Disability Insurance Education Center from LibertyMutualGroup.com

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 54 million Americans, or 19 percent of the population are considered disabled. The impact of a disabling illness or injury, both financially and emotionally, is devastating. While medical insurance may cover most care expenses, daily living expenses such as rent or mortgage, car payments, and utilities continue.

Disability can also take a huge toll on companies. Based on U.S. Departments of Labor and Commerce statistics, illness and injury cost employers at least $95 billion in 2008.¹

Group disability insurance is received through the employer and provides a benefit to replace a portion of an insured employee’s income lost due to a disabling sickness or injury. There are two main types of group disability insurance: short-term disability and long-term disability:

Short-Term Disability (STD): Provides benefits for shorter durations, generally up to 13 or 26 weeks.
Long-Term Disability (LTD): Provides benefits for longer periods, generally up to age 65 or normal retirement age.

Disability can happen to anyone, at any age, and in any occupation. Please access the following resources to learn more about how disability insurance received through work helps employees and employers.

Resources:

	Case Studies: Features real life examples showing that disability can happen to anyone; the critical financial protection provided by disability insurance; and the benefits for employers of helping disabled employees return to work.
	Article: IBI Research Insights: A Pain in the Low Back, by Dr. Thomas Parry, President of the Integrated Benefits Institute, features research conducted by Dr. William Shaw and Dr. Glenn Pransky of the Center for Disability Research at Liberty Mutual's Research Institute for Safety.
	Statistics: Features statistics and facts about disability and its effect on both employees and their employers.
	Calculator: What’s your PDQ? Use this tool to determine your Personal Disability Quotient, which calculates your chance of becoming disabled and not being able to work.

Return to Work Resources:

	On-demand Webinar: The Golden Carrot: Uncovering the Key Competencies of Return to Work Coordinators, featuring Dr. Glenn Pransky, Liberty Mutual Research Institute and Mr. Barry Niman University of California, San Diego
	Podcast: Effective Return-to-Work Coordinators, featuring Dr. Glenn Pransky, Director of the Center for Disability Research at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety.
	Article: Effective Return-to-Work Coordinators, Dr. Glenn Pransky, Director of the Center for Disability Research at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, featured in DMEC's @work publication.

ADA Amendment Act Resources:
New! September 29, 2009—The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has published recommended language to be incorporated into the Americans with Disabilities Act. A comment period of 60 days commenced with publication on September 23, 2009.

Click Here to read the EEOC press release with links to the language and interpretive materials. We will update our ADA resources as information is received.

Podcast Icon Podcast: Back to Basics: An Update on Changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act, features Linda Carter Batiste, Principal Consultant at the Job Accommodation Network

Article Icon Article: ADA Amendments Act Fact Sheet, which details the changes to the ADA and provides an action plan for employers

Additional Liberty Mutual Resouces:
Whitepapers on Absence Management, IDM, and FMLA best practices as discussed during Leadership Series events jointly sponsored by Liberty Mutual and the Disability Management Employer Coalition.

Through laboratory and field-based investigations and global research collaborations, the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety seeks to advance scientific, business-relevant knowledge in workplace and highway safety, and work disability.

Additional Information:
Americans with Disabilities Act
DisabilityInfo.gov

Social Security Administration

Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI)

Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC)
Council for Disability Awareness
American Heart Association
American Cancer Association
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
US Department of Labor

1. Census Bureau, http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/smallbus.html; U.S. Department of Labor, http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat46.pdf

Disability Insurance Education Center

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