Disability Insurance (TIPP)

The Texas Income Protection Plan (TIPP) includes short-term and long-term disability coverage.

TIPP is available to active employees as an optional benefit and provides benefits for disabilities resulting from occupational and non-occupational illness or injury.

• Short-term disability coverage provides a maximum benefit of 66% of an enrolled employee's monthly salary (capped at $6,600 per month for individuals making more than $10,000 monthly), for a period up to five months.
• Long-term disability coverage provides a maximum benefit of 60% of an enrolled employee's monthly salary (capped at$6,000 per month for individuals making more than $10,000 monthly), for a period ranging from 12 months up to full Social Security retirement age, depending on the employee's age at the time of disability.

ReedGroup provides customer service and claims processing for TIPP.

2. How do I enroll in TIPP?

You can enroll during your first 31 days of employment without evidence of insurability (EOI). Members who do not enroll in short-term and/or long-term disability coverage within the first 31 days of their hire date can apply for coverage during Summer Enrollment or if they have a qualifying life event (QLE), like a marriage or birth of a child. EOI will be required .

3. How do I file a disability claim?

You can call TIPP Customer Care toll‐free at (855) 604‐6230 (TTY ‐ 711), Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT.

• You’ll be able to get all of your income protection questions answered, even if you are not enrolled in TIPP yet.
• Plan participants can start or follow up on a claim.

You can also use our self‐service feature available from the TIPP website 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• Click on the self‐service link at the top right to log in. If you have not registered your account, click on ‘Are you a new user?’ to create your UserID and Password.

After you log in to your account, you can:

• Submit a claim.
• Get information about an existing claim.
• Upload claim documentation.

Once you complete the intake process, you will be assigned to a claim manager who will work with you through the life of your claim.

A TIPP Customer Care representative may contact your health care providers to verify medical information. This is an important part of the claims approval process. This may take a few hours, a few days, or longer. Not filing immediately will only hold up the claim process. This could mean waiting longer than you have to for your first disability payment. New short-term disability claims have a minimum 30-day waiting period. New long-term disability claims have a minimum 180-day waiting period before benefits can be paid.

Be proactive. Report your scheduled disability leave up to 30 days ahead of time. This will speed up the process and, if approved, get you your money as soon as possible.

You must file your disability claim within one year after the first day of your disability in one of two ways:

• online using the self‐service option on the TIPP website or
• call TIPP Customer Care.

4. Is there a waiting period before my disability benefit is paid?

Before the plan begins to pay you the short-term disability benefits, you must use your sick leave balance (including extended sick leave, donated sick leave and sick leave pool) or finish a 30-day waiting period, whichever option is a longest. Sick leave use and waiting period run concurrently. However, you are not required to use your vacation or other leave.

Before the plan begins to pay you the long-term disability benefits, you must use your sick leave balance (including extended sick leave, sick leave pool, and/or donated sick leave) or finish a 180-day waiting period, whichever option is a longest. Sick leave use and waiting period run concurrently. However, you are not required to use your vacation or other leave.

5. How will I receive my disability benefit check?

All claimants will receive a paper check from ReedGroup, unless a direct deposit agreement is set up with ReedGroup. The ReedGroup Direct Deposit form is posted on the TIPP website.

6. What is considered a preexisting condition?

In the three months prior to the date coverage begins, if you have a medical condition for which you received:

• medical treatment,
• medical advice,
• medical services or
• prescription drugs or medicine.

Disability benefits for that specific condition would not be covered for the first six months of enrollment. After the six-month period ends, you must fulfill the waiting period before the plan begins to pay benefits.

7. Do I have to enroll in both short-term and long-term disability coverage?

8. Is my disability benefit taxable?

Most participants have disability premiums deducted from their paycheck on an after-tax basis. If this applies to you, then any disability payments you receive are not taxable. However, if your employer pays your short- and/or long-term disability premiums, any disability payments you receive will be taxable income. If your employer pays a percentage of your disability premiums, then the same percent of any disability payments you receive will be taxable income.

If you are receiving disability payments and your employer pays all or a percentage of your premiums, contact TIPP Customer Care and request that taxes be withheld from your disability payments. Contact your benefits coordinator if you have questions about whether your premiums are deducted before or after taxes.

9. How do I check the status of my disability claim?

ReedGroup knows the status of your claim. You can check on the status on the TIPP website anytime or by calling TIPP Customer Care toll‐free at (855) 604‐6230 (TTY ‐ 711), Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT.

10. What is the maximum benefit period?

Short-term disability payments are available for up to five months (a maximum of 150 days) after you complete the waiting period.

The maximum benefit period for long-term disability depends on your age at the time the disability begins.