PROTECT YOUR PAYCHECK: SHORT-TERM DISABILITY OPEN ENROLLMENT CLOSES NOVEMBER 30
Most of us have thought about what happens to our families if we die. Far fewer have thought about what happens if we simply cannot work for a few months.
That is the gap Short-Term Disability fills. Through the National Coalition of Labor, Illinois Council of Police (ICOPs) members can now enroll in a plan offered through The Standard that pays cash directly to you, every week you are unable to work.
HOW IT WORKS
Your benefit starts 14 days after an accident, injury, or illness and is paid for up to 24 weeks, about six months of income. You choose either the $500 a week level or the $250 a week level. The money is tax-free and it is paid to you in addition to any Worker’s Compensation or other disability benefit you may receive from our union.
WHAT COUNTS
The plan covers you on or off the job. A surgery and the recovery that follows. Pregnancy and childbirth. An injury at home or on the road. A serious illness that keeps you off the job. A mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, that keeps you off the job.
WHAT IT COSTS
Your premium is based on your age and the level you choose, starting at $29 a month for the $500 level and $14.50 for the $250 level. Rates are guaranteed for two years. Members living in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington pay lower rates, because those states provide their own disability benefits. The letter mailed to your home lists every rate.
WHY NOW
During this open enrollment no medical questions are asked and there is no exam. Enroll by November 30 and benefits begin after the standard 14-day waiting period. Sign up afterward and you are a late enrollee, which means a 60-day waiting period before benefits begin for a sickness or a pregnancy, applied through your first 12 months in the plan. Accidents are not affected. Coverage for anyone who enrolls now begins January 1, 2027.
HOW TO ENROLL
Go to www.groupba.com or scan the QR code on the letter mailed to your home, then navigate to NCL Open Enrollment. You can also call (866) 979-1422. The operators are based in the Midwest.
