Disability Benefits

When am I eligible for Short-term disability under the VSDP?

If you were hired on or after July 1, 2009, your non-work-related disability coverage begins after one year of continuous employment. You are eligible for work-related short-term disability coverage from the first day of employment.

Employees in the Traditional (Personal) Sick plan do not have disability benefits but they should have their manager input their Personal Sick Leave for time off related to a health condition.

Employees must contact Alight, the VSDP administrator, to file a disability claim within 14 days of the date of illness or injury or some of the benefits may be denied. Alight may be reached by phone at 877-928-7021.

Employees injured at work should also follow the Work Comp process.

Employees in the VSDP and the Traditional Sick Plan should contact our partner firm, UNUM, Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM EST at 866-269-0979. You may also file a request or submit forms electronically via the UNUM website. For your first visit to the website you will need to register an account.

Notify your manager of your need to take time off related to an injury or illness. Keep your manager informed of your expected return to work date.

Contact Alight, the VSDP administrator, to file a disability claim within 14 days of the date of illness or injury or some of the benefits may be denied. Alight may be reached by phone at 877-928-7021.

Contact UNUM to apply for a leave of absence that would run concurrently with your disability claim. Our partner firm, Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM EST at 866-269-0979. You may also file a request or submit forms electronically via the UNUM website. For your first visit to the website you will need to register an account.

If you would like to supplement your disability benefits with your own paid time off, please email the request to leave@virginia.edu. Please reach out no sooner than 30 days prior to your expected event to request this supplement. This request is for benefits that are paid at less than 100% of your salary.

Provide a return to work clearance from your medical provider to the HR Leave Team, leave@virginia.edu, at least three days prior to your planned return date. 

Alight will ask for:

• Your job title and agency name

• Date of birth

• Current mailing address

• Brief description of your disability

• Whether you have filed a workers’ compensation claim

• Last day you were - or will be - able to work

• Contact information for your doctor / licensed healthcare professional (Name, address, phone, and fax)

You will receive an information packet with forms that must be submitted before Alight can complete its review of your claim. Refer to the VSDP Handbook for more details about the forms below.

Submit to Alight:

• Attending Physician Statement- you are responsible for ensuring your provider complies with this requirement. Your provider will have 10 days to mail or fax the form Attending Physician Statement to Alight. The fax number is 720-456-4784 and is included on the form If Alight does not receive the form within this period, your claim will be denied and your case closed.

• Authorization for Release of Medical Information

Submit to UVA HR (leave@virginia.edu or fax 434-924-4042)*:

• Reimbursement Agreement (do not include Social Security number)

• VSDP Outside Earned Income Reporting for Short-Term Disability Notification

*Please do not send protected health information (PHI) that is privileged and confidential to UVA HR via fax.

The maximum short-term disability benefit is 125 workdays, including paid holidays. If you are still disabled after that period, you will be evaluated for long-term disability by Alight.

There is a 5 business day waiting period. Employees or their managers should enter their own paid time off during this period before benefits begin.

Please note that they waiting period could be longer due to reporting period issues or if the employee is out for their condition has not yet experienced a disabling event under the plan. Alight will indicate the period on the approval letter to the employee.

Income replacement depends on the length of employment in the VSDP plan, see the VSDP Handbook for the amount of benefit.

Time towards your benefits may include prior service, without a break of more than 30 days, at another state agency. If you have had prior service under the Virginia Sickness and Disability plan with another state agency, prior to joining UVA, please email leave@virginia.edu to let us know.

Long-term disability is a condition that prevents you from performing the full duties of your job for an extended period of time. VSDP's long-term benefit begins after 125 workdays of short-term disability as determined by Alight.

Long-term disability provides 60% of your pre-disability income. If you are approved for work-related long-term disability, your VSDP benefit will be offset by your workers’ compensation benefit.

Long-Term Disability Working: If you can work at least 20 hours / week, but cannot perform full duties, you may be eligible for long-term disability - even while you are working. Check the VSDP handbook for more details.

A note on Disability Credits:

If you go on long-term disability, you must use these credits. Eight disability credits equal one day of 100 percent income replacement.

When am I eligible for Long-term disability?

If you were hired on or after July 1, 2009, your non-work-related disability coverage begins after one year of continuous employment.

Your eligibility for work-related disability coverage is effective from the first day of employment.

If you were hired before July 1, 2009, you became eligible for non-work-related as well as work-related disability coverage upon employment.

How do I apply for Long Term Disability?

If you will be out for more than 125 workdays, your disability claim will be reviewed for long-term disability. The following forms must be submitted to Alight:

• Authorization for Release of Medical Information.

• Long-Term Disability Repayment Agreement.

