ID Theft

During open enrollment, std (short term disability) was not shown as an option...?

During annual open enrollment, I recieved an employee open enrollment kit, which consisted of 3 pages outlining the various options of coverage. Of those were medical, dental, and vison of course and supplemental benefits, which included accident, critical illness, legal, pet, and identity theft. I showed no options of short or long term disability, and now that I inquire about them, my HR rep is telling me it is too late, and that it was listed inside the enrollment kit. Well, clearly it is not. Does ltd or std fall under accident insurance?? Does my employer have to allow me to enroll in either even if the deadlines have passed since it was never an option to begin with??

Public Comments

1. Usually the disability is included in the medical coverage. Ask for a plan document for the medical plan, and search the pages to see if it is there. They may not be required to offer that at all, but usually it is inexpensive.
2. First, ask your HR rep to show you where that option was in the open enrollment kit. You'll never know where it was unless he/she shows you. Then you can discuss whether you should be entitled to special consideration if it actually wasn't in your kit. However, I'm sorry to say that, if it wasn't in your particular kit, the responsibility to inquire about it in a timely fashion, within the enrollment period, was yours. You may have to wait for another open enrollment in another year or more.
3. As I understand it, and I have done a lot, open enrollments take on the new employees and evaluates the older with or without pre-existing conditions. Please advise me if wrong.