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Short Term Disability Insurance
Short Term Disability Insurance
Short-term disability is an income replacement benefit that provides a percentage of pre-disability earnings on a weekly basis when employees are out of work on a disability claim. It typically covers off-the-job accidents and illnesses that workers' compensation would not cover.
Plan Summaries
Staff Employees
Resident Employees
Physicians and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
Highlights
Maternity Coverage
At Reliance, maternity is covered as any other illness. Please refer to your benefit summary for more information as pre-existing condition limitations may apply.
Partial Disability Benefit
This provides financial assistance to individuals who are partially disabled and unable to work at their full capacity due to a medical condition.
FMLA Continuation
You may qualify for disability benefits after your FMLA expires. Please refer to your benefit summary for more information.
Why Disability Insurance?
Example – For Illustrative Purposes Only
Short Term Disability Example
| Annual Earnings | $50,000 |
| Weekly Gross salary ($50,000/52) | $961.54 |
| Weekly Benefit ($961.54 x 60% Benefit) | $576.92 |
Short Term Disability Example:
Steve is eligible for Short Term Disability benefits. In order to figure out how much his benefit would be he would take his annual salary of $50,000 and divide it by 52 weeks to give him his weekly salary of $961.54. His plan pays 60% of his weekly earnings. He would then multiply his weekly salary by .60 to get his weekly benefit of $576.92.
File a Claim
How to file a claim
To improve your claims experience, this document explains how to submit a claim.
File a claim
Want to file online? Click the button below to start your claim.
Transition to Reliance Matrix FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
How will the transition to Reliance Matrix impact my current disability claim?
The impact of transition to Reliance Matrix, depends upon the type of leave that you are on. The leave types are:
- FMLA (Continuous or Intermittent)
- Non-FMLA (Conditional or Non-conditional Leaves)
- Short-term Disability (STD)
- Long-term Disability (LTD)
You can be on more than one type of leave at a time.
For any paid STD or LTD claim, you will continue to work directly with Unum throughout your claim period. The leave will not transition to Reliance Matrix.
All FMLA and non-FMLA claims will transition to Reliance Matrix on Jan 1, 2025. VCU Health System will provide a list of those team members on FMLA or non-FMLA leave. You will receive a letter from Reliance Matrix regarding how to transition your FMLA leave. If you do not receive a letter, you can reach out directly to Reliance Matrix on or after Jan 1, 2025. Information on how to contact them can be found here.
In some cases, you will need to work with both vendors. If you are unsure what action you need to take, the HR4U team is always here to help you navigate through this transition. You can reach us by calling 628-HR4U (4748) or toll free (844) 989-HR4U (4748).
What if I go back out for the same issue on or after January 1, 2025?
Depending on the timing of the recurrence you may have to work with both vendors. If it was an STD claim and it was within the recurrent period, 14 days, you would need to contact Unum. However, if the recurrence occurs after the 14 days this would be considered a new claim and would be filed with Matrix.
Regardless of who you contact for the Short-term or Long-term Disability claim, you would need to contract Reliance Matrix to determine your FMLA or Conditional Leave eligibility.
I am planning on going out early January; however, what happens if I go out before then?
Contact UNUM to initiate a claim at (866) 779-1054. You may also need to contact Reliance Matrix after January 1, 2025 to transfer your FMLA or non-FLMA leave.
I have a planned surgery scheduled for January 2025, when can I contact Reliance Matrix?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Short Term Disability insurance so important?
Having short term disability protection can help you cover your essential living expenses and help safeguard your savings, since it replaces a portion of your income during the initial weeks of a disability. This can include pregnancy, surgery or serious illness.
What’s the difference between Short Term and Long Term Disability?
Short-term disability covers temporary disabilities that last a few weeks to a few months whereas Long-Term Disability can last for years or until retirement.
Short-Term Disability benefits begin sooner than Long-Term Disability.
In summary, short-term disability is for temporary conditions, while long-term disability provides coverage for extended periods, even up to retirement age. Both types of insurance play a crucial role in protecting your income if you’re unable to work due to an illness or injury.
How does Short Term Disability payments work?
Depending upon of coverage your plan offers, payment of benefit will be made directly to you and not to your employer, the hospital, doctor, or insurance company.
Is maternity considered like any other illness?
Yes, maternity is covered like any other illness.