Short-Term Disability

Eligibility

If you are in the active classification, covered under the Premium Plan and become temporarily disabled because of a non-occupational accident or sickness while you are eligible for medical benefits under the plan, you are eligible for the short-term disability benefit.

For purposes of this benefit, “disabled” means that you are prevented from engaging in your normal occupation, due solely to sickness or injury. In addition:

• You must be under the direct care of a physician, other than a chiropractor, who certifies your disability and states your expected return to work date.

• The treating physician must notify the plan of any changes to the expected return-to-work date. The physician may also be required to document any determinations of continued disability.

• If your disability is caused by an accident, you must provide the plan with complete details of time, place and circumstances of the accident.

• Once you are able to return to work, you must notify the Benefit Office so your weekly disability benefit payments can be stopped before you receive an overpayment. Participants are only eligible to receive disability payments for the period of time the attending physician allows.

Benefits Payable

The weekly accident and sickness benefit pays $300 per week, for up to 26 weeks, and begin as follows:

In case of	Benefits begin
Disability due to accident, hospital confinement or outpatient surgery	First day of disability
Disability due to sickness, not involving hospital confinement or outpatient surgery	Eighth day after onset of disability

The benefit for each day of a partial week of disability is one-seventh of the weekly benefit calculated on a maximum seven-day work period.

Exclusions

No benefits are payable under the plan for:

• Any day of disability on which a member is eligible for, or receiving, compensation from the member’s employer, or workers’ compensation benefits, even if occupational and non-occupational disabilities are unrelated.

• Disabilities resulting from any injury or sickness due to the act or omission of a third party, unless the member has fully complied with the reimbursement and subrogation provisions of this plan.

• Periods that exceed accepted standards of disability, unless properly documented by the treating physician.

• Any day prior to or after the period when a member was under treatment, and was certified as disabled by an attending physician, even if the sickness or illness may have been present.

• Any day on which the trustees determine that a member is not disabled, though certified as such by a physician.

• Disability resulting from any injury or sickness for which no medical benefits are payable.

• Any member covered under COBRA.

• Any member covered under the Basic Plan.

For more information or assistance drawing Short Term Disability benefits, please contact Carpenters’ Participant Services at 314.644.4802, option 1.

Please note: This benefit is excluded from COBRA coverage.

For full details on the plan’s short-term disability benefit, refer to the plan’s Summary Plan Description on this website’s Health & Welfare Plan Resources page.