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Disability Insurance

Macalester offers the following disability insurance in the event of a qualifying disability. The purpose of disability insurance is to protect and replace a portion of your income if you suffer a disabling injury or illness that keeps you from earning a living. If you are disabled by a condition that was treated within the last 3 months, or caused a prior disability within the last 12 months, it may be subject to a pre-existing condition exclusion.

*No Rate Changes for 2025

An open enrollment will be offered to employees for Short Term Disability. You can elect coverage with no health questions, even if previously declined.

  • Long-Term Disability Insurance

    Policy Number: LK966085

    Macalester provides long‐term disability (LTD) insurance for employees with a 0.50 FTE or higher through New York Life Group Benefit Solutions. Macalester pays 100% of the premium for you. You are automatically enrolled in the LTD program, so no action is required on your end.

    Long-Term Disability Plan Highlights

    Group Waiting Period Benefit Amount Maximum Benefit
    Faculty 90 days 60% of basic monthly earnings $10,000 per month
    Staff (Non-CBU) 90 days 60% of basic monthly earnings $10,000 per month
    Staff (CBU) 90 days 66 2/3% of basic monthly earnings $10,000 per month

    • Benefit amounts could be reduced by deductible sources of income and disability earnings.
    • Benefit duration is to age 67 when a qualifying disability occurs before age 62. Disabilities occurring after age 62 have limited benefit durations. Your certificate contains more detailed information.
    • Some disabilities may not be covered and some disabilities may have limited coverage under this plan. Refer to your certificate for more information about plan limitations and exclusions.
    • Rehabilitation and Return to Work Assistance: When you participate in this program as a disabled employee, an additional 10% of your gross disability payment may be paid to you up to $1,000 maximum per month.
    • Dependent Care Expense Benefit: While participating in the Rehabilitation and Return to Work Assistance program, you may receive additional payments to cover certain dependent care expenses.
  • Short-Term Disability Insurance

    Policy Number: VDT962903

    Macalester offers staff members an optional short‐term disability plan through New York Life Group Benefit Solutions. Staff members with a 0.50 FTE and above are eligible for this benefit.  This plan is paid by you and intended to cover qualifying disabilities due to accidents and illnesses off the job. This plan provides total and partial disability protection (as defined in the contract) and is portable with the benefits not integrated with other income sources. For faculty, see  Short Term Emergency Leave

    Pre-existing Conditions

    If you become disabled within the first 12 months of your effective date of coverage, New York Life will need to determine if your disability is due to a pre-existing condition.  A pre-existing condition is a sickness or injury for which you received medical treatment, consultation, or care or took prescribed medications in the 3 months prior to your effective date. If the condition did exist in those 3 months, no benefit is payable. If the condition did not exist in those 3 months, benefits may be payable.

    Should I elect Short-Term Disability Insurance?

    If your combined sick and vacation balance is higher than 465 hours (pro-rated per FTE), short-term disability insurance would not provide a great deal of benefit for you. If your sick leave balance is less than 465 hours, you may want to elect short-term disability insurance and elect a waiting period in alignment with your available sick and vacation balances. Please contact Employment Services for assistance in enrolling in Short-Term Disability Insurance.

    How are premiums and benefit coverage determined?

    If you elect this benefit when you begin your employment with Macalester, coverage will begin on the first of the following month and your premiums and benefits will be based on your age and salary as of your date of hire. If you elect this benefit at Open Enrollment, coverage will begin on the first of the following year and your premiums and benefits will be based on your age and salary as of the first of the coverage year. The maximum weekly benefit is $2,000.

    Benefit Rate Multiplier

    Choice 1 Choice 2 Choice 3
    Benefit Period 12 weeks 11 weeks 9 weeks
    Benefit Maximum 60% 60% 60%
    Benefit Start 8th day 15th day 30th day

    Your Age Rate Rate Rate
    0-24 $.776 $.545 $.207
    25-29 $.819 $.612 $.294
    30-34 $.678 $.507 $.231
    35-39 $.502 $.387 $.169
    40-44 $.363 $.290 $.127
    45-49 $.387 $.313 $.139
    50-54 $.469 $.380 $.169
    55-59 $.603 $.480 $.215
    60-64 $.725 $.568 $.256
    65-69 $.775 $.647 $.295
    70+ $.775 $.647 $.295

    Calculate Your Monthly Premium

    Example: Age 42, Choice 2

    Annual Wages Weekly Wages (Annual wages / 52) Weekly Benefit (60% of Weekly Wages) Round down and divided by 10 Multiplied by rate Monthly Premium
    $32,500.00 / 52 = $625.00 x 0.60 = $375.00 /10 = $37.00 x $0.290 $10.73

  • Filing A Claim

    When you call New York Life Group Benefit Solutions (NYL GBS), they will help get you to the right place with automated menu choices that are easy to follow.

    1. Call 888-842-4462
    2. Say “claimant” or press 1
    3. Input your Social Security number and date of birth
    4. If you have a correspondence for an existing claim that lists the phone extension of your claim manager, press 1 to reach them directly.
    5. If you don’t have a phone extension for a claim manager, press 2 for disability claims. press 3 for disability claim status, payment status, or to speak to your claim manager.
    6. Press 4 to file a new claim. An advocate will support you on filing a new claim for long-term disability or short-term disability.
  • Resources & Plan Documents