• VSDP Outside Earned Income Reporting for Long-Term Disability.

• Request for Health Insurance Credit (VRS-45)

• W-4 Form

If your disability becomes catastrophic, your income will be replaced at 80% for the duration of the catastrophic event.

To qualify, you must be unable to perform at least two of these six daily activities:

• Bathing

• Dressing

• Eating

• Maintaining continence

• Using the toilet

• Getting in and out of bed and chairs

Your condition may also be considered catastrophic if you have a severe cognitive impairment (ex.: Alzheimer’s disease), and you require substantial supervision or are placed under guardianship.

Basic VSDP Long Term Care

If you are enrolled in a Virginia Retirement System plan and participate in the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP), you are covered under the Basic VSDP Long Term Care Plan at no cost to you.

The maximum daily benefit amount is $96, with a lifetime maximum of $70,080

Members with VSDP Long Term Care may call 800.761.4057 to start a claim

Genworth Long Term Care

Genworth Long Term Care is not accepting any new enrollments, but it is honoring the terms of all current policies. Contact Genworth Long Term Care at 866.859.6060 for additional information.

Resources

Basic VSDP Long-Term Care Plan

Virginia Retirement System’s Announcement about Genworth

Notify your manager or supervisor of your need for time off from work and your expected return date, if known. Follow departmental call-out procedures until your claim is approved.

You can contact our partner firm, UNUM, Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM EST at 866-269-0979. You may also file a request or submit forms electronically via the UNUM website. For your first visit to the website you will need to register an account.  

Provide a return to work clearance from your medical provider to the HR Leave Team, leave@virginia.edu, at least three days prior to your planned return date.

UNUM will provide the forms required for completion by you and your physician; however, you are responsible for ensuring your physician provides the requested information to UNUM in a timely manner.

You will need to provide the following information when contacting UNUM:

• Employer

• Plan number (912707)

• Name

• Social Security number

• Nature of claim

• Last day at work

• Physician contact information

The maximum short-term disability benefit is 6 months, including paid holidays. If you are still disabled after that period, you will be evaluated for long-term disability by UNUM. 

Please note that work related injuries are not covered under UNUM's Short Term Disability plan. Please see the Worker's Compensation page for details related to these injuries.

Short Term Disability for Staff

UVA STD Overview (Univ Staff in ORP)

• Immediate eligibility

• Five-day waiting period

• 100% of salary for up to 25 workdays (i.e., 200 hours)

• 80% of salary through the 180th calendar day of disability

• The ORP Disability Plan benefit coverage takes 5 business days before it begins. You or your supervisor should enter your own paid time off in order for you to receive pay before your disability benefits begin. 

• If you would like to supplement your disability benefits with your own paid time off, please email the request to leave@virginia.edu.  This request is for benefits that are paid at less than 100% of your salary.  Please reach out no sooner than 30 days prior to your expected event to request this supplement.

• Employees will receive pay for Short-Term Disability through the normal UVA pay schedule. If your benefits are not approved by UNUM in time for payroll processing, benefits will be paid on the next check. Any PTO utilized for time that is later approved under the STD plan will be adjusted and returned to your balance.

Short Term Disability for Faculty

UVA STD Overview (Faculty in ORP)

Immediate eligibility

No waiting period before benefits begin

100% of salary for up to 180 calendar days

Nine-month faculty will receive 180 calendar days of disability leave. Short-term disability will be paid on days which you would normally be paid. Short-term disability days without pay still count toward the 180 calendar day short-term disability leave period.

ORP Staff LTD Plan Overview

• If you become totally disabled, you are eligible for income replacement benefits. You are considered totally disabled if you are unable to work in any occupation for which you are “reasonably fitted by education, training, or experience” due to sickness or bodily injury.

• You are eligible for coverage if you are an active employee in the United States working a minimum of 20 hours (part-time employees) or 32 hours (full-time employees) per week.

• Begins at the end of the standard disability period and continues for the duration of disability, or until normal Social Security retirement age

• Pays a monthly income benefit equal to 60% of monthly salary, offset by Social Security or workers’ compensation benefits

• Benefit cannot exceed $20,000 / month

• Plan includes annual 3% cost-of-living increment and continued contributions to ORP

ORP Faculty Plan Overview

• If you become totally disabled, you are eligible for income replacement benefits. You are considered totally disabled if you are unable to work in any occupation for which you are “reasonably fitted by education, training, or experience” due to sickness or bodily injury.

• You are eligible for coverage if you are an active employee in the United States working a minimum
  of 20 hours (part-time employees) or 32 hours (full-time employees) per week.

