Long-Term Disability

Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance is one of Ball State’s mandatory ancillary benefits, with pretax premiums subsidized 75 percent by the university.

  • LTD insurance provides income replacement benefits to covered employees who become disabled due to an illness or accident after a 60-day waiting period.
  • The LTD benefit replaces 60 percent of 103 percent of your base salary, up to a maximum monthly benefit of $15,000, before the deduction of other income benefits.
  • The employee's share of premiums is
    • [(base salary) x 103 percent] / (12 x $0.00076)
  • After the first 26 months of disability, the continuing benefit period percentage is reduced from 60 percent to 20 percent. Maximum duration of benefits is based upon your age when disabled and your Social Security normal retirement age.

If an employee does not have short term disability (STD) coverage with The Hartford and needs to initiate a claim with The Hartford for long term disability (LTD) benefits, this will be done via the paper LTD application (PDF). There are a number of sections to this form: 

  • Employer Section - this must be completed by Ball State University and can be sent back to The Hartford separate from the other sections being completed. 
  • Employee Statement - this section must be completed by the employee and returned to The Hartford. Once a claim is initiated with The Hartford it will be assigned to a claim analyst who will reach out to the employee to discuss next steps.  The employee can communicate with their claim analyst via telephone or through The Hartford's online claim portal to check the status of a claim or ask questions. 

All completed sections of the claim form must be sent back to Hartford via fax or mail.  Claim submittal instructions can be found at the top of the form.

Fax or mail  the completed application to:

The Hartford
P.O. Box 14869 
Lexington, KY 40512-4869

Fax Number: (813) 357-5153

For questions regarding the claim process or forms employees should call The Hartford Customer Service Center at (888) 277-4767.

 

 

For Service Employees Only*

The purpose of Short-Term Disability (STD) is to help protect an employee from loss of income when he/she suffers from a serious illness or injury. Beginning on the 8th continuous calendar day of disability due to an employee's own personal illness or injury, STD may be applicable. STD may continue for up to 26 continuous weeks if the absence is properly supported by medical verification to the satisfaction of the plan administrator (our insurer). Once the first STD check is issued, an employee may not continue to receive pay from his/her PTO or IPB during that period of disability.

When an employee is eligible to receive benefits under the plan, he/she must submit a claim to the plan administrator. The Hartford is the plan administrator; their phone number is 1-866-945-4558.  When you call to file your claim, please reference Policy # 697019.

The weekly benefit is equal to 80% of 103% of the employee's hourly rate, times 40. An employee who returns to work mid-week will have his/her weekly benefits prorated for that week. The plan administrator will mail checks directly to the employee's home address.

Coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 day(s) of full time, active employment. STD is the method by which an employee is compensated and is not of itself an excused leave of absence from work. An employee should also apply for the appropriate leave of absence with People and Culture services.

*A short-term disability plan is available to faculty, professional, and staff employees as a voluntary benefit.

When an employee is eligible to receive benefits under the plan, he/she must submit a claim to the plan administrator. The Hartford is the plan administrator; their phone number is 1-866-945-4558.  When you call to file your claim, please reference Policy # 697019.

The Hartford will ask you to provide:

  • Name, address, policy number, and other key identification information.
  • Name of your department and last day of active full-time work.
  • Your manager's or HR representative's name and phone number.
  • The nature of your claim.
  • Your treating physician's name, address, and phone and fax numbers.

Claims may be filed beginning with the first day of absence but no later than 90 days after the date of loss for which the claim is made.