When Disability Coverage Begins and Ends
When Coverage Begins
Your short-term disability (STD) coverage begins on your first day of active employment as a regular, full-time employee. Part-time and temporary employees are not eligible for STD.
Your long-term disability (LTD) coverage begins on the first day of the month after you have completed 12 months of full-time continuous service with DallasNews Corporation. If you are already on a disability leave, your coverage will begin on the first day you return to work as a regular, full-time employee.
Pre-existing Conditions Apply to LTD
The LTD Plan has a pre-existing condition restriction that applies to the first 12 months of plan coverage. You will not receive LTD benefits for a disability that is related to an injury or illness that you had during the three-month period before becoming covered and for which you:
Received medical treatment, consultation, care or services including diagnostic tests, or
Took prescription drugs or medicines.
When Coverage Ends
Generally, disability coverage ends when you:
Terminate employment with DallasNews Corporation (effective on your last day of active employment)
Cancel or drop coverage
Stop making any required payments for coverage
Die
Coverage also ends if the plan is terminated, your employer stops participating in the plan or the plan is amended to terminate coverage for a group or class of individuals that includes you.
LTD Conversion Privilege
When you terminate your employment with DallasNews Corporation, you may obtain individual LTD coverage without providing proof of good health if you were covered by the LTD Plan for 12 consecutive months before terminating employment.
You must apply for conversion coverage and pay the first quarterly premium within 31 days after your coverage terminates under the LTD Plan. The conversion privilege is not available to you if your LTD coverage terminates because of the following:
The LTD Plan terminates
You retire
You become covered under another employer’s LTD plan within 31 days after your termination from DallasNews Corporation
You become disabled under the LTD Plan
You recover from a disability and do not return to work for DallasNews Corporation
You are on a leave of absence
When You Can Receive Benefits
STD Benefits
Time off for a lengthy illness is recorded and paid by a combination of using PTO and short-term disability (STD). You are required to use PTO for the first 40 hours of an extended illness. STD provides for salary continuation for the second through the 26th week of an extended illness.
Payment eligibility for STD benefits and return to work programs are managed by medically trained disability management specialists through Liberty Mutual. STD is paid according to the schedule below:
Length of Service | First Week Paid Under PTO | Number of Days/Hours Paid at 100% | Number of Days/Hours Paid at 60% |
1st calendar year | 5 days (as available) | 10 days (80 hours) | 20 days (160 hours) |
1st January 1 | 5 days (40 hours) | 15 days (120 hours) | 110 days (880 hours) |
3rd January 1 | 5 days (40 hours) | 25 days (200 hours) | 100 days (800 hours) |
5th January 1 | 5 days (40 hours) | 45 days (360 hours) | 80 days (640 hours) |
10th January 1 | 5 days (40 hours) | 75 days (600 hours) | 50 days (400 hours) |
15th January 1 | 5 days (40 hours) | 125 days (1,000 hours) | 0 |
NOTE: In the first calendar year of employment, the maximum STD payment is limited to 30 days (240 hours). |
You may use any available PTO time to cover the difference between 60% and 100% of your pay while on STD. After 26 weeks of STD, eligible employees may apply for LTD benefits, also managed by Liberty Mutual.
LTD Benefits
If you are disabled on or after January 1, 2015: Your LTD benefits begin after you have been disabled for 180 calendar days, and the plan’s claims administrator (Liberty Mutual) has received proof of your disability. Your
physician must complete a Proof of Disability form and return it to Liberty Mutual.
If you were disabled before January 1, 2015: Your LTD benefits begin after you have been disabled for 180 calendar days, and the plan’s claims administrator (MetLife) has received proof of your disability Your
physician must complete a Proof of Disability form and return it to MetLife.