Pandemic underscores value and of disability benefits for employees

When contemplating disability insurance, consider integration with the employer’s medical plan, which can help control costs for both the employer and employee.

The health implications of the pandemic – both mental and physical – caused many employees and employers to revisit the value of their benefits packages. What had been a possibility of not being able to afford the general cost of living in the event of a qualifying disabling condition became a reality for the many who lost their income because they could not work due to COVID-19-related illness. These concerns around financial well-being remain with a predicted post-COVID wave of disability from chronic conditions that surfaced during the pandemic.

New studies show employers have already paid nearly $11 billion in disability benefits related to COVID-19, yet many employers still do not offer disability insurance. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, short-term disability insurance was available to only 40% of civilian workers in March 2020, and long-term disability insurance was available to 35%.