Know your benefits: Protect your income with Texas Income Protection Plan disability insurance (2024)

June 05, 2024

Know your benefits: Protect your income with Texas Income Protection Plan disability insurance (1)

Know your benefits

Learn about your options in preparation for Summer Enrollment.

Leading into Summer Enrollment, News About Your Benefits features overviews of the plans you can elect, change or drop during this time. For June, we highlight Texas Income Protection Plan disability insurance and dental insurance.

5-minute read

Illness or accidental injury can strike anyone, at any time. Being young and healthy doesn’t necessarily protect you from disability. In fact, more than one out of four people, currently in their twenties, will become disabled before they retire and most of us can’t afford a few months without a paycheck. The Texas Income Protection PlanSM (TIPP) is disability insurance that can help cover bills and everyday expenses if you become disabled for a period of time.

What is disability insurance?

TIPP offers short-term and long-term disability insurance that protects your income by paying a percentage of your paycheck if you become disabled and can’t work due to a medical illness, injury, pregnancy or childbirth. TIPP is an optional benefit and is only available to active employees, who apply to enroll in one or both plans.

TIPP is administered by Alight Solutions (formerly ReedGroup).

How it works

Short-Term Disability BenefitsLong-Term Disability Benefits
Waiting period before benefit beginsCurrently 30 days (14 days starting Sept. 1, 2024) or after exhaustion of all available sick leave, whichever is longest

180 days or after exhaustion of all available sick leave, whichever is longest

You can collect short-term disability insurance payments during this time, if you’ve exhausted all available sick leave.

Monthly amount the participant will receive

66% of your monthly salary, up to a maximum TIPP payment of $6,600 per month

Examples:
If your monthly salary is $4,200, your monthly short-term disability payment would be $2,772 ($4,200 × 0.66 = $2,772).

If your monthly salary is $10,000 or more, your monthly short-term disability payment would be the maximum benefit of $6,600.

60% of your monthly salary, up to a maximum TIPP payment of $6,000 per month

Examples:
If your monthly salary is $4,200, your monthly long-term disability payment would be $2,520 ($4,200 × 0.6 = $2,520).

If your monthly salary is $10,000 or more, your monthly long-term disability payment would be the maximum benefit of $6,000.

Length of benefits
  • Currently up to five months (a maximum of 150 days) after you complete the waiting period
  • Starting Sept. 1, 2024, up to five and a half months (a maximum of 166 days) after you complete the waiting period
Until you are able to return to work or until you reach your Maximum Benefit Period (based on the age you become disabled or based on the condition causing your disability)

Using your sick leave

If you have sick leave available to you, you must use all of it before you can collect TIPP disability insurance payments. This includes extended sick leave, donated sick leave and sick leave pool. If your sick leave days exceed the TIPP waiting period, you must use all the sick leave before you can get TIPP benefits.

Example:

  • If you have TIPP short-term disability coverage and 45 days of sick leave, you cannot collect short-term disability payments until you’ve used all 45 days of sick leave.
  • If you have TIPP long-term disability coverage and 200 days of sick leave, you cannot collect long-term disability payments until you’ve used all 200 days of sick leave.

You do not have to use annual (vacation) leave or any other available leave.

The Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) and TIPP do not manage leave hours. For questions about your leave hours, please contact your agency’s or institution’s HR department or benefits coordinator.

Pre-existing conditions and other exclusions

You should review TIPP’s documents before applying for disability insurance. Only active employees at participating state agencies and higher education institutions can enroll. TIPP coverage is not available to family members. Pre-existing conditions are subject to certain exclusions. If you drop your TIPP coverage, you won’t be able to re-enroll unless you provide evidence of Insurability (EOI) during Summer Enrollment or within 31 days of a qualifying life event, or if you become a new hire.

Upcoming and recent TIPP enhancements

In response to a decline in short-term disability claims, ERS has made certain program enhancements for TIPP to continue to support the financial security and overall well-being of employees and their families.

These changes will provide added flexibility related to when employees can access benefits, without increasing premium rates.

Short-term disability waiting period

Starting Sept. 1, 2024, the waiting period before short-term disability benefits begin will reduce from 30 consecutive days to 14 days. This change can help participants begin receiving disability payments sooner, especially those with limited sick leave.

