LONG TERM DISABILITY AND
SUPPLEMENTAL LONG TERM DISABILITY
Harvard’s Long-Term Disability (LTD) plan is a voluntary benefit that helps you meet your financial
commitments if you are unable to work for more than 180 calendar days due to an illness or injury.
Harvard’s LTD plan is offered through Lincoln Financial Group.
LTD COVERAGE
To be eligible to apply for LTD coverage, employees must meet the following criteria:
• Be a regular benefits-eligible employee working at least 17.5 hours per week or earning at least $15,000
annually.
• Certain benefits-eligible employees who are members of a collective bargaining agreement must enroll as a
condition of their employment.
• Temporary or seasonal employees, full-time members of the armed forces, leased employees or independent
contractors are not eligible for Harvard’s LTD program.
LTD protects 60 percent of your pre-disability salary*, up to a maximum benefit of $15,000 per month (tax-
free). You pay for the full cost of coverage. Premiums are deducted from your paycheck on an after-tax basis so that
LTD benefits are tax-free.
Enrolling in Voluntary Group LTD
You may elect to enroll in LTD coverage at any time with evidence of insurability (EOI). If you enroll within 30 days of
your hire date, your initial benefits eligibility date or within 30 days of certain permitted election events, you will not
need to provide EOI.
You can elect LTD coverage online via PeopleSoft when you first become eligible. To elect LTD coverage at any
other time during the year, contact the Benefits Office. If your application requires you to provide EOI, you must
complete the Evidence of Insurability form and submit the completed form to Lincoln Financial Group for medical
underwriting review. The Lincoln Financial Group will contact you and/or your physician if they need additional
information. Lincoln Financial Group will notify you directly if coverage has been approved or denied.
Filing an LTD Claim
The waiting period for LTD benefits is 180 calendar days (this is the time before LTD benefits potentially become
payable). If you are on Short Term Disability (STD), Lincoln Financial Group will automatically review you for LTD
benefits if you are enrolled in the LTD plan. Lincoln Financial Group will contact you around week 18 of your STD
period to request additional information from you, your physician(s) and Harvard.
If you are on workers’ compensation, and you have been absent for approximately four months, you should file an
LTD claim with Lincoln Financial Group. You will receive an LTD Claim Packet in the mail with instructions regarding
how to submit your claim via phone at 844-600-3978 or online at www.mylincolnportal.com.
If you are a Faculty member, and have been absent for approximately four months, you should file an LTD claim with
Lincoln Financial Group. You can do this either by phone at 844-600-3978 or online at www.mylincolnportal.com.
Please contact your Faculty Affairs Office and notify them you are filing an LTD claim.
*First $25,000 of your basic monthly earnings in effect immediately prior to your date of disbility
Duration of LTD Benefits
Lincoln Financial Group determines disability based on comprehensive medical information provided by your
physician(s) and, sometimes, by an independent physician. For the first 24 months (following the 180 calendar day
waiting period), you must be unable to perform your own occupation to be considered disabled. After the first 24
months during which LTD benefits are payable, you must be unable to perform any occupation to continue receiving
LTD benefits. Claim review is required periodically by Lincoln Financial Group.
The maximum benefit period begins at the end of the 180 calendar day waiting period and the maximum duration of
benefits is determined by your age when your disability begins.
Part-Time Benefits
Working part-time while on LTD is encouraged. Contact Lincoln Financial Group and your leave specialist or local HR
office for details.
Impact on Other Harvard Benefits
You will remain eligible for Harvard’s medical, dental, vision and life insurance plans while receiving LTD benefits.
You will also continue to accrue participation service and receive pension contributions based on your salary
immediately prior to disability.
Please see the LTD At-A-Glance brochure for more information about your Harvard benefits while on LTD.
Social Security Disability Benefits and Medicare
Employees must apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if they are eligible for this income. The LTD
plan considers any income you, your spouse or your child under age 18 receive or are eligible to receive from Social
Security due to your disability or retirement an offset to your LTD benefits. The Lincoln Financial Group will notify
you of the process to apply for this income if it applies to you.
