If you are a school board employee, you are likely covered by your county’s short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) insurance plan. Disability insurance coverage is available to most individuals employed by public schools, such as teachers and janitorial staff, although certain requirements (such as working a certain number of hours each week) must be met to be considered eligible employees.
Another common policy provision is the elimination period, which must pass after you become disabled before you are eligible to receive a weekly or monthly benefit. Even with these complicated rules and requirements, long-term disability for school board employees has proven invaluable for those approved for benefits.
If you suffer a disabling injury or illness that prevents work activity, your disability insurance will replace a percentage of your lost wages. Depending on the terms of your long-term disability plan, benefits could be paid until age 65 or your normal Social Security Retirement age. However, the disability plan does not guarantee that you will receive a monthly benefit until age 65 or your normal Social Security Retirement age. Long-term disability claims are frequently denied, and approved claims are often terminated before the claimant can return to work.
Is My Long-Term Disability Claim Governed by ERISA?
If your insurance carrier has denied or terminated your claim for disability insurance benefits, you should find an attorney with experience handling non-ERISA disability insurance claims. Although ERISA governs most disability insurance claims, ERISA will not govern your claim for benefits under your employer-sponsored plan if you are a government employee (including a school district employee) or if you are covered by a “Church plan” (which is defined by 29 U.S.C. § 1002(33)(A)). Instead, disability claims for employees of public schools are governed by state law.
Florida School Boards by County
We handle ERISA disability claims nationwide, and non-ERISA long-term disability insurance benefit claims anywhere in the state of Florida. We can help you appeal the decision if your LTD insurance benefits were denied or terminated. If the denial is upheld, we can also assist you in filing suit against your insurance company. Each of the 67 counties in Florida has its own school board with its own disability insurance plan. We help with disability insurance claims for employees of public schools in each county, including:
- Alachua County School Board
- Baker County School Board
- Bay County School Board
- Bradford County School Board
- Brevard County School Board
- Broward County School Board
- Calhoun County School Board
- Charlotte County School Board
- Citrus County School Board
- Clay County School Board
- Collier County School Board
- Columbia County School Board
- DeSoto County School Board
- Dixie County School Board
- Duval County School Board
- Escambia County School Board
- Flagler County School Board
- Franklin County School Board
- Gadsden County School Board
- Gilchrist County School Board
- Glades County School Board
- Gulf County School Board
- Hamilton County School Board
- Hardee County School Board
- Hendry County School Board
- Hernando County School Board
- Highlands County School Board
- Hillsborough County School Board
- Holmes County School Board
- Indian River County School Board
- Jackson County School Board
- Jefferson County School Board
- Lafayette County School Board
- Lake County School Board
- Lee County School Board
- Leon County School Board
- Levy County School Board
- Liberty County School Board
- Madison County School Board
- Manatee County School Board
- Marion County School Board
- Martin County School Board
- Miami-Dade County School Board
- Monroe County School Board
- Nassau County School Board
- Okaloosa County School Board
- Okeechobee County School Board
- Orange County School Board
- Osceola County School Board
- Palm Beach County School Board
- Pasco County School Board
- Pinellas County School Board
- Polk County School Board
- Putnam County School Board
- Santa Rosa County School Board
- Sarasota County School Board
- Seminole County School Board
- St. Johns County School Board
- St. Lucie County School Board
- Sumter County School Board
- Suwannee County School Board
- Taylor County School Board
- Union County School Board
- Volusia County School Board
- Wakulla County School Board
- Walton County School Board
- Washington County School Board
School Board Employees That May Be Eligible for LTD Benefits
Teachers are not the only eligible employees under the terms of most public schools’ disability insurance plans. Other eligible employees may include:
- Administrators
- Bus Drivers
- Janitorial Staff
- Kitchen Staff
- Principal
- School Nurse
- Teacher’s Assistants
- Vice Principal
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with the Ortiz Law Firm
Our firm represents LTD claimants who have been denied benefits or whose benefits were wrongfully terminated for both ERISA-governed and non-ERISA-governed LTD insurance plans. Please contact us to schedule your free LTD case evaluation. You can contact us online or call us today at (888) 321-8131 to discuss how we can help with your claim.
