Disability insurance provides financial protection by replacing a portion of your income if you become unable to work due to a covered illness or injury. It can help you maintain your standard of living and focus on recovery. At Renaissance, we offer a range of plans tailored to meet diverse needs, so you have the support you need when it matters most.
Disability insurance is important for safeguarding your financial future. Unexpected illnesses or injuries can disrupt your ability to earn an income, impacting your financial stability. Disability insurance provides peace of mind by knowing that you have a safety net in place, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
Disability insurance and health insurance serve different but complementary roles in protecting your well-being. Health insurance helps cover the cost of medical care, such as doctor visits, hospital stays and medications, helping you receive the necessary treatments for illnesses and injuries. On the other hand, disability insurance provides financial support by replacing a portion of your income if you are unable to work due to a covered illness or injury. While health insurance focuses on your medical needs, disability insurance safeguards your financial stability, helping you to maintain your standard of living and focus on recovery.
Disability insurance and workers’ compensation both provide financial protection but differ in scope. Workers’ compensation covers only job-related injuries and illnesses, providing benefits for medical expenses and lost wages from workplace incidents. Disability insurance, on the other hand, covers a wider range of conditions, including those not related to work, such as serious illnesses or accidents outside the workplace.
Yes. To view your benefits and claims, log in to MyRenBenefitsManager.
Disability claims can be submitted online, telephonically or by submitting a paper claim form.
- To file a claim online, log in to MyRenBenefitsManager.
- To start a claim telephonically, call 800-894-4532. Our Telephonic Intake Customer Care Team is available Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM Eastern.
- To submit a paper claim, download the claim forms from our website on the Claims Forms page and scan/email to groupclaims@renaissancefamily.com or fax to 607-773-2276.
You’ll need to provide the following information:
- Your employer’s name
- Your group policy number
- Your name, date of birth and Social Security Number
- Your contact information (mailing address, email and phone number)
- The last day you were at work
- The first day you were unable to work
- Information about your injury or illness
- Your treating medical provider’s contact information (name, phone number and fax number)
Information will also be needed from your employer and your treating medical provider to substantiate your claim. We will need a signed medical authorization in order to request medical records. Once your claim is created and assigned to a claim examiner, you will be informed of any additional information needed to complete your claim.
Report your claim as soon as possible once you know you’ll need to be off work longer than your policy’s benefit elimination period. Timely claim submission is important to avoid delays in processing your claim. Your disability policy will also specify time limits on when a claim must be filed. Submitting a claim late may result in a delay or denial of benefits.
Sometimes a disability event is known in advance, such as for pregnancy or for pre-scheduled surgery. In those situations, disability claims may be submitted up to 30 days in advance of the expected start date, however, the claim will remain pending until the actual start date is confirmed.
For maternity claims where the member works up to the date of delivery, the delivery date and type of delivery must be confirmed before the claim can be finalized.
For pre-scheduled surgeries, it must be confirmed that the planned surgery did take place on the scheduled surgery date.
If there are any changes to the expected start date on a pre-submitted claim, updates should be provided to the claim examiner as soon as possible.
Yes, direct deposit is available for most of our clients*. To sign up for direct deposit, download and complete the Authorization of Direct Deposit of Claim Payment form. Return the completed form along with a deposit slip or voided check.
The documentation can be submitted by using the upload feature in your claim within the portal, or by emailing groupclaims@renaissancefamily.com or faxing to 607-773-2276.
Once received, it may take up to 10 days to process your direct deposit request. Once direct deposit is set up, benefit payments are typically available in your account within 2-3 business days after a payment is processed.
*If your employer’s group number starts with the letter “G”, direct deposit is not available at this time.
Short Term Disability (STD) policies typically provide benefits on a weekly basis for a specified number of weeks, ranging from several weeks up to 26 weeks or even 52 weeks in some policies.
Long Term Disability (LTD) policies provide benefits on a monthly basis for a much longer period of time, often up to several years or even until retirement age.
STD and LTD policies have different provisions, definitions and requirements that must be met to qualify for benefits under each policy. Due to the extended length of benefits, LTD policies typically have more provisions to satisfy as well as more options to support return to work efforts compared to STD policies and may involve a more in-depth and comprehensive review process than STD.
Some disability plans include a Pre-Existing Condition clause which limits or excludes benefits if a claim is filed within a specified number of months after coverage starts and the claim is for a disability that is related to an illness or injury that the member had and was treated for before coverage began.
Most Pre-Existing Condition clauses expire after the member has been covered by the plan for 12 (or in some cases 24) months. The specific number of months for the Pre-Existing Condition clause is noted in the policy scheduled of benefits.
Disability policies generally have an unpaid elimination period, or benefit waiting period. Disability benefits begin after the elimination period has passed. Some common STD elimination periods are zero days, 1 week, 2 weeks, or 30 days. LTD elimination periods typically align with the end of STD and are most commonly 90 days or 180 days. The elimination period is specified in the policy schedule of benefits. You can receive a copy of your policy from your benefits administrator or your human resources department.
Disability benefits may be subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA taxes) as well as Federal Income Tax, depending on the type of policy and funding structure your employer has chosen. If your benefit is subject to FICA taxes, they will be withheld automatically from your benefit payments. You may elect to have optional Federal Income Tax withheld by submitting the IRS form W-4S. Any required and optional tax withholding amounts will be reflected on the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) that accompanies each benefit payment.
If you have already filed a claim, you can contact our Customer Care Team or your assigned claim examiner by calling 800-894-4532, Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM Eastern. If you have not filed a claim yet or are looking for general information, please contact your benefits administrator or your human resources representative.
