What Carriers Are Doing – Life, Disability, Dental, Vision, and EAP
Delta Dental • Delta will allow furloughed employees (or those with reduced hours) to stay on the plan subject to continued premium payment. Guardian • Guardian’s short-term disability contracts include a Quarantine Rider that covers employees if they are placed under a doctor ordered quarantine and unable to perform the major duties of their job. The employee must be suspected of carrying or having been exposed to an infectious/contagious disease. This rider is not available in Washington or New York. The Quarantine Rider only applies to contracts written in 2016 and later; those written before do not include the rider. • Guardian will allow furloughed employees (or those with reduced hours) to stay on the plan, as long as premium is paid and the method is not discriminatory, through June 30, 2020. This does not apply to long-term disability coverage.
MetLife • Starting March 19, 2020 and for an initial period of 30 days: MetLife will conditionally approve disability claims reported for disabling flu-like symptoms reportedly or potentially due to COVID- 19. This approval will last 14 calendar days from the date disabling conditions started, pending supporting medical evidence. However, if the member is quarantined without any symptoms, they would generally not be considered disabled. • For group life, AD&D, dental, vision, accident/health, and legal coverage: MetLife will allow furloughed employees (or those with reduced hours) to stay on the plan for up to 12 months, as long as premium is paid and the method is non- discriminatory. • For group disability coverage: MetLife will allow furloughed employees (or those with reduced hours) to stay on the plan for up to 60 days, between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020, as long as premium is paid and the method is non- discriminatory. Principal • Principal will offset payments made under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act for disability claims tied to COVID-19. This means that to the extent an employee receives paid sick time under the new law, Principal will integrate their benefit payments with the paid sick time benefits. • Principal will not consider a quarantine
order itself as a disabling medical condition to satisfy the definition of disability under their policies.
• Principal will allow furloughed employees (or those with reduced hours) to stay on the plan, as long as premium is paid and the method is not discriminatory, through May 31, 2020.
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