Disability Insurance Resources

Elon University provides long-term disability insurance to support employees in the event of a qualifying illness or injury that prevents them from working. This page offers detailed information about your disability benefits, important forms, and instructions on how to file a claim or continue coverage if your employment ends.

Your Long-Term Disability Benefits

Elon’s long-term disability plan is fully employer-paid and designed to replace a portion of your income if you are unable to work due to an extended illness or injury. Benefits begin after a qualifying waiting period and continue while you meet eligibility criteria. Employees also have the option to convert coverage to an individual policy if employment ends.

Summary of Benefits

Long-term disability will protect your income for a long duration after you have depleted short-term disability or any sick leave your company may offer.

• Eligibility: All full-time active employees working 30 or more hours per week in an eligible class are eligible for coverage.
• Maximum Monthly Benefit: 70% of salary up to $8,000 per month
• Maximum Benefit Duration: To Age 65/Reduced Benefit Duration
• Own Occupation Period: Own Occupation Period means a period beginning at the end of the Elimination Period and ending:
  • 60 months later for an Insured Employee who is an officer, administrator, executive, manager or other professional and whose Annual Salary is $30,000 or greater;
  • 60 months later for an attorney, physician, engineer, architect or CPA (regardless of Annual Salary); or
  • 36 months later for all other Insured Employees.
• Elimination Period: 180 days. The number of days you must be disabled prior to collecting disability benefits.
• Accumulation of Elimination Days: You can satisfy the days of your elimination period with either total (off work entirely) or partial (working some hours at your current job) disability. If you are working on a partial basis, you will have double the elimination period days to satisfy the total of 180 days.
• Pre-Existing Condition: You may not be eligible for benefits if you have received treatment for a condition within the past three months until you have been covered under this plan for 12 months, or if you remain treatment free for a period of six consecutive months.
• Enrollment (Newly Eligible): You are able to take advantage of this coverage now without a health examination. You may not be offered this opportunity again, or may be responsible for the cost of required examinations.
• Waiver of Premium: You will not be required to pay premium during any time of approved total or partial disability.
• Survivor Income Benefit: A survivor benefit may be paid to your beneficiary if you should die while receiving qualifying disability payments.
• EmployeeConnect: Access to an employee assistance program for the employee or an immediate household family member who may be experiencing personal or workplace issues.
• Benefit Limitations: 
  • Mental Illness: 24 months
  • Substance Abuse: No limit
  • Specified Illness: No limit
• Progressive Income Benefit: If you are disabled and have a loss of two or more Activities of Daily Living, you will receive an additional benefit of 10% to a maximum of $5,000.

Understanding Your Benefits

• Own Occupation Total Disability: The occupation trade or profession you were employed in prior to your disability as defined by the US Department of Labor Dictionary of Occupational Titles.
• Total Disability: You are considered totally disabled if, due to an injury or illness, you are unable to perform each of the main duties of your own occupation. Your “own” occupation is covered for a specific period of time. Following this, the definition of total disability becomes the inability to perform any occupation for which you are reasonably suited based on your experience, education, or training.
• Partial Disability: You are considered partially disabled if you are unable, due to an injury or illness, to perform the main duties of your regular occupation on a full-time basis. Partial Disability benefits may be payable if you are earning at least 20% of the income you earned prior to becoming disabled, but not more than 99%. Partial disability benefits allow you to work and earn income from your employer as well as continue to receive benefits, which may enable you to receive 100% of your income during your time of disability.
• Continuation of Disability: If you return to work full-time but become disabled from the same disability within six months of returning to work, you will begin receiving benefits again immediately.
• Benefit Duration Reduction: Your benefit duration may be reduced if you become disabled after age 65.
• Pre-Existing Condition: Any sickness or injury for which you have received medical treatment, consultation, care, or services (including diagnostic measures or the taking of prescribed medications) during the specified months prior to the coverage effective date. A disability arising from any such sickness or injury will be covered only if it begins after you have performed your regular occupation on a full-time basis for the specified months following the coverage effective date, unless no treatment was received for the specified consecutive months after the coverage effective date.
• Benefit Exclusions: You will not receive benefits in the following circumstances:
  • Your disability is the result of a self-inflicted injury.
  • You are not under the regular care of a doctor when requesting disability benefits.
  • You were involved in a felony commission, act of war, or participation in a riot.
  • You were residing outside of the United States or Canada for more than 12 consecutive months for purposes other than employment with your Employer.
• Benefit Reductions: Your benefits may be reduced if you are receiving benefits from any of the following sources:
  • Any compulsory benefit act or law (such as state disability plans);
  • Any governmental retirement system earned as a result of working for the current policyholder;
  • Any disability or retirement benefit received under a retirement plan;
  • Any Social Security, or similar plan or act, benefits;
  • Earnings the insured earns or receives from any form of employment;
  • Workers compensation;
  • Salary continuance or employer contributions to an employer sponsored retirement plan.
• Benefit Termination: This coverage will terminate when you terminate employment with this policyholder, or at your retirement.

Important Documents & Resources

• Lincoln Financial Group Website
• Lincoln Financial Flipbook
• EmployeeConnect Services
• Lincoln Financial Group – Long-Term Disability (LTD)
• Lincoln Financial Group – Long-Term Disability Certificate
• Lincoln Financial Group – Instructions for Online Submission of Evidence of Insurability (EOI)

Benefit Forms

• Lincoln Financial Beneficiary Designation Form