Welcome to the Long Term Disability section of My Life at Children’s. Here you will find all the information you need about Long Term Disability Insurance. Select an option from the menu at the left for more details.

How the Plan Works

Children’s provides you with free Long Term Disability, which replaces a portion of your pay if illness or injury prevents you from working for a long period of time. Long Term Disability benefits are provided by The Hartford. See the Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs) under Resources at the left for more detailed information.

Who Can Enroll

You are automatically enrolled in Long Term Disability coverage if you are a regular full-time employee of Children’s or a regular part-time employee who is committed to work at least 40 hours per pay period. Coverage begins the first day of the month following your date of hire.

Benefits begin …	After you meet 90-day elimination period
Plan pays …	50% of your weekly base salary, up to $5,000 per month
Up to …*	The maximum eligibility period (See the Long Term Disability SPD under Resources at the left for details.)
Cost of coverage paid by …	Children's
*If your disability occurs within the first 12 months of your coverage and is due to a pre-existing condition, no benefits will be paid.

Word to know: Pre-existing condition is an accidental bodily injury, sickness, mental illness, pregnancy or episode of substance abuse for which you received medical care during the six-month period before your coverage date. 

Paying Taxes on Long Term Disability Benefits  

You automatically receive tax-free disability benefits when you have a claim, unless you submit a form requesting to have any disability benefits taxed when they are received. Having taxes deducted would greatly decrease your benefits. With tax-free disability benefits, you will receive the full 50% of your regular base pay, up to $5,000 per month.

If you keep the default option to receive tax-free benefits, the annual premium Children’s 
pays for your coverage is considered taxable income and will be added to your W-2 as taxable income. See Long Term Disability Taxation at the left to estimate the taxable income that will be added to your W-2.

To opt out of the default taxation option and elect to have disability benefits taxed when you have a claim, complete the Disability Tax Form within 31 days of hire or at Annual Enrollment indicating that you elect to receive taxable disability benefit payments when you have a claim. It is recommended that you consult your financial advisor if you are considering taxable disability benefits.

Note: If you are a Director or a physician with MyChildrens, Anesthesiologists for Children or DPMSC, you receive coverage at 66.67% of your monthly base salary up to a maximum of $10,000 per month.