Disability Insurance
Disability insurance is designed to help you meet your financial needs if you become unable to work due to an illness or injury. Butler University offers both Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability through OneAmerica to benefits-eligible employees at no additional cost.
To discuss the short- or long-term disability process, please contact the Benefits & Wellness team at fmla@butler.edu or 317-940-9355.
| Waiting Period | Short-Term Disability | Long-Term Disability |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term: 7 calendar days | Butler University automatically provides Short-Term Disability (STD) insurance to all benefits eligible employees. Benefits will be reduced by other income, including state mandated STD plan. | Butler University automatically provides Long-Term Disability (LTD) insurance to all benefit eligible employees |
| Long-term: 90 calendar days | Benefit: 60% of base pay, up to $3,000 per week | Benefit: 60% of base pay, up to $14,000 per month less other income benefits |
| Elimination Period: 7 days | Elimination Period: 90 days | |
| Benefit Duration: Up to 12 weeks |
To meet short-term disability qualifications, a qualifying medical condition must not be related to the work environment or job-related responsibilities, must be severe enough to prevent the employee from working for a limited period, and must require a doctor’s care. Short-term disability generally covers:
- Accident-related injuries
- Chronic illnesses
- Acute diseases
- Mental illness
Common injuries related to accidents might be broken bones, burns, head trauma, or musculoskeletal injuries. Short-term disability also covers the period following a medically necessary surgery related to the injuries.
Chronic illnesses symptoms often come and go. Given their nature, many chronic diseases qualify as an illness for short-term disability. Examples include cancer, asthma, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, gout, and carpal tunnel.
Acute diseases typically meet the definition of a qualifying illness because they are severe and likely to cause a total loss of income for a period. Some diseases in this category might be pneumonia, heart attack, stroke, kidney stones, or appendicitis.
Mental illness means a psychiatric or psychological condition classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association. Such disorders include, but are not limited to, psychotic, emotional or behavioral disorders, or disorders related to stress or to substance abuse or dependency.
A short-term claims packet will need to be completed by Butler, the employee and each healthcare provider who is treating the employee for the disabling condition. The healthcare provider statement (APS) is an essential component of the claim, and it must be received by One America within 45 days of the claim initiation.
What’s my diagnosis?
Common terms and examples of disability claims diagnoses
| Claim diagnosis category | Lay language description | Specific examples |
|---|---|---|
| Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue | Muscle, back and joint disorders | Arthritis, herniated or degenerated disc, back pain, spine/joint disorders, cartilage sprain, tendonitis, fibromyitis, osteoporosis, rheumatism, scoliosis, sciatica |
| Disease of the nervous system and sense organs | Spine and nervous system- related disorders | Multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, paralysis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Bell’s palsy, Guillain- Barre syndrome, eye disorders including diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, ear disorders including balance-related disorders like Meniere’s disease |
| Diseases of the circulatory system | Cardiovascular and circulatory diseases | Hypertension, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, coronary artery disease, phlebitis |
| Cancer and neoplasms | Cancer and tumors | Breast cancer, prostate cancer, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, leukemia, tumors |
| Injuries and poisonings | Accidents, injuries and poisonings | Fractures, sprains and strains, dislocations, contusions, burns, poisoning, allergic reactions |
| Mental disorders | Mental illness and behavioral disorders | Depression, schizophrenia, drug/alcohol/substance abuse, bipolar disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder |
| Diseases of the respiratory system | Respiratory system disorders | Influenza, pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) |
| Symptoms, signs, and ill- defined conditions | Ill-defined or subjective conditions | Headache, insomnia, coma, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnea, seasonal affective disorder, anorexia, other symptoms without a diagnosis |
| Infections and parasitic diseases | Infectious and parasitic diseases | Food poisoning, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, meningitis, salmonella, tuberculosis, polio |
| Diseases of the digestive system | Digestive system disorders | Gastric ulcers, gastritis, appendicitis, hernia, irritable bowel syndrome, cirrhosis of the liver, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, dental disorders, temporomandibular join (TMJ) disorders |
| Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases and immunity disorders | Nutritional, metabolic, regulatory and immunity disorders | Diabetes, malnutrition, obesity, gout, cystic fibrosis, thyroid disorders |
| Diseases of the genitourinary system | Genital and waste removal disorders | Uterine prolapse, cervicitis, menopausal symptoms, kidney and bladder disorders, genital organ disorders, kidney failure, enlarged prostate, prostatitis, urinary tract infections, endometriosis |
| Congenital anomalies | Inherited conditions | Congenital anomalies, spina tend, Down syndrome, inherited heart valve malfunction |
| Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs | Blood-related disorders | Anemia, hemophilia, sickle-cell disease, diseases of the spleen |
| Other | Other disorders | Other disorders not captured in the categories above |
For a general review of the short-term disability process, please review the Disability Claims Guide (PDF).
Contact Information
One America
One American Square
P.O. Box 368
Indianapolis, IN 46206-0368
OneAmerica.com