six months of absence due to disability within a 12-month period, application for a Social Security Award, and completion of LTD application forms.

Limitations and Extensions of STD

• Two or more periods of absence due to the same or related medical condition will be considered one, unless they are separated by a return to work of at least 90 days.
• Benefits are limited to amounts and periods of lost wages, and in no case will benefits duplicate any other payments by the College.
• No benefits will be paid for any medical condition during any period when the employee is on unpaid leave of absence (The STD benefits will begin on the date the employee was scheduled to return to active work).
• Benefits will be reduced by any amounts payable from state or federal disability funds (including Social Security), or from any other program funded in whole or in part by the College, which the employee is eligible to receive or would be eligible to receive if he/she applied for them.
• In no event will the combined benefits payable to an employee exceed 100% of that individual's base pay.
• No benefits will be paid during any period when the employee is not under the care of a licensed physician.
• No benefits will be paid for a medical condition resulting from the commission of a crime.
• No benefits will be paid for any medical condition resulting from injuries or illnesses contracted during active military service.
• No benefits will be paid for any medical condition if the employee performs work for another employer for wage or profit.
• If the employee has exhausted his/her rights under FMLA, continued employment with the College is not guaranteed during a period of leave under STD, except as described in the collective bargaining agreement (See the College's FMLA policy for more information about employment rights under FMLA).

Questions

This overview cannot cover all the individual situations we've encountered when employees use STD. If you have any questions, please contact the Benefits Office at .