• Begins at the end of the standard disability period and continues for the duration of disability, or until normal Social Security retirement age

• Pays a monthly income benefit equal to 66.6667% of monthly salary, offset by Social Security or workers’ compensation benefits

• Benefit cannot exceed $20,000 / month

• Plan includes annual 3% cost-of-living increment and continued contributions to ORP

Notify your manager or supervisor of your need for time off from work and your expected return date, if known. Follow departmental call-out procedures until your claim is approved. 

Please contact our partner firm, UNUM, Monday through Friday  between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM EST at 866-269-0979. You may also file a request or submit forms electronically via the UNUM website. For your first visit to the website you will need to register an account.  

UNUM will provide the forms required for completion by you and your physician; however, you are responsible for ensuring your physician provides the requested information to UNUM in a timely manner.

There is a 14 calendar day waiting period. Employees, their managers or timekeepers should enter their own PTO during this period before benefits begin in order for the employee to receive pay for that period. UNUM will indicate when the paid benefit period starts in the approval letter sent to employees.

If you would like to supplement your disability benefits with your own paid time off, please email the request to leave@virginia.edu.  This request is for benefits that are paid at less than 100% of your salary.  Please reach out no sooner than 30 days prior to your expected event to request this supplement.

The maximum short-term disability benefit is 6 months. If you are still disabled after that period, you will be evaluated for long-term disability by UNUM.

Please note that work-related injuries are not covered under UNUM's Short Term Disability plan. Please see the Worker's Compensation page for details related to these injuries.

Short-term coverage provides a weekly benefit of 60% of your salary beginning on the 15th day of continuous disability. The period before benefits begin (waiting period) could be extended if the employee is out for their condition has not yet experienced a disabling event under the plan. 

Employees will receive pay for Short-Term Disability through the normal UVA pay schedule. If your benefits are not approved by UNUM in time for payroll processing, benefits will be paid on the next check.

• UVA STD Overview (MC Team Members)
• UVA STD Overview (MC Execs)

Medical Center Team Members LTD Plan Overview

UNUM will review begin the review for Long-term disability eligibility for employees who are on a leave of absence for five months. This is for employees who are benefited and on a Short-term disability claim or missing time due to a Workers Comp related absence.

The elimination period before LTD eligibility is 180 days. This is the number of
days that must pass after a covered accident or illness before you can begin to receive benefits.

You are eligible for coverage if you are an active employee in the United States working a minimum of 20 hours per week. Coverage provides 60% of your monthly income, up to a maximum payment of $20,000.

Benefits continue for the duration of the disability up to normal retirement age as defined by U.S. Social Security.

Medical Center Executives LTD Plan Overview

UNUM will review begin the review for Long-term disability eligibility for employees who are on a leave of absence for five months. This is for employees who are benefited and on a Short-term disability claim or missing time due to a Workers Comp related absence.

You are eligible for coverage if you are an active employee in the United States working a minimum of 36 hours per week. You are considered in active employment, if on the day you apply for coverage, you are being paid regularly by your employer for the required minimum hours each week and you are performing the material and substantial duties of your regular occupation.

Long-term coverage provides 60% income replacement up to a maximum of $25,000 per month after the six 6 months of short-term disability benefits have expired.

You can elect to purchase a benefit of 66.6667% of your monthly earnings to a maximum of $25,000

Benefits continue for the duration of the disability up to normal retirement age as defined by U.S. Social Security.

Housestaff LTD Plan Overview

There are 3 tiers to this benefit- Employer Paid (included no cost to you) and Voluntary Buy-Up Options

1) Employer Paid Group Long Term Disability (LTD)

60% of your salary up to a maximum monthly benefit of $4,000, subject to income tax when received.

2) Employer Paid Individual Disability Insurance (IDI)

A flat monthly benefit of $500, subject to income tax when received.

3) Voluntary Individual Disability Insurance (IDI)

A flat monthly benefit of $500, plus access to Student Loan Assistance (SLA) benefit and Catastrophic (CAT) rider.

The premium is employee paid, the benefits are tax-free when received. 

To apply for long-term disability, log on to the UNUM website or call 866.269.0979. For Individual Disability Insurance (IDI), this is administered through Covala Group call 800.235.3551 or email UVAIDI@covalagroup.com

Short-Term Disability is paid through the regular UVA pay cycle, the same way your normal pay is delivered. See the plan information above, for any waiting or elimination period you would need to utilize your own paid time off to receive pay for that period.

Please note that Short Term disability benefits are paid based on your FTE, listed in Workday, they are not paid based on your actual work schedule. Due to the variable nature of work schedules across the academic and medical divisions, the system is unable to incorporate this variability into pay calculations.

For any approvals made by the vendor after the payroll process has run, any retroactive approved benefits will appear on your next paycheck. You or your supervisor may input your own Paid Time off pending the approval.

