The Texas Income Protection Plan (TIPP) provides short-term and long-term disability coverage, ensuring income protection by paying a portion of your salary if you become totally disabled. Total disability is defined as the inability to perform job duties due to a certified medical condition, injury, or pregnancy. These plans are exclusively available to active employees under the Texas Employees Group Benefits Program and are not extended to employee family members or retirees.
You can enroll in one or both disability plans within the first 31 calendar days of employment without needing to provide evidence of insurability. If you miss this initial enrollment period, you must wait until the Summer Enrollment period unless you experience a qualifying life event. In such cases, you will need to complete evidence of insurability (EOI), and coverage is not guaranteed.
Upon approval of a participant’s claim, short-term disability benefits provide 66% of the monthly salary, capped at $6,600 per month. These benefits are payable for up to five and a half months (a maximum of 166 days) following a 14-day waiting period or the exhaustion of all available sick leave (including extended, donated, and sick leave pool), whichever is longer. Eligibility requires a physician’s certification confirming total disability and inability to work.
Once a participant’s claim is approved, long-term disability benefits provide 60% of the monthly salary, up to a maximum of $6,000 per month. These benefits continue until you can return to work, reach your Maximum Benefit Period (determined by the age at which you became disabled), or based on the condition causing your disability. Before approval, you must complete a 180-day waiting period or exhaust all available sick leave (including extended, donated, and sick leave pool), whichever is longer. Eligibility requires a physician’s certification confirming total disability and inability to work.