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Hybrid Disability Program

Our hybrid insurance solution provides a balance between cost certainty and long-term coverage.

Wawanesa Life’s Hybrid Disability[1] program is a combination of our 2-year Long-Term Disability (LTD) and our Accident & Serious Illness Disability plan.

Hybrid Disability Plan Design: How it works

  • Hybrid Disability provides access to a standard LTD 2-year disability coverage through the “Own Occupation” period and long durational coverage at “Change of Definition/ Any Occupation” through Accident & Serious Illness Disability. On meeting the conditions test, one can potentially remain on disability through the full benefit duration: typically to age 65.
  • Ideal for employer groups or associations of members that might not otherwise have access to affordable disability coverage or be unable to secure disability coverage due to the nature of their business/industry or historical claims experience.
  • Hybrid Disability is a singular plan structured to function seamlessly while offering the duality of 2-year LTD benefits and long durational disability through Accident & Serious Illness Disability.
  • Beyond the 2-year “Own Occupation” period, this Plan does not provide coverage for certain illnesses and injuries that may be covered in a comprehensive Group Long-Term Disability insurance policy.

Affordable & Stable Disability Costs

  • Accident & Serious Illness Disability programs typically cost a fraction of a full Long-Term Disability plan.
  • Pricing has greater stability than Long-Term Disability.
  • Provides the same disability adjudication and disability claims management services as our full Long-Term Disability plans.

Tip: Hybrid Disability provides stable pricing, at lower cost than full LTD, and is available to groups that are looking to add disability coverage as a new benefit in a controlled manner, or groups with existing full LTD that feel they can no longer afford the benefit.

Accident & Serious Illness Disability Covered Conditions at 2-year “Change of Definition” include:

  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Bacterial Meningitis
  • Benign Brain Tumor
  • Blindness
  • Cancer
  • Coma
  • Fulminant Viral Hepatitis
  • Heart Attack
  • Hip Replacement Surgery
  • Knee Replacement Surgery
  • Kidney Failure
  • Loss of Limbs
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Occupational HIV
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Severe Burns
  • Stroke
  1. Functionally, Hybrid Disability operates as full LTD during the Own Occupation period with a 2-year benefit, for all typical claim categories being eligible for coverage (e.g., mental health, physical disability, musculoskeletal etc.) and standard LTD policy provisions applying.
    At “change of definition” (end of the two-year Own Occupation period) the typical assessment criterias are applied, but additionally, the cause of the disability must be one of the “Covered Conditions” covered by our Accident & Serious Illness Disability Plan. On meeting the conditions test, one can potentially remain on disability through the full benefit duration; typically to age 65.↩