Starting on July 1, 2021, each insurer proposing to issue individual or group accident and sickness insurance policies providing short-term disability (STD) income protection coverage whose policies provide coverage for short-term disability arising out of childbirth shall provide coverage for a payable benefit of at least 12 weeks immediately following childbirth for such a disability.
- An STD policy is not required to offer coverage for childbirth, but if it does, the coverage has to be for 12 weeks
- It only applies to policies issued after 7/1/21
- No elimination period allowed for the childbirth benefit
- The total childbirth benefit may not be available to a given employee who has already used STD benefits under a policy with benefit limitations.
Each of our short-term disability carrier partners will have different guidance on this new law. Please contact our team so we can assist in getting these new standards to you. For more information, please refer to the Virginia Bureau of Insurance.
The information herein should not be construed as legal or tax advice in any way. This content is provided for informational purposes only. You should seek the advice of your attorney or tax consultant for additional or specific information.