Philadelphia-based Lincoln Financial Group introduced a Family Care Reimbursement Benefit rider on its group long-term disability insurance product.

“Lincoln recognizes that there are often more than just physical challenges facing an insured during the transition back to work,” said Bob Risk, senior vice president for group sales at LFG. “Lincoln’s new Family Care Reimbursement Benefit rider helps remove the barrier of increased dependent care costs faced by partially disabled workers.”

During this period of partial disability, policyholders, including those who are part of the “sandwich generation,” caring for young children and/or elderly parents, often face additional concerns. They may need to find and pay for child care, or care for a spouse or elder parents who are incapable of living on their own.

The Family Care benefit rider will reimburse the policyholder for care costs paid up to the maximum plan reimbursement amount. This reimbursement maximum amount is per qualified dependent and is payable in addition to the maximum LTD plan benefit. In addition, the Family Care benefit rider combined with Lincoln’s Progressive Partial Disability Benefit may allow an employee to ‘earn’ more than 100% of their pre-disability benefits.

Lincoln’s Family Care Reimbursement Benefit rider offers direct cash reimbursement benefit for each covered family member; an expanded definition of a dependent to include a spouse and/or elder parent as well as dependent children; benefits to both to individuals who are partially disabled and to individuals who suffer a cognitive impairment, are terminally ill, or suffer the loss of 2 or more ADLs.

The partial disability calculation used allows a claimant to receive up to 100% of pre-disability income through partial-disability employment combined with the LTD benefit payments for the duration of the claim, and the progressive income benefit is automatically increased by 10% when an insured suffers a loss resulting in significant cognitive impairment or the inability to perform two or more ADLs. The benefit may be increased up to 100% of pre-disability earnings with the purchase of additional coverage.

The recovery benefit for commissioned employees provides a six-month supplemental benefit for commissioned employees while ramping up their pre-disability commissioned-based income.

The Lincoln EmployeeConnect is the standard EAP included with all Lincoln Financial LTD contracts and is available to all insured employees. Lincoln EmployeeConnect services include phone and web access to master’s level counselors, free face-to-face consultations, legal and financial resources, and more.