Supplemental disability benefits coverage

Amount of benefits

Supplemental disability benefits can replace up to 60 percent of your effective salary in excess of the amount protected under disability benefits coverage.

Because the maximum salary protected under disability benefits coverage is $110,000, supplemental disability benefits coverage is available to help you protect income over that amount, up to the IRS annual compensation limit for Defined Benefit Pension Plan participation purposes.

• This coverage provides a monthly payment in addition to disability benefits available to you under the Death and Disability Plan of the Benefits Plan.
• The disability definitions, requirements, and administrative procedures that apply for the disability benefits coverage offered through the Benefits Plan apply to this supplemental coverage.
  
• If you have opted out of Social Security, you cannot use this optional benefit to protect your full salary. 
• This supplemental coverage has no disability-benefit increase feature or inflation adjustment.
• This supplemental coverage does not provide for the accrual of pension credits on the portion of your salary in excess of $110,000.
• If you return to work part time, and the sum of your benefits and part-time income exceeds 80 percent of your protected effective salary, supplemental disability benefits from this plan will be proportionately reduced.
• If you enrolled for this coverage when first eligible and a preexisting condition (one that existed in the 12 months before this coverage began) causes you to become disabled during the first year of coverage, you will not be eligible for the benefits of this coverage. Any contributions made for the coverage will be returned.

Enrollment

You may apply for this coverage, in increments of $10,000, if you have an effective salary of at least $120,000. The maximum for which you may apply is your effective salary rounded down to the nearest $10,000. If you do not apply for supplemental disability benefits coverage when first eligible, you must undergo medical underwriting at your own expense to apply later.

The Board will contact you with instructions about how to apply if you are eligible when you are first hired. The Board will also contact you if you become eligible later, for example, if you receive a salary increase to $120,000 or more that causes you to be eligible for coverage or for an increased level of coverage.

Cost/contributions

Coverage is optional; your employer may pay none, some, or all the cost of this coverage. Monthly cost of coverage is based on your age as of January 1 each year.