State agency paid parental leave coordination with TIPP short-term disability insurance

Texas Senate Bill 222 became effective in 2023, providing paid leave to eligible state agency employees who are parents of new children. In response to this legislation, ERS has clarified that new mothers participating in TIPP short-term disability insurance do not have to exhaust paid parental leave before they can start receiving short-term disability payments for an eligible maternity claim.

However, they still have to complete the disability waiting period or exhaust all available sick leave, whichever is longer. TIPP coverage will not apply if available sick leave lasts longer than the Maximum Benefit Period.

Note: Paid parental leave under SB 222 is available to an eligible state agency employee—woman or man—who has a newborn or newly adopted child. TIPP disability payments for a maternity claim are available to a woman who:

  • works at participating state agency or higher education institution,
  • has TIPP coverage,
  • is pregnant and/or gave birth, and
  • completed the waiting period and/or used all sick leave.

ERS does not administer paid parental leave. To learn if you are eligible for paid parental leave, contact your human resources department.

Cost for Plan Year 2025

CoverageCost
Plan Years 2024 and 2025
Short-term disability24 cents per $100 of monthly salary
Long-term disability$24 cents per $100 of monthly salary

How to apply for TIPP disability insurance

Take the following steps to apply for disability insurance during your two-week Summer Enrollment phase with these steps. Please note evidence of insurability is required and coverage is not guaranteed.

  1. Log in to your ERS OnLine account at ers.texas.gov/my-account-login.
  2. Select short-term and/or long-term disability coverage.
  3. Complete the EOI process.

EOI is used to determine eligibility for disability coverage. You will receive instructions on how to submit your EOI application.

Want to know more?

Join TIPP representatives for an upcoming webinar to learn more about coverage and program enhancements!

You can register at the links below.

  • Thursday, June 20, 3-4 p.m. CT
  • Tuesday, July 9, 3-4 p.m. CT

You can also visit the TIPP website at www.texasincomeprotectionplan.com or call TIPP Customer Care toll-free at (855) 604-6230 (TDD - 711), Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. CT.

Know your benefits: Protect your income with Texas Income Protection Plan disability insurance (2024)

FAQs

What does disability income insurance protect against? ›

Disability income insurance provides insured individuals with income when they can no longer work because of an accident, injury, illness, and/or disability. DI insurance is available through employers, the Social Security Administration, or private insurance companies.

Do I need both income protection and TPD? ›

Yes. Usually those with TPD cover will have income protection cover, although people sometimes secure stand-alone income protection policies. We often see people mistakenly believe that they cannot claim a TPD benefit while they are being paid income protection or similar benefits. That is not the case.

How does disability insurance protect you financially? ›

Disability benefits are designed to replace a percentage of your income if the unexpected happens. You may be eligible for DI if you are unable to work and are losing wages because of your own non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy.

What is the maximum disability payment in Texas? ›

How much are Social Security disability benefits in Texas? In 2024, the maximum disability payment you can receive (regardless of the state where you live) is $3,822 per month for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or $943 per month for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

How can you determine the amount of disability income insurance you need? ›

It is estimated as 60 to 70 percent of the wages you earned 5 to 18 months before your claim start date and up to the maximum WBA. Note: Your claim start date is the date your disability begins. We will calculate your WBA using a base period.

What does disability insurance protect the insured from? ›

The purpose of disability insurance is to protect and replace a portion of your income if you suffer a disabling injury or illness that keeps you from earning a living.

Is income disability insurance worth it? ›

Disability insurance can be a valuable tool to help protect your income and support your family if you're unable to work due to an injury or illness. However, the decision is ultimately a personal one.

What are the disadvantages of disability insurance? ›

Cons:
  • Disability insurance can be expensive. Coverage costs more the older you get or the more dangerous your job is. ...
  • Policies can come with exclusions that don't cover pre-existing conditions. ...
  • Waiting period. ...
  • If you never experience a disability, you won't receive benefits.

When can you claim income protection? ›

Waiting period

The waiting period is the number of days before you become eligible to claim,starting from the date the doctor confirms you are disabled. The most common chosen waiting period options are 30 days, 60 days and 90 days.

