MEMORANDUM
To: Benefits-Eligible USC Faculty and Staff
From: USC Benefits Administration
Date: June 19, 2023
Subject: USC to provide Long Term Disability insurance at no cost
We are excited to share an enhancement to our total rewards and benefits offering that furthers the university’s commitment to investing in our faculty and staff. Effective July 1, 2023, USC will be providing Long Term Disability insurance through MetLife to benefits-eligible faculty and staff, including those at Keck Medicine of USC – at no cost to you!
How Long Term Disability Insurance Works
Long Term Disability insurance begins after 52 weeks of Short Term Disability and provides partial income replacement if you have become disabled while employed at USC.
Currently, USC’s Long Term Disability insurance is only available to individuals enrolled in the university’s Supplemental Short Term Disability insurance. With this change, approximately 11,000 additional eligible faculty and staff – double the number of individuals currently enrolled – will be covered up to $15,000 per month in the unanticipated event of a disability.
Advantages of USC’s New Long Term Disability Insurance
There are many advantages to this enhanced benefit, including:
- Automatic enrollment for all eligible faculty and staff. Note that USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and Las Vegas Medical Clinic employees will continue to be covered under their own disability insurance plans.
- Expanding the benefit to include partial disability. This will enable more people to take advantage of this benefit because there will no longer be a requirement of full disability.
- Supplemental Long Term Disability option for higher-wage earners. For faculty and staff who earn more than the monthly coverage amount, a new voluntary Supplemental Long Term Disability insurance program will be available. This program will come with benefits specific to your occupation (e.g., physicians who are unable to perform their sub-specialty). Details on this plan and how to enroll will be made available in early 2024 so that enrollments can occur by July 1, 2024.
- With the expanded definition of disability, this program will also be tailored toward an individual’s ability to do their specific occupation, enhancing one’s ability to qualify for disability.
If you are currently on a short- or long-term disability leave, please be aware that there will be no changes to your current plans.
Securing your financial future
USC is incredibly proud to further our USC Competes efforts through this investment in your financial protection. To learn more about Long Term Disability and what this means for you, USC Benefits Administration has created this recorded information session. For any further questions, reach out to the HR Service Center at 213-821-8100 or uschr@usc.edu.
Fight on! |