Medicare becomes the primary payer for medical claims when you have received SSDI benefits for 24 months. If
you are receiving SSDI, Social Security will automatically enroll you in Medicare Part A and Part B effective with the
25th month you receive disability payments. Under the terms of Harvard’s group health coverage, you must accept
and pay for Medicare Part B coverage. There is no cost for Part A. Harvard-sponsored coverage will pay medical
claims as a secondary payer whether or not you enroll in Medicare. If you do not enroll in Medicare as of the date
you become eligible for coverage, you may be assessed a late enrollment penalty and you will be responsible for
payment of any claims typically covered by Medicare.
If you are covering a spouse on a Harvard-sponsored medical plan and your spouse is age 65 or older, he/she is
also required to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B when you do so. If your spouse does not enroll in both Medicare
Parts A and B when you become eligible, he/she will be responsible for payment of any claims typically covered by
Medicare. If you are covering a spouse on a Harvard plan who is under 65 when you become Medicare-eligible, your
spouse does not need to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B until becoming eligible for Medicare (typically the first of
the month in which he/she turns 65).
Appeal of Adverse Decisions
Any recipient whose claim is denied will be formally notified by the Lincoln Financial Group of the specific reason(s)
for denial and offered the opportunity to appeal.
Additional Information
For further information regarding LTD, please see the LTD Certificate and additional materials under Forms &
Documents > Total Rewards > Long Term Disability.
If you became disabled before June 1, 2007, you are grandfathered under the University’s 1973 LTD program. This
program and your claim are managed by The Standard. If you participate in this plan and have questions, contact
The Standard at 800-426-4332 or Harvard Benefits at 617-496-4001.
If you held a Harvard Corporation appointment as an Officer of Instruction or Administration before April 1, 1973,
and you are not on LTD and have not transferred to the University’s current LTD plan, you are covered under the
University’s 1965 Total Disability Plan. This plan is administered by Lincoln Financial Group. If you participate in this
plan and have questions, contact Lincoln Financial Group at 844-228-2501 or Harvard Benefits at 617-496-4001.
The University’s 1973 LTD program and 1965 Total Disability Plan are closed to new enrollments.
Harvard changed to Lincoln Financial Group for LTD coverage effective June 1, 2017. If you became disabled before
this date, your claim and benefits will continue to be handled through The Standard.
SUPPLEMENTAL LTD
Supplemental LTD (individual disability) insurance augments the University’s LTD plan for employees earning
$300,000 or more annually.
Harvard employees earning less than $300,000 are able to protect 60 percent of their pre-disability salary*
through the voluntary group LTD plan, up to a maximum benefit of $15,000 per month (tax-free). Employees
earning $300,000 or more are not able to protect 60 percent of pre-disability salary due to the $15,000 monthly
limit. Therefore, Harvard offers the option of purchasing additional protection through this supplemental program.
Enrollment and payment for this LTD policy is handled by The Baker Benefit Group. This individual disability policy is
through The Standard and they will review and make any claims decisions under this policy.
Eligibility
You must meet all of the following requirements:
• Participate in the Harvard group LTD plan
• Work at least 17.5 hours per week
• Earn at least $300,000 per year
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident of the U.S.
Benefits are payable for both total and partial disabilities if you are unable to work for more than 180 calendar days
due to an illness or injury. Benefits are payable up to age 67, or for a specified period, for disabilities occurring at age
61 or later.
Enrollment
Newly eligible employees should receive an enrollment package within 90 days of becoming eligible. You have 30
days from the time you receive your package to apply for this coverage.
Premiums for this coverage depend on your age, occupation class, tobacco use, benefit amount and frequency of
payment. Premiums can be paid through automatic monthly withdrawal from a bank account or annual or semi-
annual billing.
If you have any questions about the Supplemental LTD benefit or your individual policy, please contact The Baker
Benefit Group, LLC toll-free at 877-321-4427 or email Harvard@tbbgroup.net.
*Basic monthly earnings in effect immediately prior to your date of disbility
March 2022
