Why do you Need Long-Term Disability?

LTD can help you survive financially with no earned income.

Just like life insurance, disability insurance safeguards your future income. Consider if you were in a serious accident and were forced to live with back and neck pain or if you were diagnosed with cancer and needed long-term treatment. How would you support yourself…let alone your family? Especially in today's times, it wouldn't be easy.

Long-term disability is far more common than you may think.

According to the Council for Disability Awareness (CDA), one out of every seven workers will be disabled for five years or more before retirement. Disability insurance replaces a portion of your income if you become disabled and are no longer able to work.

Am I eligible for long -term disability benefits?

The answer is "yes" if you:

• Apply during the first 24 months of a continuous disability.
• Are unable to adequately perform the duties of your occupation due to a physical or mental impairment, which is supported by medical evidence.
• Have satisfied a waiting period known as the elimination period (if applicable).
• Have met all policy requirements.
• Have lost a portion of your insured salary because of your disability, which you would have earned had you not been disabled.

You must also apply for, and pursue in good faith, any other benefits to which you may be entitled, such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and Wisconsin Retirement System Disability/Long Term Disability Insurance (LTDI) benefits.

It's easy to submit a claim.

Simply send us a written notice of your claim within 90 days of becoming disabled. But keep in mind that you cannot file a claim for LTDI benefits while you are still working—even if you plan to be absent from work in the future (e.g., for a planned surgery, maternity leave, etc.)

Want to download a copy of the WEA long-term disability form?

To speed up your claim, don't forget to attach medical records to your completed form. As soon as we receive all the required information from you, your employer, and your treating physician, we'll review your claim. Download the form now.

Questions about which medical records to submit for our review? Contact our Disability Department at 800.279.4000.

How are benefits paid?

We pay benefits monthly, after we ensure you've met your elimination period. Benefits are paid for contract days; in other words, we pay only for days you are normally scheduled to work. Other sources of income you are eligible to receive, such as sick leave, worker's compensation, Social Security disability and others is deducted from your benefits amount. Benefits from all sources are not to exceed the insured percentage of your covered salary.

Find out more about long-term disability and security for your family.