What is the payout for TPD insurance? ›

TPD Payouts are typically valued from $30,000 to over $500,000. However, some fortunate Australians can lodge multiple TPD claims. Furthermore, average lump sums are generally higher than $200,000, with others higher than $1.5 million.

How many times can you claim TPD? ›

You might hold TPD insurance in your super as well as having a privately secured insurance policy. If you meet the criteria, then you can claim on any insurance policy you have. As long as you had the policy in place when your work stopped, you are free to claim on multiple policies.

What is disability income protection insurance? ›

Disability income insurance offers an extra layer of financial protection by replacing your income when you're not able to earn it due to a disabling injury or illness.

What are the three sources of disability income? ›

There are basically three ways to replace income:
  • Employer-paid disability insurance.
  • Social Security disability benefits.
  • Individual disability income insurance policies.

How much disability can you get for depression and anxiety? ›

If you qualify for benefits with anxiety, the maximum disability payment for SSDI is $3,822 per month, and the most you can get from SSI is $943 per month in 2024. These amounts are set by law and are the same for every condition.

What is the highest disability monthly payment? ›

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – The maximum payment is $3,822 a month (up from $3,627 in 2023). The maximum family benefit for SSDI is about 85% to 150% of the disabled worker's benefit. The maximum payment at full retirement age is $3,822 monthly. However, if you retire at age 62, your benefit is $2,710.

What gets 100% disability? ›

VA reserves this rating for veterans with extremely debilitating service-connected conditions. Typically, these conditions make them unable to work and mostly unable to care for themselves. However, veterans must meet strict criteria to qualify for this rating.

What conditions automatically qualify you for disability in Texas? ›

What conditions qualify for disability in Texas? Any condition that will prevent you from working for a year or more can qualify for disability benefits. Some of the most common conditions include musculoskeletal disorders, mental disorders, nervous system diseases, and circulatory system diseases.

What is the most approved disability? ›

What Is the Most Approved Disability? Arthritis and other musculoskeletal system disabilities make up the most commonly approved conditions for social security disability benefits. This is because arthritis is so common. In the United States, over 58 million people suffer from arthritis.

What expenses do disability benefit payments cover? ›

You can use money in an ABLE account to pay for certain qualified disability expenses. These expenses include those for education, housing, transportation, employment training, employment support, assistive technology, and related services.

Does disability insurance count as income? ›

You must report as income any amount you receive for your disability through an accident or health insurance plan paid for by your employer: If both you and your employer have paid the premiums for the plan, only the amount you receive for your disability that's due to your employer's payments is reported as income.

What do disability income policies provide protection for? ›

Disability income insurance can help you protect 45 percent to 65 percent of your income should you become too sick or hurt to work. So if you have people who depend on you financially, college tuition to cover, and mortgage payments to make, you should consider disability income insurance.

What does disability insurance protect against? ›

Disability is an illness or injury, either physical or mental, which prevents you from performing your regular and customary work. Disability also includes elective surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, or other related medical conditions.

Is disability insurance a good thing? ›

If you were unable to work due to illness or injury, disability insurance can help to pay for essential expenses, including food, utilities, school tuition, mortgage, and car payments.

What is disability insurance What does it cover? ›

Disability insurance is intended to replace some of a working person's income when a disability prevents them from working. It does not: Cover medical care or long-term care services. Provide benefits once you are over age 65—when you are most likely to need long-term care services.

Who does a disability income policy normally cover? ›

Disability income insurance provides income if you experience a long-term illness or injury. Employer-sponsored policies often cover only a percentage of your current income. By paying for a policy with after-tax dollars, benefits received are income tax-free.

When should people consider disability insurance? ›

If you have a spouse, children, or other family members whom you support – and would feel a financial burden if illness or injury kept you from earning income, then disability insurance can be an important source of financial protection.

Which of the following is not excluded in a disability insurance policy? ›

Final answer: Pre-existing conditions are not normally an excluded cause of disability in an individual disability income policy; while accidents and illnesses are covered, occupational hazards may be covered by other insurance types such as workers' compensation.

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