For Academic Staff and Medical Center team members who receive less than 100% paid benefit, please email Leave@virginia.edu if you would like to supplement your benefit with your own paid time off. Please reach out no sooner than 30 days prior to your expected event to request this supplement.

Medical Center Team members may be eligible for PTO Donations for any period of approved absence related to your own serious health condition. Employees and their supervisors need to complete the PTO donation request form and return it to Leave@virginia.edu. The leave team will notify the employee and their manager if the donation request is approved and send instructions for solicitation of donations.

For employees with the Traditional Sick Plan please refer to the DHRM Traditional Sick policy. These employees do not have a Short Term Disability plan through UVA although they may be eligible for Leave Sharing. Please contact leave@virginia.edu for further information and apply for a leave of absence with UNUM by calling 866.269.0979.

Academic division employees who participate in the Virginia Sickness and Disability Plan (VSDP) through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) should contact Alight at 877.928.7021 to file for disability, in addition to reporting their injury as indicated in the Workers Comp process.

Academic division employees in the VRS should also contact UNUM to determine their eligibility for FMLA for any missed time related to their Work Comp claim. UNUM can be reached at 866.269.0979.

Medical Center team members and members of the ORP retirement plan are not covered under the Short-Term Disability plans through UNUM for work related injuries; however, you should still contact UNUM to file for a leave of absence and determine your FMLA eligibility if you will miss time from work. 

In addition, all employees should follow the reporting procedure for their injury as indicated in the Workers Comp process. 

Medical Center team members who may be out of work for at least 180 days should contact UNUM to determine their eligibility for Long-Term Disability benefits. UNUM’s number is 866.269.0979. 

Keep your manager or department informed of your status and whether you expect to return to work. 

Your disability vendor will begin to review your eligibility for Long-Term disability approximately 30 to 45 days prior to the maximum Short-Term Disability benefit date. This is an interactive process, so please respond to any requests from the vendor regarding the information required and keep them updated on any estimated return to work date indicated by your physician. 

If you are able to return to work on or before the end of your short-term disability maximum benefit period, please reach out to Leave@virginia.edu as soon as possible and provide a return-to-work release from your physician. The Leave team will work with your department to determine if they are able to accommodate any restrictions required for your return to work or if you may need to apply for other positions. 

If you are unable to return to work after your Short-Term disability benefits have been exhausted, your employment at UVA will end. Should you be able to return to work at some point, you may be rehired through the competitive process. A disability approved separation from service will not reflect negatively if you reapply for a position with UVA in the future. 

You may set up an appointment with a benefits counselor by contacting the HR Solution Center at 434.243.3344 or emailing AskHR@virginia.edu to discuss your benefit options upon separation. 

Short-term disability benefits are paid by the department. Short-term disability, whether with Reed Group for VSDP, Unum for the ORP, or Medical Center disability plan, is self-insured. The vendor makes the determination as to compensability, but the salary replacement comes from the department.

Whether an employee is receiving all short-term disability or a percentage or their pay and supplementing with PTO, the funds are all paid by the department.

Long-term disability is insured.  When an employee is approved for long term disability and unable to return to work, they are separated from UVA and are paid benefits by the disability vendor. The vendor will also pay benefits during a working long term disability period. 

Academic division employees will receive holiday pay if a holiday falls during their waiting or elimination period. If a holiday falls during the disability benefit period, disability benefits and/or PTO will be applied. The PTO will be applied if the employee requested to use the time to supplement their STD benefits. 

Prior to going out on a leave of absence/disability claim, an employee should, whenever possible, provide an approximate time frame of their expected absence their supervisor and continue to follow call out procedures until their leave or disability benefits have been approved by the appropriate vendor. 

Employees should, if they are able, continue to keep their supervisor up to date related to any known return to work date or extensions of leave requested. Supervisors may reach out to their employee to confirm their anticipated return date, if the disability claim or leave of absence is nearing the end of the approved period and they have not received any updates from the vendor or employee. 

Once an employee has confirmed a return date with their physician, they should consult with their supervisor in advance of their expected return to determine their schedule and if any other requirements, such as certification updates, are needed for their return to their position. 

Employees should only return to work following a leave of absence for their own injury or illness under the advice of their physician.

Employees may send in their return to work release from their physician to their disability vendor, HR, or their supervisor. The exception is returning after a post partum recovery due to birth of a child. Once the post partum recovery period has been completed, and there are not further medical complications, an employee may return without a release. 

If there are restrictions noted on the employee's release, the department or employee can share the information with a leave specialist by emailing leave@virginia.edu for guidance. If this is the case, the employee should refrain from returning until the department has confirmed they can accommodate any restrictions.