Overview
The Income Continuation Insurance (ICI) Program provides replacement income if you become ill or injured and are unable to work due to a short-term or long-term disability. Benefits are based on 75% of your eligible earnings (up to maximum earnings of $120,000/year).
If you file an ICI claim, benefit payments will begin after you meet your designated elimination period or use of your accrued sick leave up to a maximum of 130 days, whichever is longer.
- Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees may choose a 30-day, 90-day, 125-day, or 180-day elimination period.
- University Staff employees have a 30-day elimination period.
See the Income Continuation Insurance Plan Brochure in the Forms & Resources section below for plan details.
The ICI plan is administered by the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) and claims are processed by The Hartford.
Eligibility
The following requirements must be met to be eligible for this plan:
- Eligible for Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Benefits Package
Enrollment
Initial Enrollment
Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited Appointees
You have 30 days from your date of employment or newly benefits-eligible job to enroll in the Income Continuation Insurance program. You elect an elimination period ranging from 30 to 180 days. You will also choose your coverage effective date. Your coverage effective date options are:
- The first of the month on or following your hire date. If you select this option you will pay the total premium until you have completed 12 months of state WRS service.
- The first of the month on or following the completion of 12 months of state WRS service. If you select this option, your coverage begins when the Universities of Wisconsin contributes towards your premium.
If you decide to change your elimination period after you enroll, review the Evidence of Insurability section below for options to make a change.
University Staff Employees
You have 30 days from your date of employment or your newly benefits-eligible job to enroll in the Income Continuation Insurance program. Coverage is effective the first day of the month on or following your date of employment or newly benefits-eligible job.
Your accrual of unused sick leave determines which premium category is used to calculate your premium and the amount the Universities of Wisconsin will contribute to your premium.
Deferred Enrollment
If you do not enroll in Income Continuation Insurance when you are initially eligible, you may have an opportunity to enroll without providing evidence of insurability.
Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited Appointees
If you do not enroll in ICI when you are initially eligible, you may enroll when you become eligible for the employer contribution to your premium after you complete 12 months of state WRS service.
To enroll, submit the Income Continuation Insurance Application (ET-2307) within 60 days of when you complete 12 months of state WRS service. The Income Continuation Insurance Application (ET-2307) can be accessed in the Forms & Resources section below. Coverage is effective the first day of the month on or following the completion of 12 months of state WRS service.
During your initial enrollment opportunity, you were notified of your deferred enrollment eligibility.
University Staff Employees
If you do not enroll in ICI when you are initially eligible, you will have a deferred enrollment opportunity the first time you are eligible for:
- Premium Category 3 (accrued at least 80 hours of unused sick leave during the calendar year as of the last payroll of the year (prorated if part-time))
- Premium Category 4 (accrued 520 hours of unused sick leave as of the last payroll of the calendar year)
- Premium Category 5 (accrued 728 hours of unused sick leave as of the last payroll of the calendar year)
You will have a deferred enrollment opportunity to enroll in ICI in any year (into Premium Category 6):
- You have accrued at least 1,040 hours of unused sick leave as of the last payroll of the calendar year.
University Staff employees will be notified of their deferred enrollment eligibility and required to submit an Income Continuation Insurance Application (ET-2307) by March 1 if they choose to enroll. The Income Continuation Insurance Application (ET-2307) can be accessed in the Forms & Resources section below. Coverage is effective April 1.
Evidence of Insurability
If you do not enroll in ICI during your initial 30-day or deferred enrollment periods, you may apply for coverage at any time through the Income Continuation Insurance Evidence of Insurability Application (ET-2308) (approval not guaranteed). Coverage is effective the first of the month on or following the approval of your application by The Hartford.
Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited Appointees
If enrolled, you may change your elimination period after your initial enrollment.
Decrease Elimination Period: To shorten your elimination period, apply by completing the Income Continuation Insurance Evidence of Insurability Application (ET-2308). Approval is not guaranteed. If your application is approved, your premium will increase.
Increase Elimination Period: As you accrue more sick leave, you may want to consider increasing your elimination period. You may increase your elimination period at any time. To request an increase to your elimination period, complete the Income Continuation Insurance Application (ET-2307). Evidence of insurability is not required. By increasing your elimination period, your premium will decrease.
Coverage
If unable to work due to disability, the ICI program provides a benefit payment to you of 75% of your eligible earnings (up to maximum earnings of $120,000/year).
When Benefits are Payable
Your ICI benefit will begin after you exhaust your accrued sick leave, up to a maximum of 130 working days or serve your elimination period, whichever is longer.
- Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited appointees select an elimination period of 30, 90, 125, or 180 days.
- University Staff employees have a 30-day elimination period.
The elimination period begins on the first full day that you are continuously and completely absent from work due to disability. If you return to work during your elimination period, even to perform incidental work at your employer’s request, your elimination period may be extended. Before performing any work during your elimination period, contact your claims representative at The Hartford.
How to File a Claim
Contact The Hartford at (800) 960-0052 to begin your claims process.
When contacting The Hartford be sure to identify that your employer is the State of Wisconsin. Universities of Wisconsin employees’ Income Continuation Insurance benefit is through the State of Wisconsin. The Hartford will not recognize individual state agencies such as the Universities of Wisconsin or your campus name.
You may file a claim up to 30 days before your anticipated last day worked but no more than 12 months from your last day in pay status.
Review Claim Filing Instructions for Income Continuation Insurance (ICI) Benefits (ET-5106) for information. Also, see the Plan Brochure in the Forms & Resources section for information on the ICI program.
To verify your enrollment in the plan, sign into my.wisconsin.edu and go to the Benefits and Well-Being tile or reach out to your benefits contact.
Disability Premium Waiver
Premium Waiver Eligibility
- Income Continuation Insurance premiums are waived effective the first of the month on or after the date your Income Continuation Insurance benefit begins or upon termination of employment, whichever occurs first.
Premium Waiver Information
- Once your Income Continuation Insurance claim is approved, the third party administrator of the plan will notify you of your premium waiver.
- The premium waiver remains in effect through the end of the month in which your leave of absence ends. A leave of absence ends when you have resumed active performance of duty for 30 consecutive calendar days for at least 50% of what is considered your normal work time.
You may also be eligible for a disability premium waiver through the State Group Life Insurance Plan if you are currently enrolled.
Benefits Premiums
For Income Continuation Insurance premiums review the Benefit Premiums web page.
If you enroll in the Income Continuation Insurance), the Universities of Wisconsin contributes a portion of the premium. For Faculty/Academic Staff/Limited Appointees, the Universities of Wisconsin employer contribution starts after you have more than one year of state service and varies based on the elimination period you elect. For University Staff employees, the employer contribution varies based on the category level you are in which is determined by the amount of sick leave you have accrued.
Forms & Resources
Every effort has been made to ensure this information is current and correct. Information on this page does not guarantee enrollment, benefits and/or the ability to make changes to your benefits.
Updated: 05/29/2024